King of England Henry VIII and his wife. Henry VIII Tudor and his wife
oil on panel, c. 1534-1536, Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid
Dynasty: Tudors
Father: Henry VII
Mother: Elizabeth of York
Henry VIII Tudor (Eng. Henry VIII; June 28, 1491, Greenwich - January 28, 1547, London) - King of England from April 22, 1509, son and heir of King Henry VII, the second English monarch from the Tudor dynasty. With the consent of the Roman Catholic Church, the English kings were also called "Lords of Ireland", but in 1541, at the request of the excommunicated Henry VIII, the Irish Parliament gave him the title "King of Ireland".
Educated and gifted, Henry ruled as a representative of European absolutism, by the end of his reign he severely persecuted his real and imaginary political opponents. In later years, he suffered from excess weight and other health problems.
German painter Hans Holbein the Younger (1497-1543) - Portrait of Henry VIII, King of England,
oil on panel, c. 1539-1540, National Gallery of Ancient Art, Rome
Henry VIII is best known for: The English Reformation, which made England a largely Protestant nation; and an unusual number of marriages for a Christian - in total, the king had 6 wives, of which he divorced two, and executed two on charges of treason. The king sought to produce a male heir to consolidate the power of the Tudor dynasty.
German painter Hans Holbein the Younger (1497-1543) - Portrait of Henry VIII, King of England,
oil on panel, c. 1538-47?, Royal Collection, Windsor Castle
The divorce of Henry VIII from his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, led to the excommunication of the king from the Catholic Church and a series of church reforms in England, when the Anglican Church separated from the Roman Catholic Church. In addition, the constant change of spouses and favorites of the king and the church reformation turned out to be a serious arena for political struggle and led to a number of executions of political figures, among which was, for example, Thomas More.
Wives of Henry VII
Henry VIII was married six times. The fate of his spouse is memorized by English schoolchildren with the help of the mnemonic phrase "divorced - executed - died - divorced - executed - survived." From the first three marriages he had 10 children, of whom only three survived - Mary from the first marriage, Elizabeth from the second and Edward from the third. All of them subsequently reigned. Henry's last three marriages were childless.
Painter Michel Sittow, Young Catherine of Aragon, 1503, oil on oak,
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536). Daughter of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. She was married to Arthur, the elder brother of Henry VIII. Having been widowed (1502), she remained in England, expecting either an impending or an upset marriage with Henry. Henry VIII married Catherine immediately after his accession to the throne in 1509. The first years of marriage were happy, but all the children of young spouses were either born dead or died in infancy. Mary (1516-1558) was the only surviving offspring.
Around 1525, marital relations actually ceased, and Henry, who wanted to have sons, began to think about the annulment of the marriage. The formal reason for the divorce proceedings was Catherine's previous marriage to Henry's brother. The process, stretching for years, complicated by the intervention of Emperor Charles V (Catherine's nephew) and the inconsistent position of Pope Clement VII, had no results. As a result, at the request of Henry, Parliament in 1532 passed a decision prohibiting any appeal to Rome. In January 1533, the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, announced the annulment of Henry and Catherine's marriage. After that, Catherine in official documents was called the Dowager Princess of Wales, that is, the widow of Arthur. By refusing to acknowledge the dissolution of her marriage, Catherine condemned herself to exile, being transported from castle to castle several times. She died in January 1536.
Anne Boleyn (c. 1507 - 1536). For a long time she was Henry's unapproachable lover, refusing to become his mistress. After Cardinal Wolsey could not resolve the issue of Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon, Anna hired theologians who proved that the king is the lord of both the state and the church, and is responsible only to God, and not to the Pope in Rome (this was the beginning of the detachment of the English churches from Rome and the establishment of the Anglican Church). She became the wife of Henry in January 1533, was crowned on June 1, 1533, and in September of the same year gave birth to his daughter Elizabeth, instead of the son expected by the king. Subsequent pregnancies ended unsuccessfully. Soon Anna lost her husband's love, was accused of adultery and beheaded in the Tower in May 1536.
Painter Hans Holbein, Portrait of Jane Seymour, (c. 1536-1537),
tempera, wood, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
Jane Seymour (c. 1508 - 1537). She was a lady-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn. Heinrich married her a week after the execution of his previous wife. She died a year later from childbed fever. Mother of Henry's only surviving son, Edward VI. In honor of the birth of the prince, an amnesty was declared for thieves and pickpockets, the cannons in the Tower fired two thousand volleys.
German painter Hans Holbein the Younger (1497-1543) - Betrothal portrait of Anne of Cleves,
Watercolor on parchment, Museum of Louvre, Paris
Anna of Cleves (Anne Cleves), (1515-1557). Daughter of Johann III of Cleves, sister of the reigning Duke of Cleves. Marriage with her was one of the ways to seal the alliance of Henry, Francis I and the German Protestant princes. As a prerequisite for marriage, Heinrich wished to see the portrait of the bride, for which Hans Holbein Jr. was sent to Kleve. Heinrich liked the portrait, the engagement took place in absentia. But the bride who arrived in England (unlike her portrait) categorically did not like Henry. Although the marriage was concluded in January 1540, Henry immediately began to look for a way to get rid of his unloved wife. As a result, already in June 1540, the marriage was annulled - the pre-existing engagement of Anna with the Duke of Lorraine became the reason. In addition, Heinrich stated that the actual marriage relationship between him and Anna did not work out. Anna remained in England as "the king's sister" and survived both Henry and all his other wives. This marriage was arranged by Thomas Cromwell, for which he lost his head.
Catherine Howard (1521-1542). Niece of the mighty Duke of Norfolk, cousin of Anne Boleyn. Henry married her in July 1540 out of passionate love. It soon became clear that Catherine had a lover before marriage (Francis Durham) and was cheating on Henry with Thomas Culpepper. The guilty were executed, after which, on February 13, 1542, the queen herself ascended the scaffold.
Catherine Parr, Portrait by an unknown artist,
The painting is in the National Portrait Gallery, London.
Catherine Parr (ca. 1512 - 1548). By the time of her marriage to Henry (1543), she had already been widowed twice. At the age of 52, Henry married Katherine Parr. Heinrich was already old and sick, so Catherine was not so much a wife for him as a nurse. She was kind to him and his children. It was she who persuaded Henry to return his first daughter Maria to the court. Catherine Parr was a staunch Protestant and did much to promote Henry's new turn towards Protestantism. She was a reformer, he was a conservative, which gave rise to endless religious disputes between spouses. For her views, Henry ordered her to be arrested, but saw her in tears, had mercy and canceled the arrest order, after which Catherine never entered into a dispute with the king. Four years after her marriage to Catherine, Henry VIII died, and she married Thomas Seymour, Jane Seymour's brother, but died in childbirth the following year, 1548. In 1782, the forgotten grave of Catherine Parr was discovered in the chapel of Sandy Castle. 234 years after the death of the queen, her coffin was opened. Eyewitnesses testified to the incredible safety of the body, Catherine's skin did not even lose its natural color. It was then that the queen's lock was cut off, which on January 15, 2008 was put up for auction in London at the Bonhams international auction.
Henry died on January 28, 1547. His coffin, on his way to Winndsor for burial, was opened at night, and in the morning his remains were found licked by dogs, which contemporaries regarded as divine punishment for defiling church customs.
Henry VIII worked hard on his image. He went down in history as a bloodthirsty monarch. He beheaded more people than anyone before or since. Despite his cruelty, Henry until the end of his days considered himself a convinced humanist.
Tall, broad-shouldered Heinrich knew how to suppress any uprising. It was a king whose wealth and luxury of receptions were legendary. He loved hunting, horseback riding and all kinds of tournaments, in which he himself regularly took part. Among other things, Heinrich was a gambler, he especially liked to play dice. Henry was the first truly erudite king. He had a huge library, and he personally wrote annotations for many books. He wrote pamphlets and lectures, music and plays. His reforms, including church ones, are inconsistent, until the end of his days he could not decide on his religious views, thanks to which he remains one of the most mysterious figures of the European Middle Ages.
Monarchy of England
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🙂 Greetings to new and regular readers of the site! Gentlemen, in the article "Henry VIII Tudor and his wives" - a story about the king of England and his six wives.
When it comes to the marriages of royalty, the song “Kings Can Do Everything” involuntarily comes to mind, where it is jokingly spoken about the impossibility of love either in royal hearts or in royal apartments.
And if you put aside the jokes, it must be said that the church has always been on the side of legal marriages and prevented divorces, without making out whether we are talking about a commoner or a high-ranking person.
True, many monarchs turned a blind eye to God's laws, married and divorced when they wished. At best, sending a bored wife to a monastery. At worst, the unfortunate woman lost her life. There are many such cases in history. There are some real unique ones. For example, Henry VIII Tudor.
Wives of Henry 8
Henry VIII Tudor was born at the end of the 15th century and lived to be 55 years old. This is the most famous king of England, he is remembered by history for having married six times.
Catherine of Aragon
Henry's first marriage took place as soon as he ascended the throne, at the age of 17. His choice was no accident. Catherine, the widow of her late elder brother, actually inherited Henry.
Official portrait of Catherine of Aragon, Queen of England. Unknown artist, ca. 1525
Although the marriage was of convenience, for the allied relationship between England and Spain, he was considered happy for some time. The marriage lasted 24 years. But the wife was tired of the autocrat, especially since the children born to her died in infancy, except for her daughter Mary.
The king wanted to have a male heir, and he asked for a divorce from the clergy, but he was refused. The desire to get a divorce was so great that it led to a break with the church and the Reformation in England. The desired divorce was finally granted in 1533. His wife Catherine was declared the widow of Henry VIII's brother.
Ann Bolein
The second wife, Anne Boleyn, was well known at court. The king sought her favor for many years, but the girl politely refused the monarch. Such chastity did not prevent the king three years later from accusing Anna of treason, and together with her alleged lover, sent to the scaffold.
Ann Bolein. Portrait by an unknown artist, ca. 1533-1536
It is known that four alleged lovers were tortured, so Anna's betrayal raises many questions among historians. And, most likely, this betrayal was not. From this marriage, a daughter, Elizabeth (the future Queen of England -) was born.
Jane Seymour
A week after his execution, the King of England married his murdered wife's young lady-in-waiting, Jane Seymour.
Jane Seymour. Portrait by Hans Holbein (the younger), c. 1536-1537
This woman was able to satisfy her husband's greatest desire - she bore him a son, Edward. Childbirth cost the life of a young woman. This time Henry was truly widowed.
Wanting to have another heir, the king attended to the search for a bride, but his proposals were rejected throughout the European continent. His sinister scandalous reputation was already known to everyone.
Anna Klevskaya
Nevertheless, the fourth wife was found - Anna Klevskaya. Her monarch saw only in the picture. He was extremely surprised and disappointed at a personal meeting with the bride. But the engagement took place, and then the wedding. Anna came to court with everyone except the king.
Anna Klevskaya. Portrait by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1539
She became a good stepmother to little Prince Edward and seven-year-old Elizabeth. Even the adult daughter of Heinrich, Maria, who was only a year younger than her stepmother, quickly became friends with her.
The king found a reason to divorce his wife very quickly. Anna did not resist and signed all the papers, for which she received a life sentence, provided she lived in England. After the divorce, the woman managed to build her relationship with her ex-husband so that he gave her all sorts of honors, calling her "beloved sister."
Catherine Howard
For the fifth time, the already middle-aged autocrat married a young beauty for great love, mixed with passion. In addition, the marriage was politically advantageous. His chosen one, Catherine Howard, was an open, good-natured, cheerful girl.
Catherine Howard. Years of life 1520 - 1542
As it turned out later, not only to her husband. The proven fact of treason brought her to the scaffold.
Catherine Parr
For the last five years of his life, Heinrich was married to Catherine Parr. The restless monarch was no longer looking for adventure, and for the last two years he was so ill that he retired from public affairs.
Catherine Parr 1512 - 1548
It must be said that his only son, Edward, whom he so desired, loved and was proud of, died at the age of fifteen. There are two versions of the teenager's death. According to the first, the young man died of consumption or pneumonia, according to the second, he was poisoned, which is not uncommon for the 16th century. But Henry VIII did not know about it. He died on January 15, 1547.
Place of execution in the Tower of London. Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, Lady Jane Gray and Thomas More were executed here. On the upper plane are the names of the executed, and on the black one is an epitaph.
Pictured is the place where Anne Boleyn was executed. Epitaph: "Hold a little, O noble visitor. Where you stand, death has shortened many days of life. Here the fates of the most famous people ended. May they rest in peace as we dance through the generations, fighting and showing courage under this sky."
On the right is St. George's Chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle (1528). Henry VI, Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward IV, Charles I, George V and Queen Mary, Edward VII and Queen Alexandra are buried here.
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Egbert the Great (Anglo-Saxon. Ecgbryht, English Egbert, Eagberht) (769/771 - February 4 or June 839) - King of Wessex (802 - 839). A number of historians consider Egbert the first king of England, since for the first time in history he united under the rule of one ruler most of the lands located on the territory of modern England, and the remaining regions recognized his supreme power over themselves. Officially, Egbert did not use such a title and for the first time it was used in his title by King Alfred the Great.
Edward II (eng. Edward II, 1284-1327, also called Edward of Caernarvon, at his place of birth in Wales), is the English king (from 1307 until his deposition in January 1327) from the Plantagenet dynasty, the son of Edward I.
The first English heir to the throne, who bore the title of "Prince of Wales" (according to legend, at the request of the Welsh to give them a king who was born in Wales and did not speak English, Edward I showed them his newborn son, who had just been born in his camp) . Having inherited the throne of his father at the age of less than 23 years, Edward II led a very unsuccessful fighting against Scotland, whose troops were led by Robert the Bruce. The popularity of the king also undermined his commitment to the favorites hated by the people (as they believed, the king's lovers) - the Gascon Pierre Gaveston, and then the English nobleman Hugh Despenser Jr. french king Philip IV the Handsome, who fled to France.
Edward III Edward III .
Richard II (eng. Richard II, 1367-1400) - English king (1377-1399), representative of the Plantagenet dynasty, grandson of King Edward III, son of Edward the Black Prince.
Richard was born in Bordeaux - his father fought in France on the fields of the Hundred Years' War. When the Black Prince died in 1376, during the life of Edward III, the young Richard received the title of Prince of Wales, and a year later inherited the throne from his grandfather.
Henry IV Bolingbroke (Eng. Henry IV of Bolingbroke, April 3, 1367, Bolingbroke Castle, Lincolnshire - March 20, 1413, Westminster) - King of England (1399-1413), founder of the Lancaster dynasty (a younger branch of the Plantagenets).
Henry V (Eng. Henry V) (August 9, according to other sources, September 16, 1387, Monmouth Castle, Monmouthshire, Wales - August 31, 1422, Vincennes (now in Paris), France) - King of England from 1413, from the Lancaster dynasty, one of the greatest commanders of the Hundred Years War. Defeated the French at the Battle of Agincourt (1415). Under an agreement in Troyes (1420), he became the heir of the French king Charles VI the Mad and received the hand of his daughter Catherine. He continued the war with the son of Charles, who did not recognize the treaty, the Dauphin (the future Charles VII) and died during this war, just two months before Charles VI; if he had lived these two months, he would have become the king of France. He died in August 1422, presumably from dysentery.
Henry VI (eng. Henry VI, fr. Henri VI) (December 6, 1421, Windsor - May 21 or 22, 1471, London) - the third and last king of England from the Lancaster dynasty (from 1422 to 1461 and from 1470 to 1471). The only one of the English kings who wore the title "King of France" during the Hundred Years War and after it, who was actually crowned (1431) and reigned over a large part of France.
Edward IV (April 28, 1442, Rouen - April 9, 1483, London) - King of England in 1461-1470 and 1471-1483, a representative of the York Plantagenet line, seized the throne during the War of the Scarlet and White Roses.
Eldest son of Richard, Duke of York and Cecilia Neville, brother of Richard III. On his father's death in 1460, he inherited his titles of Earl of Cambridge, March and Ulster and Duke of York. In 1461, at the age of eighteen, he ascended the English throne with the support of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick.
He was married to Elizabeth Woodville (1437-1492), children:
Elizabeth (1466-1503), married to King Henry VII of England
Maria (1467-1482),
Cecilia (1469-1507),
Edward V (1470-1483?),
Richard (1473-1483?),
Anna (1475-1511),
Catherine (1479-1527),
Bridget (1480-1517).
The king was a great hunter of women and, in addition to his official wife, he was secretly engaged to one or more women, which later allowed the royal council to declare his son Edward V illegitimate and, together with his other son, imprison him in the Tower.
Edward IV died unexpectedly on April 9, 1483.
Edward V (November 4, 1470 (14701104) -1483?) - King of England from April 9 to June 25, 1483, son of Edward IV; not crowned. Deposed by his uncle the Duke of Gloucester, who declared the king and his younger brother Duke Richard of York illegitimate children, and himself became King Richard III. 12-year-old and 10-year-old boys were imprisoned in the Tower, further fate their exactness is unknown. The most common point of view is that they were killed on the orders of Richard (this version was official under the Tudors), however, various researchers accuse many other figures of that time, including Richard's successor Henry VII, of the murder of the princes.
Richard III (Eng. Richard III) (October 2, 1452, Fotheringay - August 22, 1485, Bosworth) - King of England c 1483, from the York dynasty, the last representative of the male Plantagenet line on the English throne. Brother of Edward IV. He took the throne, removing the minor Edward V. At the Battle of Bosworth (1485) he was defeated and killed. One of only two kings of England to die in battle (after Harold II, who was killed at Hastings in 1066).
Henry VII (Eng. Henry VII; )