Five British Royals: Fifteen Spouses Quiz

Answer: King Henry VIII

Catherine of Aragon was the first wife of King Henry VIII of England. She was a Spanish princess, the daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, and her marriage to Henry helped strengthen ties between England and Spain. Her inability to produce a surviving male heir led Henry to seek an annulment from her, which the Catholic Church refused to grant. This dispute ultimately caused Henry to break from the Roman Catholic Church and establish the Church of England.

Catherine and Henry had one surviving child, Mary, who later became Queen Mary I. Catherine died in 1536 at Kimbolton Castle, likely from cancer, remaining deeply respected for her dignity and faith even after being separated from the king.

Answer: King Henry VIII

Anne Boleyn was the second wife of King Henry VIII of England. Her marriage to Henry led to the king's break from the Roman Catholic Church and the creation of the Church of England. Anne refused to become Henry's mistress and only agreed to marry him after his marriage to Catherine of Aragon was annulled.

She gave birth to one surviving child, Elizabeth, who later became one of England's greatest monarchs. Anne's inability to produce a male heir (similar to Catherine) and political enemies at court led to her downfall. In 1536, she was accused of adultery, treason, and incest, charges widely believed to have been false. She was executed by beheading at the Tower of London.

Answer: King Henry VIII

Jane Seymour was the third wife of King Henry VIII of England. She is often remembered as the wife who finally gave Henry the male heir he desperately wanted. In 1537, she gave birth to Prince Edward, who later became King Edward VI. Jane's marriage to Henry also marked a return to a more traditional and quiet court life after the turmoil surrounding Anne Boleyn.

Sadly, Jane died only twelve days after Edward's birth, most likely from complications related to childbirth. Henry considered her his true wife and was buried beside her at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle after his own death.

Answer: King Henry VIII

Anne of Cleves was the fourth wife of King Henry VIII of England. Their marriage was arranged in 1540 to strengthen England's alliance with her brother, a German duke, during a time of political tension in Europe. However, when Anne arrived in England, Henry claimed he found her unattractive and quickly sought to end the marriage. The union was annulled after only six months, and the two had no children.

Despite the short marriage, Anne was treated kindly afterward; she was given generous estates and referred to as the "King's Beloved Sister." She lived a quiet life in England and remained on friendly terms with Henry and his children until her death in 1557.

Answer: King Henry VIII

Catherine Howard was the fifth wife of King Henry VIII of England. She was a cousin of Anne Boleyn and much younger than the king when they married in 1540. Catherine briefly brought joy to Henry, who was aging and in poor health, but her time as queen was short-lived.

She was accused of being unfaithful to the king, and evidence of her past relationships before marriage, along with rumors of adultery during it, led to her arrest. Catherine and Henry had no children. In 1542, she was executed at the Tower of London for treason. Her downfall reinforced Henry's reputation as a ruthless monarch.

Answer: King Henry VIII

Catherine Parr was the sixth and final wife of King Henry VIII of England. She married him in 1543 and outlived him, serving as both a devoted nurse and a stabilizing influence during his later years. Catherine was highly educated and played an important role in reconciling Henry with his daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, helping to restore them to the line of succession. She also published religious writings, making her the first English queen to do so under her own name.

Catherine and Henry had no children together, but after Henry's death, she married Thomas Seymour, and later gave birth to a daughter, Mary. Catherine died in 1548, likely from complications following childbirth.

Answer: Mary (Queen of Scots)

Francis II of France was the first husband of Mary, Queen of Scots. Their marriage in 1558 united the royal families of France and Scotland, strengthening the alliance between the two Catholic nations. Francis became king in 1559, making Mary queen consort of France as well as queen of Scotland. However, their reign was short-lived because Francis was weak and often ill.

The couple had no children, and after only a year on the throne, Francis died in 1560 at the age of sixteen, likely from an ear infection that spread to his brain. His death ended Mary's time as queen of France and forced her to return to Scotland.

Answer: Mary (Queen of Scots)

Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, was the second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots. They married in 1565, a union that strengthened Mary's claim to the English throne because both were grandchildren of Henry VII of England. However, their marriage quickly became unhappy due to Darnley's arrogance and ambition. Despite their troubled relationship, they had one child, James, who later became King James VI of Scotland and King James I of England.

In 1567, Darnley was murdered under mysterious circumstances when his house near Edinburgh was destroyed by an explosion, and his body was found nearby. His death caused a major scandal and contributed to Mary's downfall, as many suspected she or her supporters were involved.

Answer: Mary (Queen of Scots)

James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, was the third husband of Mary, Queen of Scots. Their marriage in 1567 was one of the most controversial events of Mary's life. Bothwell was a powerful Scottish nobleman who helped Mary through the political unrest following the death of her second husband, Lord Darnley.

However, he was widely believed to have played a role in Darnley's murder, and his sudden marriage to Mary (possibly under pressure or abduction) outraged the Scottish nobles. The two had no children together. Their union led to Mary's forced abdication and imprisonment. Bothwell fled Scotland, was captured in Denmark, and died there in prison in 1578 after several years of captivity.

Answer: King George IV

Maria Fitzherbert was the unofficial and illegal wife of King George IV of Great Britain. Their marriage, performed in 1785, was considered invalid under British law because she was a Roman Catholic, and George, as heir to the throne, needed the king's permission to marry, which he did not have.

Even though they had no children together, she remained an important emotional figure in his life. After their separation, she lived quietly in England until her death in 1837.

Answer: King George IV

Caroline of Brunswick was the official wife of King George IV of Great Britain, though their marriage was deeply unhappy from the start. They married in 1795 for political reasons, but George found her unattractive and soon separated from her. Despite their estrangement, they had one daughter, Princess Charlotte, who was beloved by the public but died young in 1817.

Caroline became a symbol of resistance to the king's extravagance and hypocrisy, gaining public sympathy during their public disputes. When George became king in 1820, he tried unsuccessfully to divorce her through Parliament. Caroline was barred from his coronation later that year, and died soon after, in 1821, at the age of fifty-three. He would not marry again.

Answer: King Charles III

Diana, Princess of Wales, was the first wife of King Charles III, who was then the Prince of Wales. They married in 1981 in a ceremony watched by millions around the world. Diana became an international icon for her compassion, charity work, and modern approach to royal life.

She and Charles had two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, both of whom remain prominent members of the royal family. However, their marriage was troubled by infidelity and growing personal differences, leading to their separation in 1992 and divorce in 1996. Diana died in a car crash in Paris in 1997 at the age of 36.

Answer: King Charles III

Camilla Parker Bowles is the second wife of King Charles III of the United Kingdom. The two had known each other since the early 1970s and maintained a close relationship for decades, even during Charles's marriage to Princess Diana. Their long and controversial relationship became public in the 1990s, drawing intense media attention. Charles and Camilla married in 2005 in a civil ceremony many years after Diana's death.

As queen consort, Camilla has taken on a supportive public role, focusing on charitable work related to health, literacy, and domestic violence prevention. She and Charles have no children together, though she has two children from her previous marriage.

Answer: Princess Anne

Captain Mark Phillips was the first husband of Princess Anne, the daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. They married in 1973 in Westminster Abbey. Phillips was an accomplished equestrian, winning a gold medal in the 1972 Olympics.

The couple had two children, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, both of whom do not hold royal titles. Their marriage eventually grew strained, leading to a separation in 1989 and a divorce in 1992.

Answer: Princess Anne

Sir Timothy Laurence is the second husband of Princess Anne. A former Royal Navy officer, he served as an equerry to Queen Elizabeth II, which is how he and Princess Anne first met. They married in 1992 in a small, private ceremony in Scotland, making it one of the quieter royal weddings.

Unlike many royal spouses, Sir Timothy has kept a low public profile, focusing on his naval career and charitable work. He and Princess Anne have no children together.