May 26 - Henry VIII and Charles V meet

📜 On This Day in Tudor History, May 26, 1520: Henry VIII Meets Emperor Charles V 📜

On May 26, 1520, King Henry VIII met his nephew, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, at Dover Castle. This meeting was part of the preparations for the famous Field of Cloth of Gold with Francis I of France.

Henry VIII and Queen Catherine of Aragon had travelled from Greenwich to Canterbury to celebrate Pentecost but quickly moved to Dover upon learning of Charles's arrival. Charles landed at Dover with great pomp, greeted by Cardinal Wolsey and English nobility.

Henry and Charles met at Dover Castle, where they embraced warmly and engaged in friendly discussions. The next day, they travelled to Canterbury to celebrate Pentecost with Queen Catherine.

This meeting marked an important diplomatic moment, strengthening ties between England and the Holy Roman Empire before Henry's encounter with Francis I.

Also on this day in Tudor history, 26th May 1536, Henry VIII's daughter, Mary, sought the help of Thomas Cromwell, the king's right-hand man. Now that Anne Boleyn was dead and gone, Mary hoped for a reconciliation with her father the king. What happened and how was she treated? Find out in last year’s video -    • May 26 - Mary seeks Thomas Cromwell's...