Henry VIII’s wives in rhyme

While Henry’s six marriages reflect his persistent desire for a male successor and
his focus on creating and maintaining important political alliances.

However, it can make it difficult to remember the fate of each of Henry’s wives.
This famous rhyme tells of the outcome of the six wives of Henry VIII:

King Henry VIII,

To six wives was wedded.
One died, one survived,
Two divorced and two beheaded

Another popular mnemonic device is:

Divorced, beheaded, died;

Divorced, beheaded, survived

This is respectively:
Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour
Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Katherine Parr.

Henry VIII's six wives

Catherine of Aragon, British School, sixteenth century, Royal Collection
Catherine of Aragon, British School, sixteenth century, Royal Collection | Hampton
Court Palace
Katherine of Aragon
1485 - 1536
Married: 1509 - 1533 (Annulled)
Surviving Children: Mary I

Henry VIII’s longest marriage was to Katherine of Aragon, daughter of King

Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. Eight years before her marriage to Henry in
1509, Katherine was married to Henry’s elder brother, Arthur, who died of sickness
at just 15 years old.

Together, Henry and Katherine had a daughter, Mary Tudor, who was born at Greenwich
Palace, but Henry wanted a son. Frustrated at Katherine’s perceived inability to
produce a male heir and now in love with one of Katherine’s ladies-in-waiting,
Henry declared their marriage nullified in 1533.

Henry claimed that since his wife had previously married his brother, the marriage
was invalid. Katherine vigorously contested this charge, explaining that the
marriage was never consummated. When the Pope refused the annulment, Henry VIII
officially started his own church, the Church of England.

Portrait of Anne Boleyn | oil on panel, late 16th century | Primary Collection,
National Portrait Gallery, London
Portrait of Anne Boleyn | oil on panel, late 16th century | Primary Collection,
National Portrait Gallery, London
Anne Boleyn
c. 1500 - 1536
Married: 1533 - 1536 (Beheaded)
Surviving Children: Elizabeth I

Anne Boleyn became the subject of Henry’s affections after he had an affair with
her sister Mary. While still legally married to Katherine, Henry began showing his
esteem for Anne, openly honouring her in his court and granting her the title of
Marchioness of Pembroke in September 1532.
Anne steadfastly refused the King’s advances until she received a marriage
proposal, with the couple marrying in secret in early 1533. By this time, Anne was
pregnant with her first child. In June 1533 she was crowned Queen of England and
they had a daughter: the future Elizabeth I.

Despite at least two miscarriages following the birth of Elizabeth at Greenwich,

Anne remained in a position of relative power. Henry, however, had a naturally
jealous and suspicious character, and was persuaded by an advisor that Anne was
unfaithful. Indeed, it was from the jousting grounds at Greenwich that the command
came to imprison the queen. Following accusations of numerous crimes based on
little evidence, Anne was arrested and beheaded.