Before 1516

• Henry VIII married Catherine of Aragon in 1509. Good relations with Spain were the cornerstone of Henry’s foreign policy, since he was normally anti-French.
• As France was more populous and wealthier than England, it was assumed that England would need an ally if she were to prevail in war.
• Relations with Spain cooled in 1512 when an English expedition to Aquitaine in France did not receive the Spanish help, which Ferdinand had promised.
• In 1513, relations again broke down as Ferdinand agreed a one-year truce with France after he had promised a joint attack on France with Henry and the Emperor Maximilian.