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The Wives of Henry VIII Facts & Worksheets

Being the king of England for 36 years, the story of the wives of Henry VIII was almost as popular a topic as his rule.

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Being the king of England for 36 years, Henry VIII was popularly known for his six wives and several mistresses. His pursuit of a male heir saw him annul two of his marriages and behead two of his wives.

See the fact file below for more information on The Wives of Henry VIII or alternatively, you can download our 30-page The Wives of Henry VIII worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Henry VIII

  • King Henry VIII was born on June 28, 1491 in Greenwich, near London, England and was the second son of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York.
  • In his early days, Henry VIII was said to be a handsome, athletic, complex, and intelligent man which made him the most eligible prince in Europe.
  • In 1509, King Henry VIII had already succeeded his father’s throne at the age of only 17. 
  • He married his six wives for his desire to have a male heir and from here, his decisions were believed to shape modern Britain.

The Wives

First Wife: Catherine of Aragon

  • Catherine was the youngest child of Ferdinand II of Aragon and  Isabella I of Castile.
  • When she was 15, Catherine married 14-year-old Arthur who was the brother of Henry VIII.
  • Months later, the couple fell ill from the sweating sickness.
  • During that time, both looked as though they would die but Catherine was able to recover.
  • However, on April 2, 1502, Arthur died.
  • To keep Catherine’s dowry, Henry VII, Arthur’s father, initially planned to marry Catherine of Aragon but this was highly opposed by her parents.
  • Henry VII then made negotiations for Henry VIII to marry Catherine instead.
  • Six weeks after the 17-year-old Henry VIII took the throne, he married Catherine of Aragon who was 23 years old at that time.
  • Catherine had several pregnancies and births but only a daughter, Mary, survived.
  • Catherine and Henry had been together for 23 years but Henry’s frustration at not having a son made him meet other women.
  • Henry VIII had a short affair with one of Catherine’s ladies-in-waiting.
  • They both had a child, Henry Fitzroy, the only illegitimate son he acknowledged.
  • Around the 1520s, Henry VIII became more impatient as Catherine could not bear a son anymore. 
  • By this time, he was already developing affection towards Anne Boleyn, one of Catherine’s ladies-in-waiting.
  • Henry VIII wanted his marriage to Catherine be annulled so he could marry Anne.
  • He believed that his marriage to her was cursed because of Catherine’s marriage to his brother.
  • In her defense, she claimed that her relationship with his brother was never consummated.
  • The pope was then threatened by Catherine’s nephew, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.
  • The pope had delayed his decision as he was put in a difficult position considering that Henry VIII might also get angry.
  • Eventually, the pope denied the request of annulment.
  • Henry VIII took the matters personally and even turned his back on the Catholic Church.
  • In 1533, he succeeded in granting his annulment and married Anne who was already pregnant as well.
  • Catherine of Aragon died on January 7, 1536, at Kimbolton Castle. 
  • Mary, their daughter, was forbidden to even visit or see her mother during her funeral.

Second Wife: Anne Boleyn

  • Anne Boleyn was the second wife of Henry VIII and is said to be the most famous of all his wives.
  • She was the daughter of Thomas Boleyn and Lady Elizabeth Howard and spent most of her childhood in France.
  • Anne was set to marry Henry Percy but their engagement was called off because his father did not approve.
  • With their return to England, Mary, her sister, had an affair with King Henry VIII, but eventually, the king laid his eyes on Anne Boleyn.
  • At first, she refused Henry VIII because she did not want to be the king’s mistress.
  • After seven years of courtship, she agreed to marry Henry VIII. 
  • Eventually, the two formally married on January 1533 after having a previous secret ceremony.
  • They had a daughter named Elizabeth but just like Catherine, Anne Boleyn had several miscarriages and could not bear a male heir.
  • Unsatisfied again, Henry lost interest in Anne Boleyn and began looking for other women and found Jane Seymour. 
  • Anne Boleyn, refusing to accept the situation, was jealous and enraged.
  • Henry began courting Jane and, after a month, had Anne Boleyn investigated.
  • Henry charged her with adultery, incest, and high treason.
  • Anne Boleyn was executed at the Tower of London and was beheaded on May 19, 1536.

Third Wife: Jane Seymour

  • Jane Seymour was the daughter of Sir John Seymour and Margery Wentworth.
  • She came from a wealthy family.
  • Jane was one of Catherine and Anne’s ladies-in-waiting. 
  • After the execution of Anne, it was believed that Henry VIII married Jane eleven days later.
  • It was believed that Jane was his favorite wife because she was able to give him a son.
  • She gave birth to King Edward VI but died shortly after due to complications. 
  • Although Jane was not crowned as queen, she was the only one of the wives to have a queen’s funeral and was chosen by Henry VIII as the wife to be buried alongside him.
  • Henry VIII took Jane’s death hard and waited until 1540 to remarry.

Fourth Wife: Anne of Cleves

  • Thomas Cromwell arranged a marriage between Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves, a German Protestant princess.
  • The marriage was sought as a political alliance between two non-Catholic countries.
  • At first, Henry VIII asked for paintings of the two sisters, Anne and Amelia, to choose which one he should marry.
  • He chose Anne as he found her more attractive compared to her sister.
  • Anne was only years younger than Henry VIII’s daughter, Mary.
  • With her arrival in England, Henry VIII was shocked with how Anne looked as she was nothing like the painting shown to him.
  • As the marriage was already arranged, it proceeded but after six months, it was annulled.
  • According to Henry VIII, he could not fulfill his duty with Anne because of her appearance.
  • He often referred to her as “Flanders Mare” and ugly.
  • The two did not bear any children.
  • Despite the annulment, Anne stayed in England and enjoyed an independent and comfortable life.
  • However, Cromwell, who arranged the said terrible marriage, was executed for a made-up charge of treason.

Fifth Wife: Catherine Howard

  • Before Henry VIII married his fifth wife, he had an accident that left him crippled.
  • Unlike before, Henry VIII was no longer athletic and could not exercise, resulting in him gaining a great deal of weight.
  • Despite this, he still wanted to have a second heir.
  • For the fifth time, he laid his eyes on the 19-year-old Catherine Howard and fell deeply in love.
  • Catherine Howard came from the powerful family of Howard and was one of the ladies-in-waiting of Anne of Cleves.
  • Despite having numerous love affair rumors, Henry VIII still wanted to marry Catherine Howard.
  • Henry VIII referred to her as a “rose without a thorn” and often gave her gifts.
  • However, a year after their marriage, Catherine Howard began an affair with Thomas Culpeper.
  • With enough evidence, she was charged with adultery and executed with treason on February 1542 at Tower Green.

Sixth Wife: Catherine Parr

  • Catherine Parr and Henry VIII got married in July 1543,
  • She got married twice before marrying Henry VIII.
  • She was at first in a relationship with Thomas Seymour, the brother of Jane Seymour.
  • Catherine Parr agreed on marrying Henry VIII and thought of it as her duty.
  • She was a reformist and when she showed interest in Protestantism, Henry VIII ordered her arrest. 
  • However, due to her intelligence, she was able to avoid it.
  • Catherine Parr helped in the reconciliation of Henry VIII and his daughters, Mary and Elizabeth.
  • In 1547, Henry VIII died and six months after, Catherine Parr married Thomas Seymour.
  • However, within a year of Henry VIII’s passing, Catherine Parr also died from childbed fever after giving birth to her child with Thomas.

The Wives of Henry VIII Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about The Wives of Henry VIII across 30 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching about The Wives of Henry VIII, six wives and several mistresses, in his pursuit of a male heir.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • The Wives of Henry VIII Facts
  • Who Was He?
  • Who Is It?
  • Choose Wrong
  • Crossword
  • Wives
  • Destiny
  • Arrange the Story
  • Poetry
  • Think
  • Heir

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