HENRY THE EIGHTH OF ENGLAND The Six Wives of HENRY THE EIGHTH OF ENGLAND

Henry the VIII of England King from 1509 to 1547 Was born in 1491 and was son of King Henry VII Tudor family Personal desire was to have a son who would inherit the throne and continue the Tudor reign

Had six wives during his lifetime! Some he divorced; others he had beheaded! Began the Church of England which is referred to as the Episcopal Church in the United States Was responsible for the beheading of Sir Thomas More, a saint of the Church

Catherine of Aragon Spanish princess: daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella. Was the widow of Henry VIII’s brother, Arthur Marriage was arranged by Henry VII to keep peace between England and Spain

Married Arthur in November, 1501, but he died in April of 1502 Marriage was arranged when Henry was only 12 years old and a papal dispensation gave permission for him to marry his brother’s wife in 1503 This would be a major contention to the Reform movement in England

Henry VIII became king in April 1509 and married Catherine in June Catherine had 6 children, but only one survived, a daughter, who would become Queen Mary I of England

The Reformation in England Henry VIII wanted to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon and sought permission from Pope Clement VII His desire was to marry Anne Boleyn, a lady in waiting to Catherine. His hope to have a male heir was a driving force behind Henry’s actions

What would Henry’s defense of an annulment be? Check out Leviticus 20:21! Henry felt that the papal dispensation given to him before was invalid due to this verse from Scripture! But, check out Deuternomy 25:5!

Pope Clement VII refused to allow either an annulment or divorce In 1534, Henry VIII made himself the head of the Church of England and divorced Catherine

Anne Boleyn Lived from 1507 to 1536 Was English Secretly married Henry in January of 1533 before Henry was officially divorced from Catherine of Aragon

Gave birth to a daughter, Elizabeth, later known as Queen Elizabeth I, in September of 1533 With still a desire for a son, Henry accused Anne of adultery and treason She was beheaded in the Tower of London on May 18, 1536 Henry married wife number 3 the next day!

Jane Seymour Lived from 1509 to 1537 Had been a lady in waiting to the first 2 wives Did give Henry a son, Edward, later King Edward VI after Henry VIII’s death Unfortunately, Jane died 12 days after the birth of Edward Jane Seymour

Anne of Cleves Fourth wife of Henry VIII Was German Henry intended to marry her just to keep peace between England and Germany

Henry had never met Anne so he sent an artist to Germany to paint a portrait of her to help him decide whether to marry her. However, when Anne of Cleves arrived in England, Henry thought her to be ugly and even called her a horse! Henry divorced her after only 6 months of marriage

Catherine Howard Lived from 1520 to 1542 Wife number 5 Was a cousin to Anne Boleyn She was 19 and Henry was 50 when they married

Henry had divorced Anne of Cleves on July 9, 1540 and married Catherine Howard on July 28. In November 1541, Catherine was accused of and admitted to adultery She was beheaded at the Tower of London on February 13, 1542

Catherine Parr Lived from 1512 to 1548 Married Henry in 1543 Only wife to outlive Henry VIII who died on January 28, 1547 Later married the brother of Jane Seymour

The Children of Henry VIII

Edward VI Was the third child of Henry VIII Mother was Jane Seymour Became king of England in 1547 following the death of Henry Lived from 1537 to 1553

Queen Mary I Oldest child of Henry VIII Mother was Catherine of Aragon Lived from 1516 to 1558 and became queen in 1553 Restored Roman Catholicism to England Earned the nickname of Bloody Mary for having 300 heretics put to death Queen Mary I

Second child of Henry VIII and daughter of Anne Boleyn Lived from 1533 to 1603 and became queen in 1558 Restored the Church of England Known as the Virgin Queen because she never married Was the last of the Tudor rulers of England Queen Elizabeth I