The Six Wives of Henry VIII

CATHERINE OF ARAGON
(m.1509 - 1533)
Divorced In keeping with what was to be a controversial romantic life for Henry the marriage of he to Catherine of Aragon met with some disapproval. Catherine was the wife of Henry's elder brother, Prince Arthur, through a marriage intended to create a bond between England and Spain. With the death of Arthur, who was 15 years of age and just two summers younger than Catherine, the alliance seemed shaky.

Catherine was still destined to play her part as a pawn in the politics of the day. She would marry Henry. So it is that Catherine of Aragon began her ultimately despairing association with Henry Tudor. It was as the King that Henry married Catherine. Catherine was intelligent and politically astute. The historians record that the couple brought a long missing spirit of the good life to the court. With Henry at her side Catherine presided over sumptuous banquets and other entertainments. Being intelligent Catherine was fully aware that the role of a Queen in those times was to provide the King with a son and heir. In 1511 the couple both enjoyed the birth of their son Prince Henry.

Sadly the infant prince was to die within a few weeks. Catherine endured the pain and sorrow of five further pregnancies which bore only one surviving child. That child was Princess Mary, later to be known as 'Bloody Mary'. It is at this time that the callous side of Henry's nature becomes evident. He, despairing of ever having a male heir by Catherine, took Mary of Blount as his mistress. She duly provided Henry with a son. He, Henry Fitzroy was named Duke of Richmond and appeared to be in line as being named the heir to the throne. In 1525 events took yet another turn with the appearance of a certain Anne Boleyn at Henry's court. In 1533 with Henry besotted with Anne he had the Archbishop of Canterbury, Cranmer, annul the marriage between he and Catherine. Catherine had become a virtual non-person at the court and a virtual exile within, what rightfully, was her own realm. She died in 1536 with the events of her marriage to Henry forcing her more and more into piety.

ANNE BOLEYN
(m. 1533 - 1536)
Beheaded

The butterfly-like desire of Henry alighted on an English rose, Anne Boleyn, while he was still married to Catherine of Aragon. Anne was the niece of the Duke of Norfolk and is said to have been 'neither beautiful or pretty' but her personality drew the admiration of the King. Having received an education at the French court Anne was chosen to act as interpreter for Henry's sister, Mary, in France in 1514.

Upon Mary's return to England Anne was employed by Queen Claude where she learnt of etiquette and grace. In 1522 Anne returned to England and with her social connections was readily accepted into the English court. Her countenance was such that she was soon a favourite among the nobles and in 1526 she found favour with the most powerful of all, King Henry. The wooing of Anne was a drawn out affair as it is said that she was not ready to surrender her virtue unless Henry married her. It took six years before the both of them could resist the temptation no more. Her resolve had weakened and although Henry was still legally married to Catherine of Aragon he fathered a child by Anne in 1533. Henry was eager for a son and heir and his disappointment at the birth of another daughter, he had already fathered Mary by Catherine, and two subsequent miscarriages placed his faith in his marriage to Anne in a perilous position.

Anne, once the favourite of the nobility, found herself unpopular with the English people and, more importantly, sections of the court. She was blamed for the executions of Sir Thomas More and Bishop John Fisher and plots were hatched. King Henry was informed that his wife had committed both adultery and treason. In his state of disappointment Henry was too quick to believe his advisors. Anne was arrested and taken to the Tower of London. Henry now turned his disappointment into sheer spite and claimed that Anne had seduced him and, more strikingly, bewitched him. The trial of Anne Boleyn was what is termed today a 'Kangaroo Court' in that there was only ever going to be one verdict. On May 4th 1536 Anne Boleyn was beheaded.

JANE SEYMOUR
(m. 1536 - 1537)
Died

It is with an indecent haste that Henry's third wife, Jane Seymour, entered the history books. Just one day after the beheading of Anne Boleyn Henry and Jane were betrothed, ten days later they were married. In matters of personality Jane was a contrast to Anne in that she was considered 'quiet and sweet-natured' whereas Anne had been extrovert to the point of being called flirtatious. Jane was no teenager, as had been the case with the previous two Queens. She was 27 years of age when Henry became interested in her. She had been a lady in waiting to both of her predecessors and was, to be perfectly blunt, more matronly in appearance.

Upon her marriage to Henry Jane attempted to bring a status quo to the court. The recent upheavals of the marriages and demises of Catherine and Anne still being a source of great consternation to many nobles. It was as a peacemaker that Jane found her niche. she was instrumental in bring together the King and his daughter Mary and in the process becoming firm friends with the princess. Jane fell pregnant in 1537 and retired to Hampton Court, the primary consideration being the possibility of a birth of an heir.

On 12th October Edward was born. Bonfires were lit across the nation and even the King is said to have wept for joy. The pendulum of fate swung once more and a then common sickness 'childbed fever' struck. Jane Seymour died on 24th October. The wife Henry had called his 'entirely beloved' had produced him a son but had left him in a deep depression at her death.

ANNE OF CLEVES
(m. 1540 - 1540)
Divorced

Three years after the death of his beloved Jane Seymour Henry committed himself to a fourth marriage. It was, as was the rule of the time, a political rather than a romantic decision. Anne of Cleves was the pawn in a marriage of alliance. Henry required an alliance strong enough to stand against the French and the Spanish. To this end he looked towards the German States.

Cleves was allied to Saxony and thus the sister of the Duke of Cleves became an object of desire to Henry. The Duke of Cleves had two sisters and Henry had not met them. This was not uncommon for those days but he was curious to learn of their looks. His envoys were of no real help in the matter and so the painter Holbein was sent to Cleves. His depiction of Anne convinced the King that marriage would be no bad thing. When Anne arrived in England Henry apparently discovered that paintings could be deceptive. Henry called Anne a 'Flanders Mare' though other viewers of the painting said that it was a good likeness. Anne was considered to be no great beauty by Henry and with German as her only language found it a lonely place at Henry's court.

Anne was in a seemingly desperate situation. The couple were married for some six months although it was said that the marriage was never consummated. If it had not been for Henry needing allies her reign as Queen could surely have come to a bloodier end. A divorce was arranged and Anne was entitled 'King's sister' and granted numerous houses and lands including the palace of Richmond and Hever Castle. Anne was perhaps very fortunate that Henry needed the alliance with the Germans and that she was willing t o accommodate the divorce. It is said that Anne was so naive that she did not even realise that the marriage had not been consummated.

CATHERINE HOWARD
(m.1540 - 1542)
Beheaded

At the age of nineteen Catherine Howard's persona was in sharp contrast to that of her immediate predecessor, Anne of Cleves. Catherine was known to have been the lover of Francis Dereham when she was seventeen years old. In 1540 she came to the court as lady in waiting to Anne of Cleves. It did not take long for Henry's gaze to wander from the 'Flanders Mare' towards the more than willing Catherine Howard. Less than three weeks after he divorced from Anne Henry married Catherine, thirty years his junior.

It is said that Henry was wildly happy with his new young wife. She was said to be lively and fun but she could also be manipulated by relatives and friends into finding them positions within the court. Ill health caused the King's temper to swing from love to loathing via depression and in 1541 Catherine sought affection in the arms of Thomas Culpepper and appointed a new secretary, former lover Francis Dereham. In November of the same year Catherine's enemies, and those of her allies, at court discovered an opportunity to strike at her.

They informed the King of Catherine's infidelity. Henry, his passion still consumed with Catherine, could not bring himself to believe the stories. An enquiry was established. The findings of the enquiry were damning to Catherine. Not only had she been promiscuous before marriage she had virtually relegated Henry to the role of cuckold. Comparisons may be drawn with the situation surrounding Anne Boleyn, with one major difference - these charges were true. Culpepper and Dereham were duly executed with Catherine meeting the same fate two months later in the Tower of London. Charitable historians consider Catherine as a, foolhardy easily led young woman. Others consider her a devious and overly promiscuous woman who seized her chance. Whichever light she is seen in the effect of her treachery very nearly broke an ageing Henry.

CATHERINE PARR
(m.1543 - 1547)
Survived

Catherine Parr was neither a pretty young thing nor a political pawn, she was intended to partner the king into his old age. Catherine was considered to be friendly, kind and lively.

One dissenter to the marriage was Anne of Cleves who considered Catherine to be 'less beautiful' than herself. Henry no longer thought of male heirs and with the treachery of Catherine Howard banished any thought of marrying for looks. If one can point to one particular asset Henry found in Catherine it would be her maturity. Born in 1512 Catherine had been married twice already. Her second husband Lord Latimer had still been alive when the king started showering her with presents.

When Latimer died in 1543 Catherine became torn between the proposal of Henry and her love for Thomas Seymour, brother of Jane, Henry's third wife. A sense of duty prevailed and Catherine married the king on July 12th 1543. The young Prince Edward and Princess Elizabeth found Catherine to be a substitute for their sadly deceased mothers in that she cared for them as if they were her own. Catherine became a good companion to the increasingly irascible Henry. When the king died on January 28th 1547 Catherine had been transferred along with the Royal court to Greenwich. Catherine had survived a marriage with the king, something of a feat when one considers the fate of previous wives.

Her religion did lead her to be an easy target for those who would plot against her but in truth they were few and proved to be unable to create a division between her and Henry. Catherine married her beloved Thomas Seymour in June 1547. She died shortly after giving birth to a daughter. Her tomb lies in Sudeley Castle