
Henry VIII’s 6 Wives in Order
- 1. Catherine of Aragon Catherine is best known today for her role in sparking the King’s excommunication from the Catholic Church and the Reformation. ...
- 2. Anne Boleyn With the extraordinary events of her life unparalleled in British history, Anne Boleyn is undoubtedly the most famous of Henry’s wives. ...
- 3. Jane Seymour ...
- 4. Anne of Cleves ...
- 5. Catherine Howard ...
- 6. Catherine Parr ...
- Catherine of Aragon. Imagno/Getty Images.
- Anne Boleyn. Robert Alexander/Getty Images.
- Jane Seymour. Imagno/Getty Images.
- Anne of Cleves. DeAgostini/Getty Images.
- Catherine Howard. Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images.
- Catherine Parr. DeAgostini/Getty Images.
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Who were Henry VIII 6 wives in order?
The six wives of King Henry VIIICatherine of Aragon. Henry VIII's first wife was Catherine of Aragon, daughter of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. ... Anne Boleyn. Anne Boleyn became Henry's second wife after the pair married secretly in January 1533. ... Jane Seymour. ... Anne of Cleves. ... Kathryn Howard. ... Catherine Parr.
Who were Henry 8th wives?
Catherine Parrm. 1543–1547Catherine Howardm. 1540–1542Anne of Clevesm. 1540–1540Jane Seymourm. 1536–1537Anne Boleynm. 1533–1536Catherine of Aragonm. 1509–1533Henry VIII/Wife
What did Henry the 8th do to his 6 wives?
King Henry VIII, To six wives he was wedded. One died, one survived, Two divorced, two beheaded.
Did Henry the 8th have 6 wives?
Henry VIII (1509-1547) is one of history's most famous monarchs. His radical political and religious upheavals reshaped the Tudor world. He is best known for his six marriages and his life-long pursuit of a male heir.
Did Henry the 8th marry a widow?
Catherine Parr (1512-1548): Peacemaker Who Outlived Henry Henry married his sixth wife, Catherine Parr, in July 1543. A spirited and educated widow, when Catherine showed an interest in Protestantism, Henry had her arrested.
Who did King Henry VIII love the most?
Anne Boleyn is usually stated as the woman Henry VIII loved most and that's probably correct. Yes, England separated from the Catholic Church so they could marry but there is so much more to it than that.
Who was the only wife to escape death or divorce?
Catherine HowardBornc. 1521–25 Lambeth, LondonDied13 February 1542 (aged 16–21) Tower of London, LondonBurial13 February 1542 Church of St Peter ad Vincula, Tower of London, LondonSpouseHenry VIII ( m. 1540)9 more rows
How many pregnancies did Anne Boleyn have?
Henry's second wife, Anne Boleyn, became pregnant four times. She herself was born of parents who had a child “every year”, although only three lived to adulthood. Her first child was a daughter, Elizabeth I.
Who was Henry VIII favorite wife?
Jane SeymourHenry waited a mere 11 days after Anne's death before marrying his third, and often described as his favourite wife, Jane Seymour. Jane was able to do what no other wife did for Henry - she gave him a male heir.
Did Mary Boleyn have a child?
Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hun...Catherine Careyunknown male StaffordMary Boleyn/Children
Which king killed his wives?
Henry VIIIWho was the real Henry VIII? Henry VIII's reign (1509-47) is usually remembered for the King's six wives and his legendary appetite. Infamously, he sent two of his wives, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, to their deaths on the executioner's block at the Tower of London.
Why is Anne Boleyn The most famous wife?
Anne Boleyn is the most famous of Henry VIII's six wives, executed by a French swordsman on 19 May 1536 after being arrested for adultery and incest. But did you know that she nearly died of the sweating sickness, and was the second cousin of Jane Seymour, who became the king's third wife after Anne Boleyn's execution?
Did Henry VIII have a child with Mary Boleyn?
Mary was one of the mistresses of Henry VIII for an unknown period of time. It has been rumoured that she bore two of the king's children, though Henry did not acknowledge either of them as he had acknowledged Henry FitzRoy, his son by another mistress, Elizabeth Blount.
Who was Henry VIII second Favourite wife?
Jane Seymour was Henry VIII's favourite, but this icy, ruthless woman wouldn't win the popular vote. Anne Boleyn would take those laurels today. But for contemporaries Katherine of Aragon was Queen of Hearts.
What happened to Henry the 8th 2nd wife?
On May 19, 1536, Anne Boleyn, the infamous second wife of King Henry VIII, is executed on charges including adultery, incest and conspiracy against the king.
How many pregnancies did Anne Boleyn have?
Henry's second wife, Anne Boleyn, became pregnant four times. She herself was born of parents who had a child “every year”, although only three lived to adulthood. Her first child was a daughter, Elizabeth I.
Who were Henry VIII's wives?
Six queens consort wedded to Henry VIII of England between 1509 and his death in 1547. For other uses, see The Six Wives of Henry VIII. Jane Seymour (right) became Henry's third wife, pictured with Henry and the young Prince Edward, c. 1545, by an unknown artist. At the time that this was painted, Henry was married to his sixth wife, Catherine Parr.
How many wives did Henry VIII have?
In legal terms, King Henry VIII of England had only three wives, because three of his marriages were annulled by the Church of England. However, he was never granted an annulment by the Pope, as he desired, for Catherine of Aragon, his first wife.
Why did Henry VIII annul his marriage to Catherine?
Henry, at the time a Roman Catholic, sought the Pope's approval for an annulment on the grounds that Catherine had first been his brother's wife. He used a passage from the Old Testament (Leviticus Chapter 20 Verse 21): "If a man shall take his brother’s wife, it is an impurity; he hath uncovered his brother’s nakedness; they shall be childless.” Henry had begun an affair with Anne Boleyn, who refused to become his mistress. (He had already ended an affair with Anne's sister, Mary Boleyn .) Despite the pope's refusal to annul the marriage Henry separated from Catherine in 1531. He ordered the highest church official in England, Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, to convene a court. On 23 May 1533, Cranmer ruled the marriage to Catherine null and void. On 28 May 1533, he pronounced the King legally married to Anne (with whom Henry had already secretly exchanged wedding vows). This led to England breaking from the Roman Catholic Church and the establishment of the Church of England .
When did Cranmer declare the marriage of Henry and Catherine null and void?
On 23 May 1533 , Cranmer declared the marriage of Henry and Catherine null and void. Five days later, Cranmer declared the marriage of Henry and Anne to be good and valid. Soon after, the Pope launched sentences of ex-communication against the King and the Archbishop.
What is the theme of the show The Six Wives of Henry VIII?
A major theme of the show is that women should be the ones to tell their stories and how much more there is to their stories than how their relationships with Henry ended.
What was Catherine's greatest achievement?
Perhaps Catherine's most significant achievement was Henry's passing of an act that confirmed both Mary 's and Elizabeth 's line in succession for the throne, despite the fact that they had both been made illegitimate by divorce or remarriage. Such was Henry's trust in Catherine that he chose her to rule as Regent while he was attending to the war in France, and in the unlikely event of the loss of his life, she was to serve as Regent until nine-year-old Edward came of age.
Who were Henry VIII's first cousins?
Catherine Howard and Anne Boleyn were first cousins and were both beheaded. Jane Seymour was second cousin to both Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. Several of Henry's wives worked in service to another wife, typically as a lady-in-waiting: Anne Boleyn served Catherine of Aragon, Jane Seymour served both Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, and Catherine Howard served Anne of Cleves.
How many wives did Henry VIII have?
Here are Henry VIII’s six wives in order: 1. Catherine of Aragon. Catherine is best known today for her role in sparking the King’s excommunication from the Catholic Church and the Reformation. Married to Henry for a quarter of a century, however, there is much more to her.
Who was Henry VIII's last wife?
But his final wife, Catherine Parr, outlived him and their marriage. Dr Suzannah Lipscomb is a broadcaster and Head of Faculty and Senior Lecturer in Early Modern History at New College of the Humanities. Listen Now. Here are Henry VIII’s six wives in order: 1. Catherine of Aragon.
What happened to Henry VIII's marriage to Catherine?
Henry’s marriage to Catherine was eventually annulled on 1533 and Catherine was banished from court as Dowager Princess of Wales.
Why was Anne sent to the Tower of London?
Anne was less able to accept Henry’s infidelities than her predecessor, and reportedly became enraged and jealous when confronted with evidence of her husband’s affairs. A month after Henry began courting Jane, he ordered Anne to be investigated for high treason and she was sent to the Tower of London.
How long did Catherine serve as regent?
Catherine served as regent of England for six months in Henry’s absence. (Credit: Public Domain) Two years later, Catherine married Henry VIII – who was five years her junior – shortly after he had ascended the throne.
Why did Henry VIII annul his marriage?
After marrying Anne in January 1540, Henry had their marriage annulled just six months later, citing its lack of consummation as well as his wife’s previous engagement to another man, Francis, Duke of Barr and later Lorraine. Henry blamed the marriage going unconsummated on Anne’s appearance but this slight didn’t stop the pair later becoming close friends.
Why did Henry VIII change his heart?
After going through so much to secure the marriage, the King’s change of heart was likely due to the fact that, like Catherine, Anne seemed unable to bear him a son.
How many wives did Henry VIII have?
You may remember learning about the English king in history class and that he was the monarch's most brutal and merciless ruler that famously had six wives. But who were the real women married to the 16th century tyrant and what were their stories?
Who Exactly Was Henry VIII?
Henry Tudor was a 16th century King of England and is known for being a ruthless savage. He actually wasn't first in line to the throne in his family. His brother, Prince Arthur, sadly died before he was installed as king. Arthur's death meant that his 10-year-old brother would be the next king; a role he would have for 38 years. Not only did Henry obtain his brother's job, but he also married his wife.
How old was Catherine Howard when she married the King?
A noblewoman from London, 16-year-old Catherine Howard married the 49-year-old king just three weeks after his divorce to Anne of Cleves, making her his fifth wife. Howard was actually a first cousin to Anne Boleyn but worked for Anne of Cleves and lived in her household when she caught the king's eye. Howard is known to have been a high-spirited young woman with a colorful sexual past.
What did Anne Boleyn do?
History tells us that Anne Boleyn had a huge passion for sports. She is documented as being an avid archer and a skillful horsewoman, accompanying her husband into the woods for hours on end hunting hawks and deer.
How old was Anne of Cleves when she married Henry VIII?
She was married to him for a mere six months, the shortest of all his marriages, when she was 24 years old and he was 48 . Anne didn't bare any children for the king and according to her, the couple never consummated their marriage.
Why was Boleyn executed?
Boleyn's sad fate came after her husband lost interest in her because she also couldn't give him a son. To add insult to injury, the king accused his wife of adultery and after her imprisonment and trial, she was sentenced to death. In 1536, she was executed in front of her subjects in London after giving an emotional speech, complimenting the king on being gentle and merciful.
Who was Anne Boleyn's personal assistant?
Jane Seymour was another lady-in-waiting that locked eyes with the king while he was married. She wasn't only Anne Boleyn's personal assistant but she was also lady-in-waiting to the king's first wife, Catherine of Aragon. The pair tied the knot just ten days after Boleyn's death sentence and it's believed that Seymour was one of the reasons for her untimely execution.
How many wives did Henry VIII have?
Henry VIII was well-known for being an extremely promiscuous English monarch. For the 55 years that he lived, Henry VIII had six wives.
Who was Henry the Eight's second wife?
Anne Boleyn. Anne Boleyn was Henry the Eight’s second wife. When it was apparent that his first wife Catherine couldn’t give him a male inheritor, King Henry chose the hard way and started hosting mistresses in his house. Anne Boleyn was one of the mistresses he kept as a partner while still married to Catherine.
Why did Anne marry Henry?
In 1540, Anne married Henry for one main reason; the king wanted to establish a relationship between England and Germany’s Protestant princes. This was nothing new about the king; he had done a similar thing in the past when he married Catherine of Aragon.
Why did Anne Boleyn's marriage fall apart?
Their marriage began to fall apart when Anne couldn’t give him a male inheritor. The king fabricated stories and accused Anne of adultery and murder plots on his life. Despite pleading not guilty, Anne was beheaded at the Tower Green (an area within the Tower of London) on May 19, 1536. But one thing Henry failed to see was that Anne Boleyn’s daughter, Princess Elizabeth ( Queen Elizabeth I ), would go on to become a powerful British monarch.
Why was the relationship between Catherine and Henry necessary?
Ostensibly, the relationship between Catherine and Henry was deemed necessary in establishing a peaceful relationship between the Spaniards and the English. This was feasible in the sense that Catherine’s parents were Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon l.
Why did Henry VIII call the marriage quits?
Six months into his marriage with Anne, Henry realized that his vision to have a political alliance with Germany was no longer advantageous, so he called the marriage quits that same year. Allegedly, the king had even lost his affection for Anne’s body. Even though Anne’s marriage to Henry was short-lived, she was probably grateful to the king for sparing her life — she could have faced the real horror in marrying Henry — give him a baby boy, or better still face execution or divorce.
How old was Henry VIII when he gained weight?
At that time in 1540, 49 year-old Henry had gained weight, but an old sore on his leg wouldn’t heal fast. Meanwhile, the king’s temper was hot. His days of writing romantic letters to his wives were over; what was left was mixture of rage and bitterness.
Who was Henry VIII's first wife?
Catherine of Aragon was Henry VIII’s first wife and his longest marriage. After his brother died, Henry obtained a papal dispensation to marry his wife, Catherine, as he had been in love with her for some time. For 23 years, Henry and Catherine remained married and produced a daughter named Mary. Most scholars agree that Catherine ...
Why were Henry VIII's wives so famous?
Henry VIII’s wives became equally as famous as their husband, mostly because of the gruesome end that a few of them met.
How long did Anne of Cleves and Henry VIII get married?
Anne of Cleves, a German princess, was the fourth of Henry VIII’s wives and the shortest of all of his marriages. The pair were married for just six months and according to Anne, never consummated the marriage.
Why was Anne Boleyn important to the Church of England?
As the Catholic Church began to move against Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn proved invaluable for the newly established Church of England. As it was aligned with her family, and she was aligned with the king, the Church of England fell under Henry VIII’s command. Despite being named Queen Consort of England and bearing a daughter to Henry VIII, ...
How many times was Catherine Parr married?
Though she is known as one of Henry VIII’s wives, Catherine Parr created her own place in history. Having been married four times (Henry was her third husband), she became the most married queen of England. After reading about King Henry VIII’s wives, read about the confusing lineage of the British Royal Family.
Where did Anne of Cleves live?
For the duration of her life, which lasted longer than Henry’s, she lived in Hever Castle, the former residence of the Boleyn family.
What did Henry VIII claim was invalid?
He pleaded his case with Thomas More and claimed that since his wife had previously been married to his brother, his marriage was invalid. When the Pope refused, Henry VIII began his own church, the Church of England.
Who was Henry VIII's first wife?
Henry VIII’s first wife was Catherine of Aragon, daughter of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. Eight years before her marriage to Henry in 1509, Catherine was in fact married to Henry’s older brother, Arthur, who died of sickness at just 15 years old. Together, Henry and Catherine had a daughter, Mary – but it was a son that Henry wanted. Frustrated that Catherine seemed unable to produce a male heir to the throne, Henry had their marriage annulled (cancelled) in 1533. But there’s more to the story, gang – towards the end of their marriage, Henry fell in love with one of Catherine ’s ladies-in-waiting (woman who assisted the queen) – Anne Boleyn…
Why did Henry VIII marry Jane Seymour?
Some people believe this was because Henry wanted her to provide an heir to the throne first.
How long did Henry VIII rule England?
We’re taught that he led an extravagant lifestyle, that he was a fairly ruthless leader and that during his reign as king of England from 1509 until his death many historically significant religious, economic and political changes occurred.

Summary
In common parlance, the wives of Henry VIII were the six queens consort of King Henry VIII of England between 1509 and his death in 1547. In legal terms, Henry had only three wives, because three of his marriages were annulled by the Church of England. However, he was never granted an annulment by the Pope, as he desired, for Catherine of Aragon, his first wife. Annulments declare that a t…
Overview
English historian and House of Tudor expert David Starkey describes Henry VIII as a husband:
What is extraordinary is that in the beginning of Henry's marriages, he was usually a very good husband. He was very tender to them, research shows that he addressed some of his wives as "sweetheart." He was a good lover, he was very generous: the wives were given huge settlements of land and jewels. He was immensely considerate when they were pregnant. However, if his cur…
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon (16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536; Spanish: Catalina de Aragón) was Henry's first wife. In modern sources, her name is most commonly spelled Catherine, although she spelled and signed her name with a "K," which was an accepted spelling in England at the time.
Catherine was originally married to Arthur, Henry's older brother. After Arthur di…
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn (c. 1501 – 19 May 1536) was Henry's second wife and the mother of Elizabeth I. Henry's marriage to Anne and her execution made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval at the start of the English Reformation. She was the daughter of Sir Thomas Boleyn and Lady Elizabeth Boleyn (born Lady Elizabeth Howard), and she was of nobler birth than Jane Seymour, Henry's lat…
Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour (c. 1508 – 24 October 1537) was Henry's third wife. She served Catherine of Aragon as maid-of-honour and was one of Anne Boleyn's ladies-in-waiting.
Jane, the daughter of Sir John Seymour, a knight, and Margery Wentworth, was most likely born at Wulfhall, Wiltshire, although West Bower Manor in Somerset …
Anne of Cleves
Anne of Cleves (28 June or 22 September 1515 – 16 July 1557) was a German princess, Henry's fourth wife and queen consort of England, although not crowned, for just six months in 1540, from 6 January to 12 July. Henry may have referred to her as "A Flanders mare", and the label has stuck.
Anne of Cleves' portrait was painted by Hans Holbein and sent to King Henry t…
Catherine Howard
Catherine Howard (c. 1521 – 13 February 1542), also spelt Katheryn, was Henry's fifth wife, between 1540 and 1542. She was the daughter of Lord Edmund Howard and Joyce Culpeper, cousin to Anne Boleyn (the second wife of Henry VIII), second cousin to Jane Seymour (the third wife of Henry VIII), and niece to Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk. She was raised in the household of her …
Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr (1512 – 5 September 1548), also spelled Katy was the sixth and last wife of Henry VIII, 1543–1547. She was the daughter of Sir Thomas Parr of Kendal and his wife, Maud Green. Through her father, Catherine was a descendant of John of Gaunt, son of King Edward III. Through John of Gaunt's daughter Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmoreland (Henry's great-great-grand…