The Six Wives of Henry Vii
The six wives of Henry VIII are pictured altogether above using copies of paintings made during their lives. They did not always spell their names the same way, but the following names are used below.
Catherine of Aragon
Anne Boleyn
Jane Seymour
Anne of Cleves
Catherine Howard
Katherine Parr
The following sections give the badge or Coat-of-Arms of each wife, another photograph, and a short description of their life.
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon was a Spanish princess (her badge shows a pomegranate - a symbol from Spain). She was the daughter of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain, and was originally married to Henry's brother Arthur. Henry married Catherine to maintain the alliance with Spain after Arthur died, leaving Catherine a widow. This marriage was organized by Henry VII a short time before he died, but took place after his death in 1509, when Henry was almost 18 and Catherine was 23.
After twenty years of marriage, she had only given birth to one girl, Mary, later to become known as Bloody Mary (although she had many miscarriages and still-births in that time). As Henry VIII needed a son to provide a male heir to the throne, and as his advisors deemed Catherine to be past the age of child-birth, Henry tried to persuade her to become a Nun. Catherine refused, and after two years of arguments with the Pope, Henry created a new Archbishop (Thomas Cranmer) who was prepared to declare the marriage annulled in 1532. Catherine was then banished from the Court and separated from her daughter. It is said that she died of a broken heart, four years later. The two portraits show the young Catherine (top) and Catherine in later life (right).
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn was English, and of noble birth. Her badge shows a falcon. She spent some time in France and returned to England in the 1520s. She was Maid-in-Waiting to Catherine of Aragon and refused to be another of Henry's mistresses (of which he had many). She was a very
Catherine of Aragon
Anne Boleyn
Jane Seymour
Anne of Cleves
Catherine Howard
Katherine Parr
The following sections give the badge or Coat-of-Arms of each wife, another photograph, and a short description of their life.
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon was a Spanish princess (her badge shows a pomegranate - a symbol from Spain). She was the daughter of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain, and was originally married to Henry's brother Arthur. Henry married Catherine to maintain the alliance with Spain after Arthur died, leaving Catherine a widow. This marriage was organized by Henry VII a short time before he died, but took place after his death in 1509, when Henry was almost 18 and Catherine was 23.
After twenty years of marriage, she had only given birth to one girl, Mary, later to become known as Bloody Mary (although she had many miscarriages and still-births in that time). As Henry VIII needed a son to provide a male heir to the throne, and as his advisors deemed Catherine to be past the age of child-birth, Henry tried to persuade her to become a Nun. Catherine refused, and after two years of arguments with the Pope, Henry created a new Archbishop (Thomas Cranmer) who was prepared to declare the marriage annulled in 1532. Catherine was then banished from the Court and separated from her daughter. It is said that she died of a broken heart, four years later. The two portraits show the young Catherine (top) and Catherine in later life (right).
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn was English, and of noble birth. Her badge shows a falcon. She spent some time in France and returned to England in the 1520s. She was Maid-in-Waiting to Catherine of Aragon and refused to be another of Henry's mistresses (of which he had many). She was a very