his marriage was invalid came from Leviticus 20:16 – "If a man shall take his brother's wife, it is an impurity: he hath uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless". Being devoutly Catholic (he would sometimes hear mass up to six times a day) Henry truly believed that his marriage was incestuous and the guilt troubled him. This is a good example of how people in the sixteenth century took religion incredibly seriously, and were very willing to let it cause bitter strife. Henry saw Catherine as the source of all his problems, and this developed into a deep hatred for her, and a desire for revenge. However, Henry's motivation throughout was probably his concern over appearing to be victorious, especially in a dispute with Charles V of Spain, Catherine's nephew, who was very keen to see his aunt retain her position as Queen. Henry had an intensely competitive personality; his desire to be seen as the best is well demonstrated in this account by the Venetian ambassador in 1515;
             "His Majesty came into our arbor, and addressing me in French, said: "Talk with me awhile! The King of France, is he as tall as I am?" I told him there was but little difference. He continued, "Is he as stout?" I said he was not; and he then inquired, "What sort of leg has he?" I replied, "Spare". Whereupon he opened the front of his doublet, and placing his hand on his thigh said, "Look here! And I also have a good calf to my leg!"
             This source, being most probably unbiased given the fact it was written by an outsider to the court, gives us an insight into Henry's egotistical character and why he might have embarked on this campaign for such a long time, when the consequences would cause such conflict.
             At the same time as Henry was pursuing his aims through his divorce, suggestions of radical reform of the church began to appear, which eventually l...