Alysha Clark
History 101
Professor Crosby
1 October 2014
The Fates of Henry VIII’s Wives King Henry VIII, son and successor of King Henry VII, was known for his ever-changing marital status. Married six times, the easiest way to remember the order was a little rhyme: divorced, beheaded, and died, divorced, beheaded, and survived. Henry struggled to produce a male heir and maintain a faithful (and beautiful) wife. As Henry’s reasons to marry each woman differed, so did the reason of the marriage’s end. Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, and Katherine Parr all had a different story and fate to tell because of their husband, Henry VIII. Catherine of Aragon was the first wife of Henry VIII. Eight …show more content…
Henry, after years of chasing Anne Boleyn, married her before his divorce to Catherine was validated. Finally allowing him into her bed, Anne became pregnant and in September of 1533, she gave birth to a girl, Elizabeth. After her successful pregnancy and birth to Elizabeth, Henry remained hopeful for a son to be born. Schmid asserts, “Anne became pregnant again in late 1535, but miscarried in January 1536. In April 1536 Anne was accused of committing adultery with five men, including her brother, George. All six were arrested, indicted, tried, found guilty and [beheaded] in short order, with Anne and her brother last, on 15 May 1536 (“Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn”). Henry’s last straw with Anne was the miscarriage, which deemed her undesirable in his …show more content…
Twice widowed, the Queen accepted the King’s hand in marriage as God appointing her a part of the royal family (Tempus “Last But Not Least”). Catherine’s time as Queen was mostly characterized by her concern with Henry’s health, and how she nursed him. She was the only Queen that Henry did not need to replace, because he died in 1547, and she died a year later due to childbirth (Tempus “Last But Not Least”). Henry not only made history with
Works Cited
Bordo, Susan. The Creation of Anne Boleyn: A New Look at England’s Most Notorious Queen.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013. Print.
Schmid, Susan Walters. "Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn." History Review 69 (2011): 7+. World
History in Context. Web. 1 Oct. 2014.
Starkey, David. Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII. London: Chatto & Windus, 2003. Print.
Stewart, Robert. "Last but not least." Spectator 3 May 2008: 41+. World History in Context.
Web. 1 Oct. 2014.
The King James Bible: 400th Anniversary Edition. Oxford: Oxford OUP, 2011. Web.
Warnicke, Retha. "Anne of Cleves, Queen of England: Retha Warnicke uncovers the real reason for Henry VIII 's divorce from his fourth wife." History Review 51 (2005): 39+. World History in Context. Web. 1 Oct.
History 101
Professor Crosby
1 October 2014
The Fates of Henry VIII’s Wives King Henry VIII, son and successor of King Henry VII, was known for his ever-changing marital status. Married six times, the easiest way to remember the order was a little rhyme: divorced, beheaded, and died, divorced, beheaded, and survived. Henry struggled to produce a male heir and maintain a faithful (and beautiful) wife. As Henry’s reasons to marry each woman differed, so did the reason of the marriage’s end. Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, and Katherine Parr all had a different story and fate to tell because of their husband, Henry VIII. Catherine of Aragon was the first wife of Henry VIII. Eight …show more content…
Henry, after years of chasing Anne Boleyn, married her before his divorce to Catherine was validated. Finally allowing him into her bed, Anne became pregnant and in September of 1533, she gave birth to a girl, Elizabeth. After her successful pregnancy and birth to Elizabeth, Henry remained hopeful for a son to be born. Schmid asserts, “Anne became pregnant again in late 1535, but miscarried in January 1536. In April 1536 Anne was accused of committing adultery with five men, including her brother, George. All six were arrested, indicted, tried, found guilty and [beheaded] in short order, with Anne and her brother last, on 15 May 1536 (“Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn”). Henry’s last straw with Anne was the miscarriage, which deemed her undesirable in his …show more content…
Twice widowed, the Queen accepted the King’s hand in marriage as God appointing her a part of the royal family (Tempus “Last But Not Least”). Catherine’s time as Queen was mostly characterized by her concern with Henry’s health, and how she nursed him. She was the only Queen that Henry did not need to replace, because he died in 1547, and she died a year later due to childbirth (Tempus “Last But Not Least”). Henry not only made history with
Works Cited
Bordo, Susan. The Creation of Anne Boleyn: A New Look at England’s Most Notorious Queen.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013. Print.
Schmid, Susan Walters. "Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn." History Review 69 (2011): 7+. World
History in Context. Web. 1 Oct. 2014.
Starkey, David. Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII. London: Chatto & Windus, 2003. Print.
Stewart, Robert. "Last but not least." Spectator 3 May 2008: 41+. World History in Context.
Web. 1 Oct. 2014.
The King James Bible: 400th Anniversary Edition. Oxford: Oxford OUP, 2011. Web.
Warnicke, Retha. "Anne of Cleves, Queen of England: Retha Warnicke uncovers the real reason for Henry VIII 's divorce from his fourth wife." History Review 51 (2005): 39+. World History in Context. Web. 1 Oct.