"With the way Henry is carrying on, you would think the queen has birthed a son," Princess Mary writes to her sister, Queen Margaret of Scotland. It should be noted that this is not Mary disparaging her brother or her beloved sister-in-law for that matter, when she says this. For months, the new King Henry had been certain that his lady love was carrying England's newest prince. He bragged of how his son would be exactly like him, handsome, strong and smart.
"Oh, he will be the greatest of all princes," King Henry crowed.
"Even greater than you?" Charles Brandon teased.
To which, the monarch replied: "Thankfully, I have an eighteen year head start."
When Princess Elizabeth, sometimes referred to as Princess Isabel, was born, everyone expected King Henry to be disappointed that he had a daughter instead of a son. However, that was not the case. The minute, his daughter was put in his arms, King Henry was loudly proclaiming that God had gifted him the most perfect girl in the whole world. She was as beautiful as a rose and more precious than a sapphire [1].
Katherine of Aragon was equally pleased at having birth a healthy baby, all though she was a bit tired after the long hours of labor to celebrate like her husband was. "God has blessed our union," she declared. "A hale princess at the beginning of a new age in England is a good omen."
It seemed that Henry agreed wholeheartedly. He dedicated his wins in the joust to Princess Elizabeth, and every toast he made, seemed to have at least one compliment towards her. Hence his sister's good natured ribbing at his behavior.
On March 16th, Princess Elizabeth was christened in Church of the Observant Friars, where her father himself had been christianed, A witness reported: The heralds carried their tabards. Attendants and serving men bore unlighted torches. Lords and ladies carried the equipment needed for the ceremony: a gold cellar of salt, for the exorcism of the child; great silver gilt basins in which the godparents could wash off traces of the holy oil with which the child was anointed; a chrisom-cloth, to be bound over the crown of the baby’s head after she had been anointed with chrisom; and a taper, to be lit after the baptism was completed. Elizabeth herself was carried by a duchess, and her long train by three peers and peeresses of the royal blood. Four barons carried a canopy over her. She was christened by the Bishop of London,. Three times the baby was plunged in the waters of the font. Then the lighted taper was thrust in her hand. At this moment, all the torches were lit; the heralds put on their tabards and the trumpets rang out in honour of Elizabeth, Princess of England and of France [2].
The baby's godparents were Catherine of York, the Earl of Surrey [3], his wife Anges Howard, Charles Brandon, Princess Mary {4] and María de Salinas {5]. Through his envoy, King Ferdinand of Aragon, sent a jeweled tiara for his newest granddaughter. The French ambassador dropped hints that King Louis was considering an English match should Queen Anne give birth to a boy in October of that year [6]
Princess Elizabeth was scarcely a month-old when her mother fell pregnant again in early April. And although, King Henry and Queen Katherine still doted on her, they both prayed that it would be a son this time [7].
1. His sapphire, his pearl and his emerald.
2. Copying Elizabeth's christening with the exception of the Archbishop Canterbury as I doubt King Henry wants Warham being his daughter's godfather.
3. The Earl of Surrey is Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard's grandfather. He has not gained back his titles yet.
4. So I used two of Mary's godmothers. I don't know if Anges Howard's husband was Mary's godfather, but I figured it wouldn't be out of the ordinary for couples to be chosen as godparents. I am also assuming the reason that Henry didn't choose Charles or Mary as Princess Mary's godparents in RL, is because he was still a bit mad at them. Regardless, I figured he choose them this time.
5. Considering Maria's deep loyalty to Catherine, I am actually surprised that she was not chosen as a godmother. She came from Spain with Catherine and remained with her for her entire life. Maria even disobeyed the king to be with her when she died.
6. Princess Renee of France will be born in October 1510 as she was in history.
7. Just in case, you thought that I would be writing Henry completely OOC. Henry is right now just riding high on the whole being King of England, marrying the woman of his dreams that as long as his firstborn was healthy, he honestly didn't care about the gender. Of course, had the next baby not been a son then his shine to his daughter would have quickly worn off.
, that fact is quite amusing. But anyhow that makes her a 50s house wife despite all the other things she did?
