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Secondary sourceBook1905

The Wives of Henry the Eighth

Martin A. S. Hume · 1905

A 1905 popular history book by Martin Hume with a chapter on Catherine of Aragon's marriage to Henry VIII.

This later history devotes a chapter to Catherine's marriage to Henry VIII and her role as his first queen.

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About this source

What it is

This is a book written by Martin Hume in 1905, called The Wives of Henry the Eighth. It looks at the lives of Henry VIII's queens, including a chapter on Catherine of Aragon and her marriage to the king.

Why it matters

Written long after Catherine's death, this book shows how later historians tried to make sense of Henry VIII's marriages and the women involved, including Catherine, Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour. It reflects early twentieth-century ideas about royal history and queens' influence.

Look closer

  • Why might a historian in 1905 be interested in writing about royal marriages from centuries earlier?
  • What might this book get right or wrong, since it was written so long after Catherine lived?
  • How might the author's own time period affect the way he writes about Catherine?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Catherine of Aragon on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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