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HIS SIX WIVES
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Catherine of Aragon
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 known as Bloody Mary |
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Anne Boleyn
was English, and of noble birth. She married Henry VIII in 1533
soon after the marriage to Catherine was annulled.
Shortly after they were married, Anne gave birth to Elizabeth ( later Queen
Elizabeth I). Their relationship after the birth of Henry's second daughter
started to deteriorate, but when she gave birth to a still-born son, Henry
was convinced that God thought that his marriage was wrong, because the
annulment had been wrong, and that he was cursing him by not giving him a
son.
He charged Anne with treason, She was finally executed at the Tower of
London, where she was beheaded with a sword, in 1536.
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Jane Seymour
was said to be Henry´s
favourite wife.
This is because he buried himself next to her, and she gave birth to his
much-desired male heir ( later to become King Edward VI). Eleven days
after he had executed Anne, he married Jane Seymour.
Jane
died from child-birth. Henry's heart was broken and Jane was buried at
Windsor Castle, later to be joined by Henry. |
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Catherine Howard
was English and born of a noble family. She was
Anne Boleyn´s cousin. When she married Henry in 1540 she was 19 and he was
almost 50 It is said that the time Henry spent with Catherine rejuvenated
him. She was
accused of having many lovers, and so was beheaded.
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Anne of
Cleves
married Henry VIII to make an alliance with Germany. As Henry
did not want to marry an ugly lady he sent the painter, Holbein the Younger,
to paint a portrait of her so that he could see what she looked like. It was
this portrait that persuaded him to marry her. However, when she arrived in
England, Henry saw her as very different from her portrait - he found her
ugly. He insulted her by saying that she looked like a horse!
Henry 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.
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Katherine Parr
was Henry´s companion and nurse in his old age. 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.
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