Henry VIII had six wives, each with a distinct personality and position as powerless partners to the king. His marriages represented important changes in English history, including the break with the Roman Catholic Church. Henry’s wives produced one daughter and one son, but he sought an annulment or executed them when they failed to produce a male heir. The history of his wives reflects the turmoil of England during the time, and Henry also had mistresses.
The six women who were later married to King Henry VIII of England are often referred to collectively as “the wives of Henry VIII.” They are also known as the consort of queens, a reference to their position as powerless partners to the king. Each of Henry’s wives had a distinct and colorful personality, and their succession is often a matter of comment in history books, since six wives is an unusually large number. Henry VIII’s six wives also represent many important changes in English history, including the famous break with the Roman Catholic Church, which later led to the formation of the Church of England.
Henry VIII’s first wife was Catherine of Aragon, a widowed Spanish princess. Their marriage produced an only daughter, Mary, who later ruled England from 1553 to 1558. Mary was a devout Catholic who vigorously persecuted heretics during her reign, earning her the nickname “Bloody Mary”. However, Henry VIII became dissatisfied with his first wife, as he failed to produce a male heir and was attracted to Anne Boleyn, one of Catherine’s ladies-in-waiting. Henry VIII asked Rome for an annulment, which was denied, so the king ordered a religious court in England to be the judge; in 1533 his marriage to Catherine of Aragon was annulled, and she died only three years later.
Henry VIII immediately married Anne Boleyn, fathering a daughter, Elizabeth, who later ruled England from 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth I may have learned a lesson from Henry VIII’s wives, since she chose not to marry. Boleyn failed to produce another heir and she was said to be outspoken and extremely intelligent. This combination of her traits led to Henry VIII’s eventual dissatisfaction with her marriage and charges of treason were concocted against her, forcing her to be executed in 1536.
In the same year, Henry VIII married Jane Seymour, who produced Henry’s only child, Edward VI. Edward only ruled England as a child, through a regent. Upon his death, his half-sister Maria assumed the throne. Jane Seymour died in childbirth; she is said to have been the favorite of Henry VIII’s wives, and is buried beside her. After his death Henry remarried again in 1540, this time to Anne of Cleves, a German woman; the marriage was brief, lasting only six months before Henry sought another annulment.
The fifth of Henry VIII’s wives was Catherine Howard, a relatively young woman who apparently sought partners closer to her age. When Henry VIII learned of her adultery, he stripped her of her titles and executed her in 1542, burying her next to Anne Boleyn and setting the stage for Henry VIII’s last wife, Catherine Parr, who outlived the king and apparently encouraged him to rejoin with his three children.
The colorful history of Henry VIII’s wives reflects the general turmoil England was experiencing as the nation struggled with religious reform and external enemies. Multiple marriages, annulments and executions also illustrate the power men had over their wives during this historical period. In addition to his six wives, Henry also had an assortment of mistresses; he must have been a very busy man.
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