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Catherine of Aragon

 

Catherine  was a Spanish princess .

She was the daughter of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain, and was originally married to Henry's brother Arthur.

 

Henry married Catherine to maintain the alliance with Spain after Arthur died, leaving Catherine a widow.

This marriage was organized by Henry VII a short time before he died, but took place after his death in 1509, when Henry was almost 18 and Catherine was 23.

 

After twenty years of marriage, she had only given birth to one girl, Mary, later to become known as Bloody Mary .

 

As Henry VIII needed a son to provide a male heir to the throne,he created a new Archbishop  who was prepared to declare the marriage annulled in 1532.

 

Catherine was then banished from the Court and separated from her daughter. It is said that she died of a broken heart, four years later.
 

Anne Boleyn

 

Anne  was English, and of noble birth.

She was Maid-in-Waiting to Catherine of Aragon and refused to be another of Henry's mistresses.

She finally persuaded Henry to marry her in 1533 (immediately after the marriage to Catherine was annulled).

 

Shortly after they were married, Anne gave birth to Elizabeth (later to become Queen Elizabeth I).

 

As Henry VIII always needed a son, he charged Anne with treason, after making up false evidence against her.

 

She was finally executed at the Tower of London.

Jane Seymour

 

Jane  also was born of noble birth and was another Maid-in-Waiting to Anne Boleyn.

Eleven days after he had executed Anne, Henry VIII married her.

 

In 1537 at Hampton Court Jane gave birth to their son (King Edward VI).

Unfortunately, twelve days later, Jane died from the surgery at the child-birth.

 

Henry's heart was broken (many historians have said that Jane was Henry's favorite wife) and Jane was buried at Windsor Castle, later to be joined by Henry.

Anne of Cleves

 

Anne was born in 1515 , was from the small north German state of Cleves.

She was not well educated and knew little about the world outside of Cleves.

She had been brought up to obey and when her brother signed a marriage treaty with Henry she duly sailed for England,  having never met Henry VIII.

 

As Henry was very dissatisfied with her, he quickly arranged a divorce which they both agreed to amicably.

Their marriage had lasted for only six months, but Anne of Cleves stayed at the Court and died in her bed in 1557.

Catherine Howard

 

Catherine was English and born of a noble family.

She was a cousin of Anne Boleyn.

She was also a Lady-in-Waiting at his Court.

 

When she married Henry in 1540 she was 19 and he was almost 50.

 

She was, however, accused (rightly) by his courtiers of having many lovers, and so was beheaded (along with the lovers) at the Tower of London in 1542 with an axe.

 

Katherine Parr

 

Katherine was born about 1512.

She was already twice-widowed and childless when she met Henry VIII.

 

Henry married Katherine in 1543 because he needed somebody to look after him in his old age. She became a companion and nurse for Henry.

She also re-united Henry with his three children who all came back to the Court.

 

After Henry's death (in 1547) she married Jane Seymour's brother, and died in 1548.

 

Katherine and Anne of Cleves were the only wives of Henry to outlive him.