Posted in News Why Henry VIII is to blame for first-cousin marriage being legal: Tudor monarch changed the law in 1540 so he could wed Catherine Howard December 11, 2024 It was a prohibition that stood for 1,000 years – until one capricious monarch decided otherwise. In 1540, King Henry VIII changed the law so he could wed Catherine Howard. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14181395/Henry-VIII-cousin-marriage-Catherine-Howard.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490