The Badges and Mottos of the Queens of Henry VIII

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The Personal Devices and Mottos of the Queens of Henry VIII

Each of Henry VIII’s Queen’s had their own personal device, or badge, and motto. These were designed to convey a message. The badges and mottos, individually and combined, conveyed aspirations or aspects of their character they wished to emphasise.  In this blog we will look at each of them in turn and whether the Queen's lived up to them.

Katherine of Aragon

Henry VIII’s first wife, the Spanish Princess Katherine of Aragon was married to Henry for 24 years. From an early age, Katherine had been destined to be England’s Queen. At the age of 3, she had been betrothed to Arthur, Prince of Wales, the eldest son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. His premature death in 1502, only 6 months into their marriage left Katherine a young widow in a foreign country and with an uncertain future. 

When Henry VII died in 1509, it was his second son, Henry, who became King. The 17 year old Henry VIII was keen to show that, despite his young age, he was mature enough to rule in his own right. He reasoned that being married would be an apt way to demonstrate this and, of course, there was also the job of creating heirs to be getting on with! His choice of bride was already in the country and known to him. Critically she was also a foreign princess from a country with which an alliance was highly desirable, as recognised by his father decades earlier. However, there was a problem. It was contrary to Canon law for a man to marry his brother’s widow. A special dispensation was sought from Pope Julius II. It allowed the marriage to go ahead based on the assertion that the marriage had never been consummated. 

Katherine adopted the motto “Humble and Loyal.” Her badge was the Pomegranate slashed open to show the abundance of seed inside. The fruit was set on leaves with a crown above. The Pomegranate was a symbol of Christ’s resurrection and, as the seeds suggest quite directly, of fertility. A promise of a nursery full of children brought up as good Christians perhaps, or a direct reminder of her Spanish homeland? Possibly all these things.

Katherine’s off spring would indeed turn out to be pious but a nursery full there was not. A Prince, christened Henry, was born on New Year’s Day 1511 but died on 22 February. Despite multiple pregnancies, only one child survived to adulthood, a girl, Mary. 

Over two decades of marriage ended in heartbreak. Henry had increasingly believed that he had attracted God’s wrath for marrying his brother’s widow and this was evidenced in the fact that He had not granted him sons to secure the Tudor line and a peaceful succession. 

Henry’s eye had been taken by another, Anne Boleyn, who had first appeared at court in early 1522. She, he increasingly reasoned, must be the answer to his succession problems. He must marry her and sons would be sure to follow.

Henry’s resentment toward Katherine for not complying with the divorce grew and he became increasingly distant and cruel toward both his wife, and daughter. Katherine was banished from court and mother and daughter were prohibited from ever seeing each other again. 

The divorce was, in actuality, an annulment. In the eyes of Henry he had never been lawfully married to Katherine, and his daughter was illegitimate. The church, law and every subject were commanded to agree and those who didn’t were punished. 

What about Katherine? Her motto had said ‘Humble’, which is demonstrating a modest estimate of one’s own importance, and ‘Loyal', which means to give constant support to one person. Her motto had been clear but had she fulfilled it?