Six Wives

Henry VIII is known as the English Monarch who had six wives and here I will tell you a little bit about each of his wives. But first, an entertaining YouTube video:-

The Six Wives of Henry VIII

	Catherine of Aragon	Anne Boleyn	Jane Seymour
Motto and Crest	“Humble and Loyal”Pomegranate with crown.	“The Most Happy”Crowned falcon on tree stump with red and white flowers.	“Bound to Obey and Serve”Crowned phoenix rising out of a castle with red and white roses.
Date of Birth	16th December 1485	Warnicke thinks 1507, but most historians think 1501 due to a letter that Anne wrote in 1513 when she was a maid of honour in Brussels – this position would be open to a 12/13 year old not a 6 year old.	Thought to be 1508 or 1509Elizabeth Norton thinks between Oct 1507 and 1508 because 29 ladies rode in her funeral procession (1 for each year).
Who were they?	Catalina de Aragón.Daughter of Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain. Previously married to Prince Arthur but marriage was not consummated.	Daughter of diplomat, Thomas Boleyn, and Elizabeth Boleyn (nee Howard)	Eldest daughter of Sir John Seymour and Margery Wentworth
Date of Marriage and Duration	11th June 1509Nearly 24 years, annulled in May 1533.	Either November 1532 or January 1533Just over 3 years. Betrothed for 7 years.	30th May 153617 months
Death	7th January 1536	19th May 1536	24th October 1537
Cause of Death	Traditionally assumed to be cancer, although autopsy points to coronary thrombosis.	Beheaded for treason, adultery and incest by a French swordsman	Thought to be an infection following childbirth.
Age at Death	50	Either 35 or 29	Around 29
Children	Mary (later Mary I)Born 18th February 1516	Elizabeth (later Elizabeth I)Born 7th September 1533	Edward (later Edward VI)Born 12th October 1537
Biography	“The Divorce of Catherine of Aragon: The Story as Told by the Imperial Ambassadors Resident at the Court of Henry VIII by J A Froude	Eric Ives’ “The Life and Death Of Anne Boleyn”Joanna Denny’s “Anne Boleyn: A New Life of England’s Tragic Queen” Retha Warnicke’s “The Rise and Fall of Anne Boleyn”	Elizabeth Norton’s “Jane Seymour: Henry VIII’s True Love”

	Anne of Cleves	Catherine Howard	Catherine Parr
Motto	“God Send Me Well to Keep”A gold escarbuncle.	“No Other Will than His”Crowned red and white thornless Tudor rose	“To Be Useful in All That I Do”Crowned maiden rising from a Tudor Rose.
Date of Birth	22nd September 1515	1518/1521	Around August 1512
Who were they?	Daughter of Johann III, Duke of Juliers-Cleves and Maria, heir of Juliers	Cousin of Anne Boleyn, daughter of Lord Edmund Howard and Elizabeth Tilney.	Second child and eldest daughter of Sir Thomas Parr of Kendal, Westmoreland and Maud Green.
Date of Marriage and Duration	6th January 15406 months	28th July 1540About 19 months	12th July 1543 (Henry was her third husband)Until Henry VIII’s death on 28th January 1547.
Death	6th July 1557	13th February 1542	5th September 1548
Cause of Death	Unknown	Beheaded for adultery and treason	Illness following childbirth
Age at Death	41	Late teens/early 20s	About 36
Children	None	None	Daughter Mary Seymour by her 4th husband Sir Thomas Seymour.
Biography	Elizabeth Norton’s “Anne of Cleves: Henry VIII’s Discarded Bride”	Lacey Baldwin Smith’s “Catherine Howard: The Queen Whose Adulteries Made a Fool of Henry VIII”	Susan James’ “Catherine Parr: Henry VIII’s Last Love”