1502: The Year of Miraculous Births
“The death of Arthur, Prince of Wales in April 1502 at a mere fifteen years of age was a devastating blow for the fledgling Tudor dynasty, and the prince’s heartbroken parents.
But all hope was not lost, for Arthur’s widow, Catalina, was with child and had thankfully not caught her husband’s ultimately fatal illness, so she and the hope of the Tudors were safe. It became apparent a mere weeks after Arthur’s death that Catalina was carrying at least two babies. That caused some concern as the birth of multiples could easily become fatal, especially for a girl of barely sixteen like the Dowager Princess of Wales was. It seemed as Catalina’s belly grew larger and larger, all of England was praying for a safe delivery of healthy babies. Two sons, preferably, but one son and one daughter would still be an incredible blessing.
They would get much more than they bargained for.”
— Anthony Baker, “The Tudors Triumphant”
“Catalina would go into labor in the early hours of the 6th of September. Her father-in-law, Henry VII, would ensure she had the very best midwives in all of England by her side. It would late the 7th of September by the time Catalina’s children were born. They were all small, but healthy, with hearty cries that could be heard all throughout Eltham Palace.
Yes, Henry, Arthur, Mary, and Elizabeth Tudor made a very loud entrance into the world, but the celebrations for the successful birth of four royal children were going to be much louder.”
— Marissa Dunbar, “A Pomegranate of Many Seeds: The Life of Catalina of Aragon”
“A mere three months after the births of the Tudor quadruplets, France would see its own miraculous births as Queen Anne of Brittany birthed twin boys on the 17th of December: Dauphin Charles and François, Count of Montfort.
The pair joined their elder sister, three-year-old Claude, in the royal nursery while the kingdom rejoiced in a secure succession. Louis XII, launched into a particularly pious mood after the birth of healthy sons, began planning the construction of many monasteries in thanks to God. His wife was a little less ostentatious in expressing her gratitude; she sponsored a single chapel dedicated to Saint Anne, the patron saint of her Duchy of Brittany, a poignant choice given that the duchy’s independence was to live on for at least another generation.”
— Kayla Kwon, “Anne of Brittany: Mother, Duchess, Queen”
But all hope was not lost, for Arthur’s widow, Catalina, was with child and had thankfully not caught her husband’s ultimately fatal illness, so she and the hope of the Tudors were safe. It became apparent a mere weeks after Arthur’s death that Catalina was carrying at least two babies. That caused some concern as the birth of multiples could easily become fatal, especially for a girl of barely sixteen like the Dowager Princess of Wales was. It seemed as Catalina’s belly grew larger and larger, all of England was praying for a safe delivery of healthy babies. Two sons, preferably, but one son and one daughter would still be an incredible blessing.
They would get much more than they bargained for.”
— Anthony Baker, “The Tudors Triumphant”
“Catalina would go into labor in the early hours of the 6th of September. Her father-in-law, Henry VII, would ensure she had the very best midwives in all of England by her side. It would late the 7th of September by the time Catalina’s children were born. They were all small, but healthy, with hearty cries that could be heard all throughout Eltham Palace.
Yes, Henry, Arthur, Mary, and Elizabeth Tudor made a very loud entrance into the world, but the celebrations for the successful birth of four royal children were going to be much louder.”
— Marissa Dunbar, “A Pomegranate of Many Seeds: The Life of Catalina of Aragon”
“A mere three months after the births of the Tudor quadruplets, France would see its own miraculous births as Queen Anne of Brittany birthed twin boys on the 17th of December: Dauphin Charles and François, Count of Montfort.
The pair joined their elder sister, three-year-old Claude, in the royal nursery while the kingdom rejoiced in a secure succession. Louis XII, launched into a particularly pious mood after the birth of healthy sons, began planning the construction of many monasteries in thanks to God. His wife was a little less ostentatious in expressing her gratitude; she sponsored a single chapel dedicated to Saint Anne, the patron saint of her Duchy of Brittany, a poignant choice given that the duchy’s independence was to live on for at least another generation.”
— Kayla Kwon, “Anne of Brittany: Mother, Duchess, Queen”
