Henry VIII and his six wives

Henry VIII had six wives and only one of them survived. In this report you will find out about these lady’s:

Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Kathryn Howard, and Catherine Parr.

These ladies have their own rhyme it goes like this ‘divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived!’

So now let’s take a trip back to the Tudor time and find a bit about them!

Catherine of Aragon

Catherine of Aragon was Henry VIII first ever wife. Catherine was the child of

King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. Catherine was born on the 16th

December 1485. Eight years before Henry and Catherine got married, she was

married to Henry’s older brother Arthur but sadly he died at the age of 15 due

to sickness. They were only married for one year (1501-1502). Henry and

Catherine got married on the 11 June 1509 which was a truly short amount of

time before her coronation. She was coronated on 24th June 1509. Henry and

Catherine had girl named Mary, but Henry wanted a male to heir the throne.

As Catherine couldn’t produce a male for Henry, Henry called their marriage

off in 1533. They divorced but that wasn’t the end for Henry and his marriage

as he decided to marry Catherine’s lady in waiting Ann Boleyn.

Ann Boleyn

Ann Boleyn was born in the year 1507 to Lady Elizabeth Howard and Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire.

Ann Boleyn got married to Henry VIII on the 15th January 1533 in secret. When Ann was pregnant with her

first born, she was crowned queen of England by June 1533. On the 7

September 1533 Ann Boleyn and Henry had a child and what Henry didn’t

expect that he was another girl. Ann Boleyn named the girl after her mother

Lady Elizabeth Howard. Elizabeth was the second child that Henry had as

before Ann Henry’s wife was Catherine. When Elizabeth was older, she

became Queen Elizabeth the first. They lived together for three years but on

the 19 May 1536, she was beheaded as she was accusations for numerous

crimes, treason (plot to kill the king) and witchcraft. After that Henry had his

eye on one of Ann’s Lady in waiting Jane Seymour.

Jane Seymour

Jane Seymour was born the year 1508 to Sir John Seymour and Margery Wentworth. Jane Seymour was born

in Wulfhall which is in Wiltshire. On the 30th May 1535 Jane and Henry got

Anne of Cleves

Anne of Cleves was born on the 22 September 1515 to the Duke of Cleves and his wife Maria of Julich-Berg.

The story of why they got married and then divorced in such a short amount of time because he

married. She didn’t get coronated like all of the of ladies, people

believe henry didn’t coronate her because he wanted her to heir the

throne. In the month of October 1537, she gave birth to boy who

became Edward VI when he was older. But the marriage didn’t last

long after that as when Edward was only two weeks old, she took ill

and then she died as there wasn’t a cure for her illness. Jane was

buried in Windsor Castle were henry joined her when he passed

away. Henry was single for two years but then he didn’t stop there

he got married to Anne of Cleves.

sent an extraordinarily talented artist to Germany to paint a

picture the dukes two daughter’s Anne and Amelia and bring

the images back he chose Ann as she looked beautiful. When

she arrived in England, she got a bad first impressions on Henry.

He thought that she looked like a ugly lady and called her the

The Mare of Flanders. As he had already arranged the wedding

took place on the 6th January 1540 but after a few day’s he

called the marriage off.

Fun Fact-

The painter that painted

the picture of the

princesses of Cleves was

called Hans Holbein!

Kathryn Howard

Kathryn Howard was born in the year 1532 to Lord Edmund Howard and Joyce Culpeper. She married henry

when she was 15 years old while Henry was 49 year’s old and overweight. She was

Catherine Parr

Catherine Parr was born in the year 1952 to a couple, her father Thomas Parr, and her mother Maud Green.

The woman enjoyed learning new things when with Henry as she had to care for him as he

Word Definitions

Beheaded Chopped off head

Religion A belief

Painter Someone who paint’s image

Convince Persuade

Anniversary Celebration of one year.

the cousin of Ann Boleyn but Henry said she was a lady of

love and nothing like her cousin. Henry spoiled her with

gifts and other expensive present and called her a rose

without a thorn. She helped her beloved husband round

as he couldn’t walk but their marriage didn’t last long

after their two-year anniversary. They said that she was

unfaithful to the king and she should be beheaded! So,

like her cousin she got took to the tower of London and

‘off with her head!’

was overweight and as he was overweight, he couldn’t lift his

leg muscles so therefore he couldn’t walk. On the 12 July

1543 Catherine was a interested in Protestantism. Catherine

had to convince henry that she still appreciate and doesn’t

decline his faith just that she was interested and looking into

the faith. She had to convince henry that she still loved him

because on his law it said that he would arrest anyone who

went against the laws if they didn’t except, they would of

being beheaded! In 1547 Henry VIII died and Catherine was

able to marry her true love Thomas Seymour.