King Henry VIII of England is one of the most famous kings of England, but not because of anything he did during his reign. No, he was famous because of his six wives. The Six Wives of England refers to King Henry VIII’s six marriages in English history. King Henry had more wives than any other English monarch and was the first king to legalize divorce. However, despite being famous for his wives, not many people know the story behind each of the wives. In recent years, the public has paid more attention to these wives but not their stories. This article is meant to educate and pay tribute to these six women.
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon was a Spanish princess who was originally married to Henry’s older brother, Arthur. However, Arthur died five months into their marriage in 1502. Quickly, Catherine and Henry became engaged but weren’t able to get married until Henry assumed the throne in 1509. Catherine served as regent for six months while Henry was away in France in 1513, during which she helped England win the Battle of Flodden. Unfortunately, Catherine suffered several miscarriages, her only surviving child being Mary I. Catherine was unable to birth a male heir, so Henry began having affairs. He also set his eyes on one of Catherine’s ladies-in-waiting, Anne Boleyn. This led to Henry trying to nullify his marriage, claiming that her previous marriage to his brother should mean the marriage wasn’t official. The marriage was eventually annulled in 1533, Catherine being given the title of Dowager Princess of Wales.
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn was Henry’s second wife. She was born into the higher classes and grew up in France, becoming a connoisseur of the fashions. She eventually became a lady-in-waiting, and Henry had taken an interest in her. However, she refused to become a mistress, forcing Henry to wait seven years until their secret ceremony in late 1532. The pair were formally married two months later in early 1533. This unfortunately didn’t last because Henry once again set his eyes on another lady in waiting, Jane Seymour. Anne wasn’t quiet about his affairs and would often become enraged and jealous. The queen was soon, most likely wrongly, convicted of adultery and conspiracy. She was sentenced to death in the Tower of London. She was later executed in Tower Green in 1536. Anne only had one surviving child during her 3 years of marriage, the later infamous Queen Elizabeth I.
Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour was Henry’s fourth wife and is often thought of as his favorite. She was a lady-in-waiting to Anne and had a much calmer demeanor than the previous two wives. They married just 11 days after Anne was executed in 1536. Jane helped Henry reconnect with his daughter, Mary, during their marriage. Their marriage was happy, but it was shadowed by the pressure to produce a male heir to the throne. She did give birth to a son, Edward VI, but died 12 days after the birth due to health complications. She was the only one of the wives to receive a queen’s funeral.
Anne of Cleves
Anne of Cleves was Henry’s fourth wife. Her marriage to Henry was probably the most unique. They married in 1540 for a political alliance with the Protestants of West Germany after receiving word that Catholic France and the Holy Roman Empire were planning an attack. Henry met Anne of Cleves only a few days before the wedding and voiced his disappointment that she was less attractive than her portrait. The marriage was annulled only six months later and was never consummated during that time. Anne was very accepting of the annulment and won Henry’s favor. She became an honorary member of the royal family and was given Hever Castle as her own. She lived the longest out of all the wives and spent those days content and happy at Hever Castle.
Catherine Howard
Catherine Howard was Henry’s fifth wife. She was the first cousin of Anne Boleyn and was involved in several sexual relationships starting at 13, many of these relationships being some form of non-consensual. After the wife of one of these affairs finds out, Catherine is sent to become a lady-in-waiting for Anne of Cleves. Her uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, got her the position and introduced her to Henry. They married in 1540, less than three weeks after his previous marriage was annulled. However, rumors about Catherine’s previous affairs reached Henry, and he questioned her. Catherine denied the relationships and swore that they were non-consensual. She wasn’t believed and charged with the high treason of the Royal Assent by the Commission Act of 1541. This act claimed it was treasonous not to disclose previous sexual relations to the crown before marriage. She died in late 1941 at 19.
Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr was Henry’s sixth and final wife. She was a widow when she and Henry met, having been married twice before. The two married in 1543, and Catherine managed the education and relationships of Henry’s children from previous marriages. She also worked to get rid of anti-protestant officials in court. Catherine almost got arrested for her efforts but was able to avoid charges. She was also the first queen of both England and Ireland after the Crown of Ireland Act in 1542. When Henry died in 1547, he left her £7,000 a year to support herself and declared that Catherine was still to be treated as Queen Dowager and have possession of her courtly clothes, jewels, etc. She remarried to Thomas Seymour, gave birth to her first child, Mary Seymour, and died a few days later from illness in 1548.
Six remarkable women with full lives, their main connection being married to Henry VIII. Despite that, all of them led to new laws and social discussions that are used to help women today. Divorce, the double standard of affairs, living independently, and being mothers to one of the world’s most infamous queens are just a few of the things that these women were starting or bringing to the table. They deserve to be remembered.
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Sources cited:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-six-wives-of-Henry-VIII
