Comments by "RenShiWu" (@renshiwu305) on "Henry VIII: Mind of a Tyrant Part One with David Starkey" video.

@mauvegreenwisteria3645 True, but Henry did not marry out of dynastic considerations. I believe that Henry chose to marry Katherine for three reasons that had nothing to do with her origins. Firstly, Henry met Katherine when he was young and she was a young teenager. I believe Henry maintained a schoolboy crush that formed when they first met. Secondly, the thought of saving Katherine from her state - practically abandoned by her father and stranded in a foreign country - appealed to Henry's conception of himself as a gallant knight. Finally, Henry was a second son, and, in the tradition of younger brothers, Henry needed to attain what his brother had once had. Arthur was married to Katherine - perhaps not consummated - and Henry wanted to achieve the same distinction. I'm an older brother, I recognize the tendency.
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@rosefincher7631 I'm talking about Henry at the beginning of his marriage to Katherine. It's why I emphasized "that Henry." I don't defend Henry's egotism and man-babyness. At the beginning, Katherine hit the jackpot.
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Katherine of Aragon hit the jackpot with Henry. He rescued her from her isolation and penury, while she was essentially stranded in England. That Henry was tall, handsome, and with good hair. He was a fine dresser and of an artistic temperament; and with some skill. He was also rich and famous. In short, Henry VIII had every quality that women want from men, then and now. He was also a good half decade younger than his wife. Katherine of Aragon was probably the only one of his wives who genuinely loved Henry - because he saved her, and because he was an amazing catch.
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