December, at last!

Christ Church Gate - Canterbury Cathedral

Well, November was not a great month, but here's December at last, so things can surely only get better. Actually, a day trip to Canterbury yesterday ended the month in style, although not without its 'moments'. Coach-bound teenage girls + two-hour delay = frazzled nerves all round...

However, looking up at the façade of the entrance gate to the cathedral brought a little fleeting serenity, for me, at least. The bronze figure of Christ was placed in the central position in 1990, in order to fill the niche that had lain empty since the destruction of the original figure during the Civil War, in the time of Cromwell. Apparently this 20th century addition is thought to be a little unsuitable, due to its vibrant colour, but I think it's precisely this which brings out the beauty of the whole.

The entrance itself dates back to the beginning of the 16th century, built to mark the marriage of the eldest brother of Henry VIII, Arthur the Prince of Wales, and Catherine of Aragon in 1501. Unfortunately the newly-wed died the following year at the age of 15, thus dashing the Anglo-Spanish alliance against France, and leaving Catherine a widow. Despite hesitations on the part of both parties, Catherine was finally betrothed to Henry VIII in 1509. One can only wonder how history would have been different had Arthur never died, or if Henry VIII had been able to produce a male heir to the throne...