What comes to mind when you listen to “Henry VIII”? Perhaps, he became king of England centuries ago, married six women and beheaded them all. In reality, he beheaded only two of his wives, but he beheaded thousands of people during his reign. But how and why did he get married so many times?
Henry VIII was possibly the most infamous king in England and one of the worst monarchs to ever rule. Historians have used the most unfavorable adjectives to describe this medieval English ruler, such as: murderous wife, tyrant, obsessive, greedy, self-indulgent and gluttonous. The most important thing for Henry, like most kings throughout history, was to marry to solidify political alliances, gain status, wealth, land, and especially to produce a male heir. Henry VIII did not marry to be a happily married man. As his six wives could testify, Henry was an intolerable husband.
Henry began life as a husband in 1509 when he was eighteen years old. He married Catalina de Aragón, who was the youngest daughter of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain, as well as the husband of Enrique’s deceased brother. While this marriage lasted twenty-four years and solidified the ties between England and Spain, Catherine was expected to have a son to succeed Henry as the next king of England. But among seven pregnancies that ended in miscarriages and stillbirths or produced babies who died shortly after birth, Catherine gave him only one daughter: the future Queen Mary I of Scots. To Catherine’s horror, Enrique was so disgusted with her for not having a male heir that he asked the Pope for an annulment. The Pope did not allow it, so Henry rebelled against Rome and started his own church. Although separation from the Catholic Church resulted in heresy and excommunication, Henry’s own church, called the “Church of England”, allowed him to divorce Catherine. Henry was the head of the Church of England, eventually forcing England to sever ties, not only with the Pope, but with most other Catholic countries. It should be noted that during their marriage, Henry had developed serious mental and physical illnesses that contributed to his erratic and tyrannical behavior.
After his divorce from Catalina de Aragón, he returned to business to find a woman who could father a male heir. Henry married Anne Boleyn. Their marriage did not last as long as Henry’s first to Catherine. Anne was furious with Henry. She was so notorious for her irritability that Henry’s court tried to avoid her. Henry got so tired of Anne’s determined attitude that he had her beheaded. Anne had many miscarriages with Henry, but she gave birth to a girl who later became Queen Elizabeth I.
Jane Seymour became Henry’s third wife immediately after Anne’s death. Unlike Anne Boleyn, Jane was a calm and accommodating woman whom Henry truly loved and respected. The king was even more pleased when he gave birth to a baby boy, Edward IV. Henry finally got the male heir he wanted. Unfortunately, after her first year of marriage, Jane died two weeks after giving birth to Prince Edward. Henry was devastated that Jane was the love of his life.
Henry did not immediately seek out anyone to marry after Jane Seymour’s death, but he was encouraged to marry for political reasons. A marriage was arranged between him and a noblewoman from Germany named Anne of Cleves. Henry did not like her at first glance because she was not as beautiful as reported. She never got pregnant after consummation. Anne and Henry got along quite well, but he made initial plans to annul their marriage after six months. To Anne’s delight, they gave her money and several houses in the English countryside.
Several weeks after his annulment with Anne, Henry fell in love with Catherine Howard, a younger member of Anne’s own household. Catherine was a seventeen-year-old conspiratorial and promiscuous young woman who gained the king’s attention. She attended to his health needs from the time he was considered elderly at forty-nine years of age and in increasingly precarious health. Unfortunately, Catherine had many affairs with younger men at court. When Henry learned of her betrayal, he beheaded her.
As Henry grew older, his health continued to deteriorate. However, he was married for the last time. His last wife, Katherine Parr, became friends with Henry. Henry developed many illnesses and she cared for him during his later years. Katherine loved Henry’s children and showered them with great care. She loved him and even lamented the great king after his death.
When Henry died in 1547, he had been married for thirty-six of his fifty-six years of life. England’s most infamous king was not a wonderful and loving husband to four of his wives. His strong-willed second wife, Anne Boleyn, and his wildly promiscuous fifth wife, Catherine Howard, were executed. He divorced his first wife, Catalina de Aragón, which caused historical changes in Christianity and lost important ties with other European countries. However, Henry’s annulment of his fourth wife, Anne de Cleves, had far fewer consequences, except for the fact that she was happy to leave him. Only his third wife, Jane Seymour, died a natural death, which King Henry long mourned. His last wife, Catherine Parr, was the only wife who truly loved Henry and mourned him after his death. During his last years of life, Henry ate obsessively and gained 400 pounds. At 56, Henry died a sick and heartbroken monarch who only had three legitimate children from six wives. At least two of them, Mary I and especially Elizabeth I, would later play crucial roles in the history of England.
