Henry VIII, the boisterous, passionate and ruthless, Tudor King of England, is best known for his six wives.

Children in classrooms chant the cute "Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived" when they learn about the Tudor king.

Among miscarriages, conspiracies, betrayals and Henry's desperation for a male heir, each of these women left her own stamp not only in the King's life but also in the country's history.

We are looking at their stories one by one - and their eventual fates.

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1. Catherine of Aragon (1485–1536)

The daughter of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, Catherine, was actually intended for Henry's eldest brother, Arthur. She was engaged to him when she was three years old and shipped to England to marry the future heir at the age of 15.

The marriage was a powerful alliance but, just six months later, Arthur died. Henry VII, who was not keen on returning the 200,000 ducat dowry, half of which he had not yet received, initially considered marrying Catherine himself.

She was eventually given to his second son - and new heir - Henry VIII, who was 5 years younger. Henry and Catherine married in 1509, just after his ascension to the throne aged 18.

The union seems to have been a happy one - initially. The couple had a shared passion for learning, religion and court entertainment. Henry even wrote that "the love he bears to Catherine is such, that if he were still free he would choose her in preference to all others."

Portrait of Catherine of Aragon, with her pet monkey

Henry appointed Catherine regent to campaign in France between 1512–14. When the Scots invaded in 1513, Catherine, despite being heavily pregnant, rode north in full armour and gave a fine speech to the English troops, who then won the battle.

But by 1518, of Catherine's multiple pregnancies, only one child had survived - a girl. Henry started believing that God was punishing him for marrying his brother's widow and that Catherine's and Arthur's union had been consummated, despite her refusing it. He also got infatuated with another woman in the court: Anne Boleyn.

When the Pope refused to end the marriage, Henry took an enormous decision: he rejected papal authority and separated the Church of England from Rome. The Archbishop of Canterbury confirmed the annulment and Anne was crowned in 1533 in a magnificent coronation.

Until the end of her life, Catherine insisted she was Henry's only lawful wife and England's only rightful queen, and much of the public sympathised with her. She died at Kimbolton Castle in 1536, amid rumours that she was poisoned by Henry or Anne.

2. Anne Boleyn (c1501–1536)

Quick-witted Anne Boleyn returned to England in 1522, after her seven years tenure at the French court. Her charm, style and sophistication set her apart from the other ladies at court and ultimately Henry set his eyes on her in 1526.

She was a skilful player at the game of courtly love, and love-stricken Henry was experienced, too.

Anne kept resisting Henry's pursuit, but she agreed to marry him when he proposed.

Henry was a true romantic in his seven-year courtship with her. His sappy love letters are specimens of true Tudor romance.

Circa 1530, Queen Anne Boleyn (1507 - 1536), second wife of Henry VIII

At some point in 1532, Anne succumbed to his advances, and she got pregnant, which made the King impatient to end his marriage with Catherine. After the annulment, Henry was overjoyed: He was convinced the baby was a boy - after all, astrologers and physicians said so. But Anne gave birth to a girl, who was named Elisabeth.

Despite his devastation, Henry remained devoted to Anne, who had at least two miscarriages since then. Their relationship was described as “a tumultuous relationship of sunshine and storms”.

Anne was intelligent and had political acumen, but her manners were deemed too forward for a queen. She and Henry shared their love for extravagant pleasures. She spent lavish amounts of money on gowns, jewels, ostrich-feather fans and other material luxuries. She was not popular with the public, and some blamed her for the King's tyranny.

Eventually, she fell victim to court gossip and intrigue and was found guilty of adultery, incest and conspiring the King’s death. She was beheaded at the hands of a French executioner, in a turning point in Henry’s life and reign.

3. Jane Seymour (c1508–1537)

Henry had already found Anne's replacement, and within 24 hours of her gruesome death, he and Jane Seymour were betrothed.

The 27-year-old was Anne's lady-in-waiting and her polar opposite. She was demure and gentle and lacked Anne’s education and sophistication. She is said however to have possessed a quiet determination and been able to manage temperamental Henry.

Jane, described by the King as his “one true wife”, gave him his long-awaited male heir in 1537, with the birth of Edward VI. Unfortunately, following the birth Jane contracted puerperal fever and died 12 days later, leaving Henry shattered. The boy also died years later, aged 15, without ever becoming king.

4. Anne of Cleves (1515–1557)

Henry remained single for two years after Jane’s death, until a fourth marriage was arranged with a German Protestant princess. The union's purpose was a political alliance, as England had become vulnerable without the support of Rome.

Henry was sent a portrait of Anne of Cleves by court painter Hans Holbein, to get acquainted with his future bride. But when he met the woman he was disappointed by what he perceived as a big chasm between depiction and reality.

Their meeting was a disaster. Henry followed the chivalric tradition and met her betrothed in disguise, with Anne expected to see through the disguise and recognise her beloved. But unsuspecting Anne, when she was surprised by a group of masked men, led by a tall burly middle-aged man who tried to kiss her, recoiled and pushed him back.

After this embarrassing start, the marriage lasted just six months – Henry was allegedly unable to consummate the union.

But Anne's story isn't a bad one.

Because she didn’t make a fuss about the marriage being annulled, she was rewarded with a generous allowance and property in Kent. Anne was even invited to Hampton Court for Christmas, where on one occasion she danced with the new queen, Catherine Howard.

She lived to see the coronation of Queen Mary I, outliving the rest of Henry's wives.

5. Catherine Howard (c1524–1542)

Now nearly 50, obese and with ulcerated legs, Henry had fallen in love again, with another lady-in-waiting: 19-year-old Catherine Howard.


Henry was besotted with her, calling her his ‘Rose without a Thorn’. It is not known how Catherine felt about being married to him. However, she is said to have accepted her lot with good grace.

Unfortunately for her, it appears that after the marriage she made the mistake of resuming her relationship with a former lover. After just seventeen months of marriage to the King, she was arrested for adultery and was executed for treason in 1542. Henry was inconsolable.

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6. Katherine Parr (1512–1548)

After Catherine’s death slumped deep into depression, and his explosive temper was feared in the court. Feeling lonely, he married twice-widowed 31-year old Katherine Parr.

Katherine had a deep love of learning and passion for religious reform - narrowly avoiding becoming a third executioned wife, this time for "heresy".

She proved she could speak intelligently with visiting ambassadors and scholars, developed relationships with the three royal children and became an effective nurse to the ailing King.

When Henry departed on yet another invasion of France, he named her regent, a role that as we saw he gave to only one other of his wives, Catherine of Aragon.

Katherine outlived Henry, but she wasn’t at the King’s side when he died in 1547, safe in the knowledge he had secured the continuation of the Tudor dynasty with Edward VI.

Little did he know that the course of British history would be changed by his daughters, Mary and Elizabeth.