Henry VIII Wives

Henry VIII Wives
The Tudors encompass one of the most exciting periods in English History. The dynasty of the Tudors include Kings and Queens such as King Henry VIII and his daughters, Bloody Mary and Queen Elizabeth I. But King Henry VIII is perhaps most famous for his number of wives - six in all. What were the names of King Henry VIII wives and in what order did he marry them?

Catherine of Aragon
Anne Boleyn
Jane Seymour
Anne of Cleves
Catherine Howard
Catherine Parr

There is a popular rhyme which details the how the marriages of each of the wives of King Henry VIII ended:

"Divorced, Beheaded, Died
Divorced, Beheaded, Survived"

The Six Wives of King Henry VIII
These Tudor wives were the heroines and the villains of the period. Pious, humble, stubborn and loyal Catherine of Aragon. Proud, witty and ambitious Anne Boleyn. Modest, quiet and obedient Jane Seymour. Good humored, sensible and kind Anne of Cleves. Flirtatious, promiscuous and foolish Catherine Howard. And lastly Catherine Parr who was intelligent, kind and dignified.
What were the reasons for his marriages? How did King Henry VIII meet his Six Wives? And why did his wives agree to marry Henry VIII?

The 6 Wives of Henry VIII
The names and order of the 6 wives of King Henry VIII are as follows:

  • First Wife of King Henry VIII was Catherine of Aragon
  • Second Wife of King Henry VIII was Anne Boleyn
  • Third Wife of King Henry VIII was Jane Seymour
  • Fourth Wife of King Henry VIII was Anne of Cleves
  • Fifth Wife of King Henry VIII was Catherine Howard
  • Sixth and last Wife of King Henry VIII was Catherine Parr

King Henry VIII and his Six Wives - Reasons for the Marriages
Why did Henry VIII marry six wives? What were his reasons for marrying each of his wives?

  • The reason King Henry VIII married his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, was for power, money, political alliance with Spain and perhaps, at least initially, for love
  • The reason King Henry VIII married his second wife, Anne Boleyn, was for love and lust. Anne Boleyn was exciting and headstrong. Henry was in love with Anne Boleyn who also pregnant when they married
  • The reason King Henry VIII married his third wife, Jane Seymour, was she was the total opposite of Anne Boleyn - meek, obedient and demure. Jane Seymour was also pregnant when she married the king
  • The reason King Henry VIII married his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, was to gain a political alliance in Europe. He saw her picture, painted by Holbein, thought she was pretty and agreed to the marriage. He was sorely disappointed and promptly divorced her
  • The reason King Henry VIII married his fifth wife, Catherine Howard, was for lust and the infatuation of an old man. Catherine was very young and pretty - his 'rose without a thorn' - wrong again!
  • The reason King Henry VIII married his last and sixth wife, Catherine Parr, was for comfort and companionship in his old age

How did King Henry VIII meet his Six Wives? And why did his wives agree to marry Henry?
How did King Henry VIII meet his six wives and why did his wives agree to marry him? When Henry was a young man he was extremely handsome, over six feet tall and athletic. He was also intelligent, rich and powerful - the King of England. He was a good catch! Well, he was when he was young. However, as time went by he hurt his leg which prevented him from taking exercise. He became obese and immobile. But events surrounding his marriages and his wives gave him the reputation of a cruel tyrant. So why did the six wives of Henry VIII agree to marry him?

  • King Henry VIII met his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, when he was very young. Catherine of Aragon was the daughter of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain and originally betrothed to Henry's older brother Arthur. Arthur died  when he was 15. Catherine of Aragon remained at the English court where she obviously met Henry. She married him because she loved him and felt it was her duty to continue the alliance between Spain and England
  • King Henry VIII met his second wife, Anne Boleyn, at the English court where she was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Catherine of Aragon. Henry fell in love with Anne. She married him because she was ambitious and was urged to do so by her family who belonged the powerful Howard dynasty
  • King Henry VIII met his third wife, Jane Seymour, at the English court where she was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Anne Boleyn. She married him because she was probably in love with him and was urged to do so by her ambitious Seymour brothers
  • King Henry VIII did not meet his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, until they met. She married him to ensure a political alliance between Cleves in Germany and England
  • King Henry VIII met his fifth wife, Catherine Howard, at the English court where she was a lady-in-waiting to Anne of Cleves. She did not love the king but she did love the fine clothes and jewels he showered on her. The marriage was manipulated once again by the Howard family. Catherine Howard was the cousin of Anne Boleyn
  • King Henry VIII met his last and sixth wife, Catherine Parr, at the English court. She did not love him, her affections were with Sir Thomas Seymour, who she later married. But she was forced into the marriage through duty and obligation

Henry VIII Wives
Each section of this Tudors website addresses all topics and provides interesting facts and information about the wives of King Henry VIII. The Sitemap provides full details of all of the information and facts provided about the fascinating subject of the Tudors!

Henry VIII Wives

  • The Tudors era, period, life, age and times
  • Henry VIII Wives
  • The 6 Wives of Henry VIII
  • King Henry VIII and his Six Wives - Reasons for the Marriages
  • How did King Henry VIII meet his Six Wives?
  • Why did his wives agree to marry Henry VIII?

Henry VIII Wives

Henry VIII Wives - Tudor King - Tudor Monarch - Eighth - 8 - History of King Henry VIII 6 Wives - Information about Henry VIII Wives - Henry VIII  6 Wives Facts - King Henry VIII Wives Info - Tudor era - Tudor Life - Tudor Times - Life - The Henry VIII Wives - Tudor King - Tudor Monarch - Eighth - 8 - First Wife wa Catherine of Aragon - Second wife was Anne Boleyn - Third Wife was Jane Seymour - Fourth wife was Anne of Cleves - Fifth Wife was Catherine Howard - Sixth and Last wife was Catherine Parr - 1st wife - 2nd wife - 3rd wife - 4th wife - 5th wife - 6th wifeHenry VIII Wives History - Information about King Henry VIII Wives - Henry VIII Wives Facts - Henry VIII Wives Info - Tudor era - Tudor Life - Tudor Times - Life - Tudor King - Tudor Monarch - Eighth - 8 - First Wife wa Catherine of Aragon - Second wife was Anne Boleyn - Third Wife was Jane Seymour - Fourth wife was Anne of Cleves - Fifth Wife was Catherine Howard - Sixth and Last wife was Catherine Parr - 1st wife - 2nd wife - 3rd wife - 4th wife - 5th wife - 6th wife - King Henry VIII Wives - 6 Wives - Written By Linda Alchin

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