The Various Lives of Henry's Six Wives Quiz

Answer:

Henry VIII's first wife was Catherine of Aragon, daughter of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. She had been married before to Henry's brother, Arthur (who had died shortly after the wedding). Henry was 18 and she was 24 when they married in 1509. For many years they were very happy. The biggest trouble was that she only had one daughter, Mary, as the other children were either born dead or died young. By age 30, Katherine had physically aged and had become deeply religious. When Henry fell in love with someone else in 1527, he demanded a divorce. This caused a ripple effect of an annullment with Catherine, a break from the Catholic Church, and multiple beheadings of opponents to Henry. Catherine, having been sent away to multiple far estates, died in 1536.

In 1522, Anne Boleyn came to court as one of Queen Catherine's ladies-in-waiting. She was 21, stylish (having served in a French court), and flirtatious. Henry asked her to become his mistress but she refused and demanded he marry her instead. By 1530, Anne was acting as if she was already a queen and was instrumental in getting several of Henry's opponents executed. Around 1532 Anne succumbed to Henry's advances and a month later announced she was pregnant. In 1533 they were married, much to the public's disgust. She gave birth, not to a promised son, but to their daughter, Elizabeth. Henry saw this as Anne's fault and soon she was accused of adultery and treason. In May of 1536 Anne was beheaded near the Tower of London.

Jane Seymour, daughter of Sir John Seymour, was a lady-in-waiting for both of Henry's first wives. Henry found her quiet and obedient personality a refreshing change from the fiery-tempered Anne. He fell in love with her in 1535 after a visit to her father's home of Wolf Hall where she was staying at the time. He plied her with gifts but she virtuously returned most of them, saying she would accept them when God sent her a husband. Henry and Jane's engagement was announced on the same day Anne Boleyn died and they were married eleven days later. Jane was a submissive wife, but most importantly, she bore him a son, Edward, in 1547. Henry was ecstatic and threw a grand party. Four days after she gave birth, Jane developed childbed fever and died. Henry was beside himself with grief and hid away from the world. Later, when Henry himself died, he would be buried next to Jane.

Even though Henry was grieving, it was still extremely important to have more male heirs so the search for a suitable new wife was started. The Duchy of Cleves, in Germany, would be a useful ally against the French and Spanish and the ruler there had two unmarried daughters. In 1538, the elder girl, Anne, was offered as a bride. A painting of her was commissioned. The artist, Hans Holbein, showed a young woman with a huge headdress. Unfortunately, the artist did not accurately depict the fact she was considered homely and skinny and did not mention that she had hygiene issues. Henry viewed the portrait and agreed to the wedding. Upon meeting her in 1539, he was horrified and blamed his advisers. However, the wedding commenced in 1540, but Henry immediately began looking for a way out. Terrified that she would be beheaded, Anne of Cleves agreed to a "friendly divorce". Afterward, Anne remained in England and was granted the title "The King's Beloved Sister". She lived a comfortable life of independence, enjoying fashion and leisure, and maintained a good relationship with Henry and his children.

In 1540, Henry VIII began to notice and flirt with Catherine Howard, a young lady-in-waiting and cousin of Anne Boleyn. She was only 15 years old, very beautiful, and could not read or write. Just three weeks after his divorce from Anne of Cleves, Henry married Catherine Howard. He did not know of her past. She had a history of indiscretions and had reportedly lost her virginity at age twelve. Catherine attemmpted to ignore her husband's large bulk (he had a 54 inch waist at this point) and his oozing leg ulcer. She did it so well that Henry called her his "rose without a thorn". Unfortunately, on a tour of Britain in 1541, her past caught up with her. When a former lover recognized her, the rumor mill began to churn. Soon it was determined that not only did she have a troubled past, but she was also cheating on Henry during their marriage. She was charged with adultery and beheaded in 1542.

Henry VIII met Catherine Parr in early 1543 after she became part of Henry's daughter Mary's household, where she caught the king's eye. She was a mature woman who had two previous husbands. She was twenty years younger than Henry but was level-headed and kind-hearted. Even though she was in love with Thomas Seymour, she accepted Henry's proposal due to duty and the political advantages of marrying the king. During their four years together, she served as a friend and pseudo-nurse to the ailing monarch. Catherine was also a learned scholar and a devout Protestant, who engaged in theological debates with Henry. She became the first English queen to publish a book under her own name, "Prayers and Meditations". Although there were some risky times, she successfully navigated the dangerous court and made a happy home for him and his three children. Catherine stayed with him as he lay on his deathbed. When he passed away in January 1547, she was the queen who could claim not to have been divorced, beheaded, or deceased.