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Henry VIII reigned as King of England from 1509 until his death in 1547. He is widely recognized for his six wives and his determined quest to annul his initial marriage to Catherine of Aragon. This defiance of the Pope resulted in his excommunication, sparking the English Reformation. The split with Catherine also caused a split from Rome and the Catholic Church. But what happened with his later marriages? And who were the six queens who became Henry's consorts?
Click through the gallery to discover which marriages ended in divorce, death, beheading, or survival.
At 17 years old, Henry ascended to the throne in 1509 and reigned as King of England until his passing in 1547. Throughout his reign, he had several failed marriages and split from the Pope!
Catherine of Aragon was King Henry VIII's first spouse.
Catherine was the youngest surviving child of Ferdinand and Isabella, the joint rulers of Spain.
In 1501, Arthur, the Prince of Wales and older brother of Henry (pictured), wed Catherine of Aragon, who was 18 years old at the time. Unfortunately, Arthur passed away the following year at Ludlow Castle, resulting in the throne being inherited by Henry VIII. Henry willingly took on both his brother's responsibilities and became Catherine's new husband.
King Henry VIII and his consort Catherine were crowned at Westminster Abbey in June 1509.
Catherine experienced miscarriages before giving birth to a daughter, but Henry was frustrated as he couldn't father a male heir. He fell in love with Anne Boleyn, which led to the annulment of his marriage to Catherine, sparking the English Reformation. The provided image depicts Catherine pleading her case against divorcing Henry. In 1536, she passed away due to cancer at Kimbolton Castle and was buried at Peterborough Abbey, now known as Peterborough Cathedral.
Anne Boleyn married Henry VIII and became his second wife.
During her childhood, Anne resided with Mary, the sister of Henry VIII, who was wedded to Louis XII of France. She stayed in France for a considerable amount of time before coming back to England around 1521.
Anne was initially engaged to Henry Percy, the son of Henry Percy, 5th Earl of Northumberland. However, after their encounter in 1526, she had a change of heart. Nevertheless, King Henry VIII's marriage to Anne Boleyn happened in January 1533 while he was still legally married to Catherine of Aragon.
Anne Boleyn was crowned queen consort on June 1, 1533. In September, she gave birth to the future Queen Elizabeth I. But she knew it was imperative that she produce a son. In fact, her life depended on it!
In order to find an heir, Henry explored options for terminating his marriage with Anne. Efforts were made to orchestrate her downfall, resulting in accusations of adultery and high treason against her. Consequently, on May 2, 1536, Anne Boleyn was arrested and transported to the Tower of London. There, she underwent trial, was found guilty, and ultimately beheaded on May 19. During this time, the King had encountered Jane Seymour...
Jane Seymour was the third wife of the British monarch.
In 1532, Jane Seymour became a maid-of-honor to Queen Catherine, Henry's first wife, and later served Queen Anne, his second wife. It is believed that Jane caught the attention of the king in February 1536, approximately three months before Anne's execution.
Jane may have felt some apprehension about entering into a romantic relationship with Henry, given what happened to his previous wives. However, they went ahead and got married at the Palace of Whitehall in London on May 30, 1536. Unlike Henry's previous wives, Jane was never officially crowned as queen.
Jane became pregnant in 1537 and in October of that year, she welcomed her son, Prince Edward, who would later become Edward VI of England. Jane experienced a challenging and lengthy labor, which resulted in her falling gravely ill. Nevertheless, she managed to recover sufficiently to receive her newborn son after his christening, allowing both parents to bestow their blessings upon him. Sadly, Edward, who had always been frail, passed away at the age of 15 in 1553 due to natural causes.
Jane Seymour's health deteriorated and on October 24, 1537, she passed away due to complications from the birth of her son. She was the sole wife of Henry who received a royal funeral and was laid to rest next to him in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle (pictured).
King Henry VIII's fourth wife was Anne of Cleves. It's this portrait, painted by Hans Holbein the Younger (c. 1497–1543), that attracted Henry to Anne... but not for the reasons you'd expect.
Anne, a member of a German noble family, was born in Düsseldorf. In terms of physical appearance, Henry VIII did not find her appealing and attributed this dissatisfaction to his advisors and Holbein's portrait, which he believed exaggerated her beauty.
Anne's brother, William, held the position of Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg. It was due to this connection that Henry decided to marry her. It should be noted that William was a prominent figure among the Protestants in western Germany. Henry saw this union as a means to fortify his stance against possible aggression from Catholic France and the Holy Roman Empire.
Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves tied the knot on January 6, 1540. The marriage was never consummated, however, and she was not crowned queen consort. Soon, the king was looking for a way out of the union. The marriage was ultimately dissolved, and she received property as part of the settlement, which included Hever Castle - Anne Boleyn's previous residence. Anne of Cleves passed away in 1557 and found her final resting place in Westminster Abbey.
Catherine Howard, the fifth spouse of Henry VIII, was the daughter of Lord Edmund Howard, a notable figure in Henry's court. Additionally, she happened to be the first cousin of... Anne Boleyn.
Catherine arrived at court when she was approximately 19 years old, serving as a lady-in-waiting to Anne of Cleves. It is likely that she attracted Henry's notice.
Henry, who was 49 at the time, wed his 19-year-old bride on July 28, 1540. Initially, their union brought them happiness, but the youthful charm of the new queen also intrigued younger and more attractive men.
The queen's behavior became increasingly flirtatious, which was risky. In 1541, Henry received information about his wife's misconduct. There was enough evidence suggesting that Catherine had engaged in promiscuous activities before and possibly during her marriage. As a result, she was deposed as queen and charged with adultery. Without delay, she was sent to the Tower of London by barge (as shown in the picture) to await her destiny.
On February 13, 1542, Catherine Howard was executed on the Tower Green for treason. Surprisingly, she was buried in an unnamed grave at the St. Peter ad Vincula chapel, located close to Anne Boleyn's resting place.
Catherine Parr, the final queen consort of the House of Tudor, was King Henry VIII's sixth and last wife.
Catherine Parr's mother, Maud, served as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Catherine of Aragon, and she named her daughter after Henry's first wife.
Catherine, at 31 years old, caught the attention of Henry despite her two previous marriages. By this time he was 52 years old, extremely overweight, and in poor health. Ironically, Catherine had feelings for Thomas Seymour, the brother of Henry's late third wife, Jane Seymour.
Catherine, feeling obligated, agreed to marry Henry upon his proposal. They tied the knot on July 12, 1543, at Hampton Court Palace.
King Henry VIII passed away on January 28, 1547. Following his death, Catherine secretly married Thomas Seymour and lived on for an additional year and eight months. Sadly, on September 5, 1548, she succumbed to complications during childbirth. Her final resting place is in the chapel at Sudeley Castle, Gloucestershire. The image provided depicts Henry's will, encompassing instructions regarding the succession of the throne and provisions for his offspring.
Sources: (BBC) (Historic UK) (TudorHistory)
See also: Bizarre cases of celebrity wills and last requests
The mystery behind Henry VIII's six wives
Only a few women survived their marriages to Henry
LIFESTYLE Royalty
Henry VIII reigned as King of England from 1509 until his death in 1547. He is widely recognized for his six wives and his determined quest to annul his initial marriage to Catherine of Aragon. This defiance of the Pope resulted in his excommunication, sparking the English Reformation. The split with Catherine also caused a split from Rome and the Catholic Church. But what happened with his later marriages? And who were the six queens who became Henry's consorts?
Click through the gallery to discover which marriages ended in divorce, death, beheading, or survival.