11 key dates: Young Henry VIII, Prince Arthur and Catherine of Aragon

Arthur, first son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, is born in Winchester. He is named after the legendary king who is much in vogue through the writings of Geoffrey of Monmouth

• Arthur, Catherine and Henry: a story of early Tudor triumph and tragedy
• The real history behind The Spanish Princess
• Catherine of Aragon: Spain’s Virgin queen?

A sister, Margaret, is born to Arthur. The following day, the three-year-old boy is invested as the Prince of Wales

Prince Henry is born in Greenwich. He is not sent to his elder brother’s household, but instead joins his sister Margaret in the nursery overseen by his mother

Arthur is sent to Ludlow, to continue his education as the king-in-waiting. Henry meanwhile is still being weaned, and learning to walk, in the company of his mother and sister

Henry is invested as the Duke of York in London. This continues the mirroring of his childhood with that of his uncle, Richard Duke of York, one of the unfortunate princes in the tower

Prince Arthur marries Catherine of Aragon at St Paul’s Cathedral. The two 15-year-olds then go off to live as man and wife in Ludlow. Arthur’s brother Henry was Katherine’s escort

Queen Elizabeth dies nine days after giving birth to her last daughter Catherine. Henry, her surviving son and the heir to the throne, is not yet 12 years old

• Elizabeth of York: a Tudor of rare talent (exclusive to The Library)
• The real history behind The White Princess
• Henry VIII: 5 places you (probably) didn’t know shaped his life

Henry takes over his dead brother’s place as Prince of Wales

Henry VII dies. Three days later, his son is pronounced King Henry VIII

Henry marries his brother’s widow, Catherine of Aragon. The pair have a magnificent joint coronation on 24 June. The country rejoices.

This timeline originally appeared in the April 2009 issue of BBC History Magazine, alongside an article on Henry VIII’s childhood by David Starkey.