25th of October, 1535: Henry VIII and Mary Arundel were married in an elaborate ceremony. The celebrations went into the night, with a mixture of dances and even some sing-along style games. The main attraction, of course, was the newly married couple. One observer wrote:
“…there is the King, all decked in white and silver, with gold designs stretching from his throat to his toes. His hair, now thin and white, is hidden by a large crown; done in silver with diamonds and sapphires. His beard, neatly clipped, is not nearly as colourless as his head but nearly as thin. On his hands are many rings, mostly sapphires and rubies. He is quite fat. Next to him stands the new queen, slim and short. Also all in white and silver, she instead had a pale blue pattern adorning her dress and all silver and pearl jewellery. Her hair hangs loose down her back, wavy and golden. Her eyes are very light, and seem to change from blue to green. She is quite beautiful; her features quite youthful and soft. Together, they seem to be a happy couple, and the king loved to caress her cheeks and shoulder often…”
It was noted that the king seemed severely out of breath for most of the celebrations; refusing to dance and instead leaving his youthful wife to dance with others. Also, many observed that the Queen danced mostly with George Boleyn, who she seemed to also spend the most time with when not with her husband. But, whatever the case, Henry was happy and Mary was safe.
“…there is the King, all decked in white and silver, with gold designs stretching from his throat to his toes. His hair, now thin and white, is hidden by a large crown; done in silver with diamonds and sapphires. His beard, neatly clipped, is not nearly as colourless as his head but nearly as thin. On his hands are many rings, mostly sapphires and rubies. He is quite fat. Next to him stands the new queen, slim and short. Also all in white and silver, she instead had a pale blue pattern adorning her dress and all silver and pearl jewellery. Her hair hangs loose down her back, wavy and golden. Her eyes are very light, and seem to change from blue to green. She is quite beautiful; her features quite youthful and soft. Together, they seem to be a happy couple, and the king loved to caress her cheeks and shoulder often…”
It was noted that the king seemed severely out of breath for most of the celebrations; refusing to dance and instead leaving his youthful wife to dance with others. Also, many observed that the Queen danced mostly with George Boleyn, who she seemed to also spend the most time with when not with her husband. But, whatever the case, Henry was happy and Mary was safe.