Baby Henry

Young Henry

Catherine of Aragon

Henry given permission from Pope to marry his brother’s widow

Catherine failed to produce a male heir, only had one surviving child – Mary I

Henry wanted a divorce, but Pope Clement VII wouldn’t invalidate the marriage

Henry tried to get Church to do what he wanted, and appointed Sir Thomas More as English Cardinal

More wouldn’t support the divorce

Henry proceeded to dissolve his ties to the Pope

ENGLISH REFORMATION – Henry VIII took control of the English clergy and had himself appointed the head of the Church of England

He divorced Catherine and married his lover Anne Boleyn

The Act of Annantes

1532Stopped all payment

to the Catholic Church

The Act of Appeals

1533Ended Rome’s

Religious hold on England

The Act of Supremacy

1534Made Henry VIII the head of the Church

of England

ExecutionsAny subject who

wouldn’t denounce the Catholic Church

ANNE BOLEYN

Only had 1 surviving child – a daughter, Elizabeth I

Henry upset at not having a son, accused Anne of incest and adultery

Anne was brought to the Tower of London and executed

Legend had it she had a sixth finger and a large mole or goiter on her neck

Anne’s sister Mary had been one of Henry’s earlier mistresses

Just prior to her execution, Anne’s marriage to Henry was dissolved and considered invalid

JANE SEYMOUR

First came to the court in the service of Queen Catherine, later she waited on Anne Boleyn as she rose to Queen

Henry felt she was his first “true wife”

She died 2 weeks after giving birth to Henry’s only legitimate son – Edward

Only one of the 6 wives buried with him.

ANNE OF CLEVES

Henry was single for 2 years after Jane died

Henry wanted a marriage for political reasons, to form an Alliance between English Protestants and German Protestants

Hired a painter to find him a potential ally and paint the women who could make it possible – He chose Anne of Cleves

She was so unattractive however, Henry divorced her – he called her “Flanders Mare”

The Painting by Hans Holbein the Younger. It was on the basis of this portrait that Henry VIII chose her to be his fourth Queen.

Recent x-rays have revealed a longer nose under the top layer of paint, of this portrait of Anne, painted by Barthel Bruyn the Elder of Germany

KATHRYN HOWARD (cousin of Anne Boleyn)

Married her only 16 days after his divorce to Anne – he was 49, she was 19

They were ill-matched, he was gaining a lot of weight, and had an ulcerated leg – she was his “rose without a thorn”

Executed because he believed she had relations with another man before their marriage, which continued after their marriage

There is no known portrait that has ever been positively identified as Kathryn Howard. This miniature was identified as Kathryn in the 1840s, but has never been confirmed.

They think its Kathryn, based on the necklace, which belonged to Jane Seymour. It would have been part of the “Queen’s Jewels.”

KATHERINE PARR

Widowed twice before marrying Henry

Became a stabilizing mother figure in home – to Mary, Elizabeth and Edward

She outlived Henry – who died January 28, 1547

She married Jane Seymour’s bother Thomas after Henry’s death