The Six Wives of Henry VIII (2001 TV series)

Who was King Henry VIII? Why did he have so many wives? What happened to them? Would he ever have a son? King Henry VIII was one of the most interesting people in history due to his inability to have a son, his many wives, and the lengths he would go to to insure that the throne was left to a strong male heir. King Henry VIII was born in 1491 to Henry VII and Elizabeth of York at Greenwich Castle. Not long after beginning his reign, he became betrothed to his brother’s widow, Catherine of Aragon. This came largely due to pressure from Catherine’s father Ferdinand. The Spaniards saw Catherine as an ambassador and necessary for the politics of their country. Unfortunately, relations between England and France became tense, and there was soon talk about a divorce between Henry and Catherine. Before long, however, there was a renewal of friendly relations between the two countries, and Catherine soon bore Henry a daughter named Mary. While not what he had hoped for, this kept Henry’s hopes up that he might have a son. The question of their divorce was put on the backburner. Unfortunately, by 1526, all hope Henry had of having a son had run out. It became clear to him that he would not have a son with Catherine as his wife. These feelings were amplified by his newfound passion for a young lady known as Anne Boleyn. King Henry VIII soon asked the Pope in Rome to end his marriage. The pope, however, refused. Henry decided to take matters into his own hands by becoming head of the church. “At the cost of the heads of such men as Sir Thomas More and a number of monks, King Henry VIII secured himself as the supreme head of the Catholic Church.” (Jokinen 2007) This finally opened the road for a divorce between him and Catherine. In 1533, he married Anne Boleyn. She however was unable to yield him a son. Growing impatient, King Henry VIII had her put on trial for adultery with various people, including her own brother. Anne Boleyn was convicted and beheaded. Things would go much better for Henry’s next wife. Jane Seymour was a maid to Anne Boleyn and also caught the king's eye. They married and she gave birth to a son named Edward. Unfortunately, the child was frail and weak. The birth was very difficult for the young lady and Jane would soon die after giving birth. This was the only son the king would ever have. Henry's fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, was introduced to him because Thomas Cromwell believed she would be a suitable wife. Her father was a leader of the German Protestants. Henry felt this political statement was unnecessary, and with the fall of Cromwell, Henry claimed the marriage had not been consummated. By mid 1540, he had the marriage declared null and void. Soon after this, King Henry VIII met his fifth wife, Catherine Howard. Because Catherine was not affiliated with Protestants, the Roman Catholic party encouraged Henry’s attentions on her. Upon hearing that Henry was planning on getting married again, Anne tried to seduce the king and claimed she had great love for him. Henry settled the matter by giving her money and some land to live a quiet life. This silenced Anne, and in July 1540 Henry got married to Catherine. However, by 1541 trouble was stirring. Archbishop Cranmer informed Henry that his new queen had been unchaste during their marriage. In early 1543, Catherine Howard was convicted and beheaded. Henry’s next wife, Katherine Parr, was his last and one of the few (including Anne of Cleves and Catherine of Aragon) to not be put to death and the only one to stay married to King Henry until the end. Being widowed at sixteen, she soon married Lord Latimer. When he passed away, Katherine amassed great wealth from both the inheritance of her mother and her late husband. She soon fell in love with Thomas Seymour who was on the royal court. Unfortunately for Katherine, she had also caught the eye of King Henry. He was jealous of her suitor and him sent away on a permanent embassy. At first Katherine showed no interest in Henry and his advances, but in July 1543 he proposed to her. Katherine, while not in love with this man, felt she had no choice and they soon got married. She was well liked by all and wanted to be a good stepmother. Henry put her in charge of educating his children, Edward and Elizabeth, and she herself studied, too. Unfortunately, King Henry’s health was slipping due to his obesity and a wound in his leg that had never fully healed. During this time Katherine almost suffered the same fate of his other wives. Two men claimed the queen to be a heretic, but the king spoke out and saved his wife from death. By fall of 1546, it soon became evident to the king that his own death was near. On the eve of the 28th of January, King Henry VIII passed away at age fifty-five. The king that had reshaped England and tried so desperately to father a strong heir to the throne, was now gone. In conclusion, Henry was a great but ultimately unhappy man. He went through six wives, never ultimately getting what he strived for, a strong son to lead his country after his death. He will always be remembered as a man who greatly impacted the history of Europe during his lifetime and even in the years following his death. Without a doubt, the story of King Henry VIII and his six wives will survive for years to come.