How many wives did Henry 8 Tudor have? Wives of Henry VIII

Story about six wives of Henry VIII worries directors, writers and just society almost 500 years later.

“It was the time of giants. We are all dwarfs compared to those people” (A. Dumas “Twenty Years Later”)

In June 1520, a meeting between the English and French kings took place near the port of Calais. The place of this meeting later received the name “Field of the Cloth of Gold.” But more on that later.

By the beginning of the 20s of the 16th century. Europe was simultaneously ruled by 3 strong and ambitious monarchs. They were approximately the same age and ascended to the throne at approximately the same time. They were the kings of England ( Henry VIII), France (Francis I) and Spain (Charles I), also known as the Holy Roman Emperor under the name Charles V. They inherited strong, centralized states, the unification of which was completed literally a couple of decades before their reign, with strong royal power and subordinate feudal lords .

This happened in France first. Louis XI, the first king to reign after the end of the Hundred Years' War, in just over 20 years of his reign transformed a virtually destroyed country, divided by large feudal lords into spheres of influence, into the strongest state in Europe at that time with almost absolute power of the monarch. The Estates General (Parliament) was assembled only once during his reign. The process of unification of France was completed by 1483. Francis I was Louis's great-nephew.

In England, this was facilitated by Henry VIII's father, Henry VII. He seized the throne, overthrew Richard III, married his niece, and ended the Wars of the Roses. The date of accession to the throne of Henry VII is 1485.

And finally, the Reconquista ended in Spain, which led to the reconquest of Spanish lands from the Moors and their subsequent unification under the rule of the crown. This happened during the reign of Charles V's grandparents - the Catholic Kings Ferdinand II and Isabella I. 1492.

If the beginning of the Middle Ages has an exact date down to a specific day - August 23, 476 - then the date of their end is much more controversial. Some believe that this is the English Revolution (1640), others - the day of the storming of the Bastille (1789), there are also dates for the fall of Constantinople (1453), the discovery of America (1492), the beginning of the Reformation (1517) , Battle of Pavia (1525), where firearms were first widely used. If we take the last 2 dates as a starting point, it turns out that Henry VIII, Francis I and Charles V are, among other things, the first monarchs of the New Age.

Charles V (I) was the youngest of the three kings. In 1520 he was 20 years old. At 16, he inherited the throne of Spain after the death of his grandfather Ferdinand. At 19 - the throne of the Roman Empire after the death of his second grandfather Maximilian I. Charles's father died very young, and his mother, Juana the Mad, was unable to rule. Karl's origin was the most "noble". His maternal grandparents were the Spanish kings Ferdinand and Isabella. On her father's side - Emperor Maximilian and the ruler of Burgundy, Maria, the only daughter of the last Duke of Burgundy, Charles the Bold. Charles inherited all these lands, receiving the unspoken title “Master of the Universe,” on whose empire the sun never set.

Henry VIII was the eldest. He was 29. At 18 he ascended the throne. On his mother's side, Henry was a descendant of ancient English kings from the Plantagenet dynasty. My father's origins were less noble. Here his ancestors were the Tudors and the Beauforts. Both families came from illegal marriages of their founders and were themselves considered illegitimate for a long time.

Francis I was 26. At 21 he became King of France. His background was the “worst” of all. He was the son of the Duke of Angoulême. He was the nephew of his predecessor Louis XII and the great-nephew of Louis XI. Francis ascended the throne only because there were no other male heirs. To secure his rights, he had to marry the daughter of Louis XII, Claude of France. However, Francis was a strong and charismatic personality. In addition, behind him stood his domineering mother Louise of Savoy and no less charismatic sister Margarita. These women supported the king in everything, and later, together with Charles V’s aunt Margaret of Austria, they concluded the so-called. Ladies' world (Paix des Dames). So it was a time of giants not only among men.

Throughout subsequent history in Europe there was a constant struggle for influence between the Habsburgs in Spain and the Valois and Bourbons in France. England stood a little to the side, but was considered by both as a possible ally. For this purpose, in June 1520, a meeting was organized between Henry and Francis. The latter was at war with Charles and sought support in England. Henry, in turn, had already met with Karl and - moreover - was married to his aunt Catherine of Aragon (which never really prevented him from conflicting with Karl).

The “Field of Cloth of Gold” got its name for the disproportionate luxury of the retinues of both monarchs, each of whom tried to look as rich as possible. The tents in the camp were made of gold and silver fabric. Henry's tent occupied an area of ​​10 thousand square meters. A wine fountain was installed in the camp, and tournaments were constantly held. In general, classic - who has it richer.

Henry, by the way, was terribly nervous, and a few weeks before the meeting he was constantly tormented by the question of whether he should go with a beard or vice versa, which would be more respectable and impressive. As a result, the queen advised him to go with a beard, Henry later regretted it.

However, the entire external gloss remained the same. The consequences of the meeting were minimal. Especially after Francis put Henry on his back in hand-to-hand combat at the tournament. The latter did not forgive the humiliation. After 2 years, Henry entered into an alliance with Charles and began a war with France.

In the same 1522, English nobles returned from France, among whom was the Queen’s 15-year-old maid of honor Claude Anna Boleyn - the second of six wives of Henry VIII.

Henry VIII was born on June 28, 1491 in Greenwich. He was the third child and second son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. His elder brother Arthur was considered the heir to the throne. It was no coincidence that Henry VII gave this name to his eldest son. Traditional royal names were Edward, Henry, and Richard. The latter, for obvious reasons, was not in honor among the Tudors - even distant royal relatives did not have sons with that name (God forbid, they would be accused of secret sympathy for the Yorks). Since the not very noble Henry VII had complexes all his life about his origins and the legitimacy of his rise to power, he tried by any means to emphasize the greatness of the new dynasty. Therefore, the eldest son and heir was named neither more nor less in honor of the legendary Arthur. He gave his second son the traditional name Henry.

Henry VIII's parents Henry VII and Elizabeth of York:

Arthur received the best education for that time, his parents had high hopes for him and purposefully prepared him for royal duties. Prince Henry was also well educated, but he received much less attention. Meanwhile, the difference between the brothers was significant. Arthur grew up as a fragile, sickly child. There is even a version that due to poor health he was never able to enter into a relationship with his wife Catherine. Henry, on the contrary, was distinguished by amazing health, was very strong and physically developed. Arthur's death in 1502 at the age of 15 left Henry VII in deep shock. The younger prince began to be urgently trained in the ability to rule the kingdom. At the same time, his parents decided to have more sons - this was extremely necessary, because... The Tudors had no more contenders, and the Yorks were left with plenty of representatives. But Queen Elizabeth died in childbirth along with her newborn daughter. Another 6 years later the king died. Henry VIII ascended the throne at the age of 18. At that time he had a beautiful appearance (not like in later years). He was athletically developed, tall and fair-haired, was well educated (thanks to the timely care of his parents), intelligent and had a cheerful disposition, although with periodic bouts of anger, he loved hunting and other entertainment. English humanists, among whom was Thomas More, had high hopes for Henry and called him the “Golden Prince of the Renaissance.” In those years, no one could have imagined in him a future tyrant and cruel killer.

The reign of Henry VIII was almost 40 years, the entire first half of the 16th century.

Still from the film " Henry VIII and his six wives“.It is clear that the actor is 2 times older, but, unfortunately, there are no portraits of Henry in his youth and youth to see what he was like before he became monstrously obese and sick. In addition, pay attention - in this frame Henry is still dressed in the fashion of the Italian Renaissance - this is the very beginning of the 16th century. — 1510s.

And this is already the 1520s. Fashion has changed, and is inspired by the costumes of the Landsknechts, the German mercenaries who became very popular after the Battle of Pavia.

The undershirt that comes out in the slits of the sleeves, the slits and puffs - everything is taken from the clothes of the Landsknechts. Many Englishmen, including Henry, were fascinated by this fashion. Landsknechts are the “glamorous scum” of the Renaissance. Their life was spent in wars and campaigns and was very short, so they tried to decorate themselves as brightly (and pretentiously) as possible during their lifetime. Well, initially, the predecessors of these trendy cuts were ordinary rags, into which the clothes of mercenaries turned into during strikes with swords or spears.

This fashion turned out to be very tenacious. Even later, when the English costume underwent changes under the influence of French and then Spanish fashion, elements of the mercenary costume remained in the clothes of Henry VIII and his son - for example, the slightly elongated “skirt” of the doublets was a reminder of the armor of the Landsknechts.

Although Henry ruled independently from the age of 18, his wife Catherine of Aragon, the widow of his brother Arthur, had a significant influence on foreign policy. Later, when her influence began to fade, Cardinal Wolsey took up the matter. This lasted approximately 15 years.

To be continued…

I was lucky enough to visit the city of Peterborough (Great Britain, Cambridgeshire) more than once. In the center of the city is the majestic building of the Cathedral of Saints Peter, Paul and Andrew (the temple was built over 120 years, starting in the 12th century) with rose windows, like in the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. Inside the Cathedral there are massive columns, titanic stoves are heated in winter, a beautiful organ at the top, a carved wooden priest’s pulpit, memorial plaques on the walls and floor, on the stele the names of all the priests who served in it, starting with those who served before the construction of the temple.
Of historical interest is the tomb of Henry VIII's first wife, Catherine of Aragon, on the left side of the Cathedral. On the memorial slab (burial site) I have seen flowers more than once (these are exquisite bouquets created by glorists, or just a bouquet of white asters, a Christmas card, or a ripe pomegranate fruit - a royal symbol - probably brought from Spain. They keep the memory). Of the six wives of Henry VIII - he divorced two of them, and executed two on charges of treason - Catherine of Aragon was the only one of royal blood: the daughter of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile.

An exhibition stand telling about the history of England and the Cathedral (apparently permanent: two years ago it was in the same place), a portrait of Henry VIII - a strong figure in a royal suit with regalia, a face widening downwards, a portrait of his first wife Catherine of Aragon - cute a woman's face, quite strong-willed, with a straight parting of her hair, hidden under a light brown cap; eyes downcast. Brown dress, matching decoration - beads on the neck.

Catherine of Aragon

She was the youngest daughter of the founders of the Spanish state, King Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile, the first wife of King Henry VIII of England.

Sixteen-year-old Catherine of Aragon arrived in England in 1501 and was to become the wife of Crown Prince Arthur, the son of King Henry VII. The king wanted to protect himself from France and raise the authority of England among European states.
Arthur was only 14 years old at the time of his marriage. He was a sickly, consumptive young man. And a year after the wedding, he died without leaving an heir: he never entered into an intimate relationship with his young wife.
Catherine remained in England as a young widow, and in fact as a hostage, because by that time her father had not yet managed to pay her dowry in full, and besides, it seemed that he had no intention of paying. She lived in such uncertainty for the next eight years.
She saw salvation in renunciation of worldly vanity and turning to God (she, in addition to the title of dowager princess, had a small allowance and a retinue consisting exclusively of Spanish nobles who came with her). Catherine was a burden to both King Henry VII of England and her father, King Ferdinand. Her mother, the brave Queen Isabella, died.
By the age of twenty, Catherine indulged in severe asceticism: constant fasting and masses. One of the courtiers, fearing for her life, wrote to the Pope. And an order immediately came from him: stop self-torture, since it could be life-threatening.
Henry's marriage to Catherine, who was six years older than the groom, was facilitated by state considerations. Negotiations about their marriage began during the life of Henry VII and continued after his death.

Catherine became Queen of England two months after Henry VIII's accession to the throne. However, before the wedding, Henry had to obtain permission from the Pope, Julius. Church law prohibited such marriages, but the Pope gave the English king special permission, largely because Catherine and Arthur never actually became husband and wife.
Henry and Catherine had many common interests.
Catherine received an excellent education, knew Greek and Latin, and knew how to conduct a conversation. Her interlocutors were Erasmus of Rotterdam* and Thomas More.** She had a subtle artistic taste. Henry paid tribute to his wife and was her knight in tournaments. But time (more than two decades of living with my wife) took its toll. The king glanced at the queen's young ladies-in-waiting.

* Erasmus of Rotterdam (1666 or 1667–1536) - humanist, writer and theologian of the Northern Renaissance. Born near Rotterdam in what is now the Netherlands. Traveled to England and became friends with Thomas More. He taught Greek at Cambridge.

** Thomas More (1478-1535) - English lawyer, philosopher, humanist writer. Author of the book "Utopia" (1516). Lord Chancellor of England (1529-1532). Refused to recognize Henry VIII as head of the Church of England and considered his divorce from Catherine of Aragon invalid. Conflict with the king. In 1535 he was executed according to the Act of Treason. In 1935
Canonized as a saint of the Catholic Church.

Due to Catherine's lack of surviving sons (only her daughter, Princess Mary, survived), Henry insisted on a divorce after 24 years of marriage (more precisely, an annulment in order to marry Anne Boleyn). The Catholic Church did not grant divorce.
In May 1533, Henry married Lady Anne Boleyn without receiving the consent of the Pope. It was decided that from this moment on, the Pope's authority would not extend to England. Henry announced a break with the Roman Catholic Church and the beginning of the Reformation in England. He declared himself the head of the Church, and his marriage with Catherine was invalid.

The people loved Queen Catherine: when Henry decided to fight the French, he longed for the glory of an outstanding military leader; he left Catherine as regent. At this time, taking advantage of the king's absence, the Scottish lords under the leadership of James IV invaded England. The Queen personally developed much of the defense plan. On September 9, 1513, the Scots were defeated on the hills near Flodden, and King James himself was killed. Catherine was proud of this victory.
Catherine did not recognize the king's marriage to Anne Boleyn. She continued to call herself queen and responded to all threats that she was the legal wife of the king of England.
Catherine spent another two years in obscurity; she was not allowed to see her daughter. However, despite all the troubles, there was still a place in her heart for love for her husband. She wrote to the Pope, begging him not to forget about Henry and Mary.

Catherine flatly refused to go to the monastery. She lived in a small room, the windows of which overlooked the fortress moat filled with stagnant water and the neglected Kimbolton hunting park. Her retinue consisted of three ladies-in-waiting, half a dozen maids and several devoted Spaniards who looked after the household. Catherine fell ill, as it later became known, incurably.

At the beginning of 1536, Catherine felt that she was dying. She managed to dictate a will, according to which she left all the money she had to her close associates. Daughters (Henry VIII’s eldest daughter from his marriage to Catherine of Aragon - Mary I Tudor (1516-1558) - Queen of England from 1553. Also known as Bloody Mary (or Bloody Mary), Mary the Catholic. Not a single monument was erected to this queen in her homeland) . Catherine bequeathed her furs and a gold necklace, which was part of her dowry, brought from Spain. She also wrote a farewell letter to Henry. In it, she asked him not to forget his daughter, reminded him of her rightful title and said that she still loved him.

Henry VIII was married six times.
His wives, each of whom stood behind a certain political or religious group, sometimes forced him to make changes in their political or religious views.

Ann Bolein

In 1524, in the retinue of Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII noticed the dark-eyed Lady Anne Boleyn with a refined face and almond-shaped brown eyes. Opinions about her beauty differ: at that time, preference was given to blond and blue-eyed girls - Anna was dark-skinned and dark-haired, but she was distinguished by her eloquence and courtesy. In modern terms, it was positive! Anne's father, Thomas Boleyn, was a gifted diplomat, spoke several foreign languages, thanks to this he enjoyed the favor of the king. For some time he was ambassador to France. He organized a trip for his daughters to Paris, where they learned the French language and refined manners.

Anna aroused the king's passion, showed character, and did not want to be another favorite. In a word, an obstacle arose in the way of the king’s desire, which only intensified his feeling. She told the king: “I cannot be your wife both because I am unworthy and because you already have a queen. I will never become your mistress...” Heinrich convinced her that the divorce from his wife would take place, and Anna became the official favorite, that is, in addition to intimate relationships, she could interfere in political issues. She was given luxurious chambers and her own courtyard. Anna's sharp tongue turned many courtiers against her. They envied her and were dissatisfied with the fact that she brought a clan of relatives with her, and even interferes in politics, creating a party of her adherents: Thomas Cromwell*, Thomas Cranmer**...

* Thomas Cromwell (1485-1540) - English statesman, first adviser to Henry VIII. The main ideologist of the English Reformation.
** Thomas Cranmer (1489 – 1556) - Archbishop of Canterbury, one of the fathers of the English Reformation.

Her engagement to her former fiancé was called off and preparations began for a new wedding. In order to marry Anna, the king divorced his first wife, not fearing the curse of the Pope. After Pope Clement VII refused to recognize the illegal marriage of Henry VIII with Catherine of Aragon (in order to marry Anne Boleyn), the English monarch broke with the Vatican, abandoned the Catholic Church and created the Anglican Church, independent of Rome. And the British monarch himself began to bear the Title of Supreme Ruler of the Church of England.

In 1533, Henry married Anne Boleyn. From this marriage a girl was born. She was named Elizabeth (future Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland). The king was expecting a son and was disappointed; his daughter Maria was already growing up. Elizabeth was sent to Hatfield House Palace near London. Parents rarely visited their daughter.
Elizabeth was not even three years old when her mother was beheaded.
The king's love for Anne Boleyn lasted only two years.

In his wife's retinue, Henry meets a new object of adoration - Jane Cymour. Possessing her becomes his goal. Anna does not give a divorce. Apparently, Henry guessed that the church would not forgive him for his second divorce. Apart from divorce, only her death could free him from his former wife. The king finds a way to gain freedom. If you don’t disperse, then “remove.” The most convenient excuse is adultery. And “well-wishers”, always ready to help their beloved king, begin to look for “evidence”. At one of the balls, the queen drops her glove. She is picked up and returned to her owner by Henry Noris, who is in love with her. The "Watching Eye" took note of this. Ease of communication with his brother, Lord Rochefort, provides a pretext for charges of incest. Several other nobles have been spotted in love with the queen. One of them, Smithox, promised to testify about adultery for a “moderate fee.”

To execute his wife, Henry called an executioner from France (the French invented the guillotine - a device for quickly and painlessly cutting off a head). On May 15, 1536, the executioner cut off Anna's head not with an ax, but with a sharp and long sword, the first time. Her daughter Elizabeth was deprived of the right to inherit the throne.
Subsequently, the king recalled Anne Boleyn, not without regret.

A love letter from Henry VIII to his future second wife Anne Boleyn, in French, probably dated January 1528, has recently been published.
The letter has been kept in the Vatican for five centuries and will be exhibited for the first time at the British Library in London.

“From now on, my heart will belong only to you.”
“The expression of your affection for me is so strong, and the beautiful words of your message are so heartfelt, that I am simply obliged to respect, love and serve you forever,” the king writes. “For my part, I am ready, if possible, to surpass you in loyalty and desire please you."
The letter ends with the signature: “G. loves A.B.” And
the initials of your beloved enclosed in a heart.

Anne Boleyn was executed in May 1536 in the Tower (the towers of the fortress were a state prison), where she was kept. After the execution, her body was hastily buried in St. Peter's Chapel in the Tower. But the soul of the unfortunate queen did not calm down. Since then, she is said to appear regularly for several centuries at regular intervals, sometimes at the head of a procession heading to St. Peter's Chapel, sometimes alone in different places in the old fortress: at the place where the execution took place...

Jane Cymour

In September 1535, while traveling around the country, the king and queen stopped at Wulfhall, the Seymours' ancestral property. It was there that Henry first paid close attention to the owner's daughter, Lady Jane Seymour. She was the complete opposite of Anna, both in appearance and in character: blond, pale, calm and modest girl. If everyone compared Anna to a witch: she was thin, dark-haired and dark-eyed, and in addition, impudent and willful, then Jane was more like a bright angel, the embodiment of peace and humility.

Jane received only enough education to be able to read and write. The main emphasis in the education of girls from noble families in the 16th century was on traditional women's activities, such as needlework and housekeeping.

She first appeared at court in the mid-1520s, becoming a maid of honor to Catherine of Aragon. Her elder brother, Edward Seymour, had by that time already achieved some success in his career as a courtier: as a child, he served as a page in the retinue of the “French Queen” Mary Tudor, and upon returning to England, he held various positions under the king and Cardinal Wolsey.

Following the annulment of her marriage to Catherine and Henry's marriage to Anne Boleyn in 1533, Jane and her sister Elizabeth moved into the new queen's staff.
Lady Jane's brothers, Thomas and Edward, on the contrary, were raised at the king's court from childhood (they were pages), and subsequently occupied various lucrative positions. Therefore, it was not surprising that their sister Jane was accepted into the staff of ladies-in-waiting of Queen Catherine of Aragon.
When Anne Boleyn became queen, Lady Jane became her "disposal".
At Christmas 1533, the king gave gifts to several ladies-in-waiting. Among those noted was Lady Seymour.

After Anne Boleyn “upset” the king: instead of the desired son, she gave birth to a girl (the future Elizabeth I), relations between Henry and the queen began to deteriorate noticeably. Moreover, Anna was ambitious, intolerant and hot-tempered, and made many enemies at court. The Queen gradually alienated Henry from herself. Two years passed in family scandals, stormy showdowns and vain anticipation of the queen's next pregnancy.

It was at this time, in 1535, that the king became interested in the modest maid of honor Jane Seymour. She was the complete opposite of Anna: blond, pale, very quiet and agreed with everyone on everything. If Anna was compared to a witch, and even a witch - she was thin, dark-haired and dark-eyed, then Jane was much more like a bright angel. And eleven days after the execution of Anne Boleyn, Lord Henry
marries Jane Cymour. The royal wedding of 1536 was extremely modest. In the spring of 1537, Jane informed Henry of her pregnancy. The king surrounded his wife with unprecedented care and fulfilled all her demands and whims.

The heir was born healthy, handsome and similar to both spouses. But Jane was not destined to rejoice...
The young queen suffered in labor for two days. It was necessary to choose - mother or child. The doctors, knowing the explosive nature of the sovereign, were even afraid to mention it. “Save the child. I can get as many women as I want,” was the decisive and calm answer.
Jane died of childbed fever. According to Henry VIII, Jane Seymour was his most beloved wife. Before his death, he bequeathed to bury himself next to her.

Anna Klevskaya

The fourth wife of Henry VIII was Anna of Cleves, daughter of the Duke of Cleves - Johann III and Maria von Geldern - a German princess. She was born in 1515 in Dusseldorf (Germany).
Henry meets Princess Anne of Cleves through a portrait painted by the great artist Holbein. The portrait made an excellent impression on 48-year-old Heinrich. He was not embarrassed by the fact that his chosen one was engaged for a short time to the Duke of Lorraine - according to English laws, the new marriage could not be considered legitimate.

The marriage contract was signed on September 24, 1539, and the first meeting of Henry and Anne took place on January 1, 1540. The king, romantic by nature, arrived incognito at the castle, where his future wife arrived to surprise her. The picky women knew how to react... Anna did not understand that there was a king in front of her. A simple girl who led a secluded life.
She stood alone by the window. Here's the time: I didn't know what the king was like, I didn't ask and no one told me. Anna did not know English, only German. Anna failed the test. Heinrich saw her fat and ugly. Decided that the marriage contract was a deception of Thomas Cromwell.

“After thirty, he was a giant among men, a king through and through. His favorite pastime was to walk around wearing a mask among people and play a cute game of “Guess”, although there was not a person who did not recognize him at first sight. But everyone had to ask:

Who is this man? His posture is downright royal!

And when they began to wonder who it could be, Henry took off his mask and said:

Don't worry, my friends! It's me, your king!

And that was just one of the games he loved to play. "Victoria Holt The Sixth Wife."

The next day the king spoke to Thomas Cromel about his new wife:
- Where did you find this stuffed animal? Send her back immediately!

The king was angry with Cromwell (the Protestant party, led by the king’s favorite and first minister, Thomas Cromwell, had found the bride for the king).
“This is impossible, Your Majesty!” said Thomas Cromwell. “If you break the marriage contract, Europe may declare war on England.”

Anna of Cleves had neither a vivid imagination nor a genuine interest in the people around her, which may be why her manners seemed strange and rude, she suffered from tongue-tiedness.
The king could not find even a drop of sympathy for Anna. And he could not fulfill his marital duties.
Cromwell was soon accused of treason and executed. There were rumors that this was Henry’s way of taking revenge on his minister for choosing his wife.

Anna didn’t like Henry either, and besides, she had heard rumors about the death of Anne Boleyn back in Kleve.

* The city of Cleves is the capital of the county (11th-15th centuries), and then the Duchy of Cleves (15th-early 16th centuries). This is where Anna of Cleves was from.

Henry resigned himself, but he could not fulfill his marital duty. For six months, the Princess of Cleves lived in England - her husband did not deign her with his attention.
Anne was a kind stepmother to both Prince Edward and Princesses Betsy and Mary.

She settled into the English court: she fell in love with music and dancing, and got herself dogs and parrots.
The divorce of the spouses was surprisingly calm. Anna, having judged everything sensibly and sorted out all the pros and cons, gathered the Privy Council to give a response to the divorce proposal.

Henry kept Anna in his family - as a "sister". This was dictated by a number of circumstances: Anna of Cleves fell in love with the king’s children, a number of courtiers found her an extremely kind and pleasant woman. Henry did not want to come into conflict with Anna's brother, Duke of Berg-Julig-Cleves, who was one of the most influential rulers of Germany. And Anna herself sincerely fell in love with her new homeland.

Henry proclaimed Anne his "sister" and thus she remained the highest-born lady after the new queen and princesses Mary and Betsy. Anna received generous gifts from the king: the castles of Richmond and Hever, as well as a substantial annual income.

The correspondence between Heinrich and Anna suggests that the former spouses lived very amicably. The King always signed his messages "Loving Brother Henry".
The instigator of this marriage, Thomas Cromwell, was arrested and placed in the Tower. He lived only to testify in the divorce case. On June 28, 1540, he was executed on charges of treason and heresy.
Anne outlived both Henry VIII (and all his wives) and his son Edward VI. She did not remarry. Anna von Kleve died on July 16, 1557 in London.
She was buried in Westminster Abbey.

Catherine Howard

In 1540, Henry married 19-year-old Kate Howard. The wedding was modest.
After the wedding, Henry seemed to look 20 years younger - tournaments, balls and other entertainment, to which Henry remained indifferent after the execution of Anne Boleyn, resumed at court. He adored his young wife. She was incredibly kind, simple-minded, sincerely loved gifts and rejoiced at them like a child. Henry called Kate "a rose without thorns."

However, young Howard was extremely careless in her actions: Kate accepted all her “friends of her youth” to the court, and they knew too much about the queen’s life before her marriage. In addition, Kate resumed her relationship with Francis Dirham, whom she made her personal secretary.

Then another gentleman from a “past life” appeared at court - Thomas Kelpeper (Kate’s distant relative on her mother’s side, whom she once wanted to marry). The young woman had enemies at court (or rather, they were the enemies of her influential uncle Norfolk)...

The innocence of the young “rose” began to irritate the middle-aged king.
When Henry was informed that his naive Kate was not such a “rose” at all, he was simply confused. The king's reaction was quite unexpected: instead of the usual anger, there were tears and complaints. The meaning of the complaints boiled down to the fact that fate did not grant him a happy family life, and all his women either cheated, or died, or were simply disgusting.

In early February 1542, Lady Howard was transferred to the Tower, and two days later she was beheaded in front of a curious crowd. The young woman met her death in a state of deep shock: she had to be carried to the place of execution.

After the execution, Lady Kate's body was buried next to the remains of Anne Boleyn, another executed queen, who, by the way, was also a relative of the Howards.

Katerina Parr

There was little chance of finding a future wife. I decided not to go far.
Katherine Parr, daughter of a baronet, widow of the elderly Lord Edward Borough, became Henry's sixth wife. Young Kate Parr was only 14 or 15 years old when she was married in 1526 to an elderly, sixty-three-year-old lord. The couple's family life was quite happy. Moreover, Catherine managed to become a true friend for the children of Lord Boro, who were almost twice the age of their stepmother. However, in 1529 Lady Borough became a widow.

In 1530, the young widow received a new proposal for marriage. It came from John Neville, Lord Latimer, a widower. Having accepted this offer, Lady Catherine moved to her husband in Snape Castle. Here she again found herself in the role of a stepmother: Latimer had a daughter, Margaret, from his first marriage.
In the second half of the 1530s, the Latimers often visited the king's court, and Henry VIII was very friendly towards the couple.

After the execution of his fifth wife, Catherine Howard, Henry increasingly paid attention to the intelligent and friendly Lady Latimer. She was already thirty-one years old, which by the standards of the 16th century was not considered the age of youth, however, the king himself was far from young.
Lord Latimer was already seriously ill at that time and, alas, there was no hope for recovery. When he died, the king began to persistently court Lady Latimer.
Lady Latimer's first reaction to the king's offer to become his “comfort in old age” was fear. However, Henry did not abandon his intention to marry Catherine. Catherine turned to God for advice. The answer was yes. And ultimately she gave her consent.

On July 12, 1543, the wedding took place at the royal chapel at Hampton Court. The wedding took place in Windsor.
From the very first days of her life together with Henry, Catherine tried to create for him the conditions for a normal family life. Princess Elizabeth, daughter of the executed Anne Boleyn, enjoyed her special favor.

A strong friendship began between the stepmother and stepdaughter - they conducted active correspondence and often had philosophical conversations.
Smart and energetic, Catherine skillfully neutralizes the court intrigues weaving against her. Despite her husband’s increased suspicion, Katerina, throughout the four years of their marriage, gives him no reason to be dissatisfied.

However, the king's suspiciousness and suspiciousness began to acquire a threatening character. Catherine was, as they say, on the verge of death several times: the queen had influential enemies, and, ultimately, the king could believe them rather than his wife. The king decided to arrest Catherine several times, and each time he refused this step. The Queen was warned. The reason for the royal disfavor was Catherine's passion for the ideas of Martin Luther. Catherine renounced her beliefs. And although she lived with the thought of reform, she hid her ideas (how could she implement them if she were executed?!): she chose life.

In 1545-1546, King Henry's health deteriorated so much that he could no longer fully engage in solving state problems. The king, who at one time was called the most handsome prince of the Christian world, now suffered from obesity (his weight was over 170 kilograms) and gangrene of his leg. He couldn't climb the steps. On January 28, 1547, Henry VIII died at the age of 55. The king's last words were: “Monks! Monks! Monks!

Four months later, in May of that year, the Queen Dowager married Thomas Seymour. She gave birth to a girl and six days later the queen died. Outlived the king by a year and a half. Was a happy ending possible for the wife of Henry VIII?.. He made the history of England.

(1491-1547) was distinguished by an extremely cruel and unpredictable character. To this we can add that he loved women extremely and married many times. The wives of Henry VIII are a separate issue. There were 6 of them in total. The crown bearer lived the longest with his first wife. Her name was Catherine of Aragon(1485-1536). This was her second marriage. And in the first, she was married to Prince Arthur (the older brother of the English king), who died at a young age in 1502. In 1509, Catherine united herself by the bonds of Hymen with her younger brother, who ascended the throne.

This marriage continued until January 1533, but it did not bring happiness to either the husband or the wife. The couple had a girl in 1516, who was named Maria. There were 2 more children, but they died as babies. The king dreamed of an heir to continue the Tudor dynasty. But nothing worked out with the first wife. I had to part with her after so many years of family life. But the Catholic Church was categorically against divorce. As a result of this, the king declared the English Church independent, and gave himself a divorce.

Catherine of Aragon (left) and Anne Boleyn

Anne Boleyn became the second wife of the loving crowned prince in 1533.(1507-1536). This woman had a strong and strong-willed character. Her husband tried his best to please her. He even ordered the execution of those members of the nobility who opposed this marriage. In September 1533, Anna gave birth to a girl instead of the expected boy. The husband's disappointment knew no bounds. True, the girl was not easy, and the future Queen of England Elizabeth I, but who could have known about it at that time.

The second birth ended unsuccessfully: the child was stillborn. The crowned husband gradually began to cool towards his wife. And she organized lavish holidays and bought insanely expensive jewelry in the absence of her husband. In the end, the king got tired of all this. In May 1536, Anne Boleyn was accused of cheating on her husband, and the woman was brought to trial.

She was accused of witchcraft and incest. Allegedly, she was sexually active with her brother. To these accusations they also added a conspiracy against the king. But the most outrageous thing was the ridicule of the poems that the crowned husband composed in his leisure hours.

Anne Boleyn's execution

The court's decision was harsh and merciless. Anne Boleyn was sentenced to death. At that time, 2 types of deprivation of life were used in England. This is burning at the stake and beheading. The right to choose the method of death belonged to the king. He ordered that his unfaithful wife’s head be cut off, but not with an ax, as had always been the practice, but with a sword. The French executioners were good with the sword, but the British were not skilled in this matter. Therefore, I had to order a specialist from France.

The execution took place on May 19, 1536. The Queen wore a luxurious dress made of green silk, trimmed with red at the bottom. She hung a gold cross on her chest and pulled white gloves on her hands. She clutched the Bible to her chest, and so climbed onto the scaffold. In front of the scaffold, she took off her hat and knelt down. She was blindfolded with a white scarf. After this, the woman laid her head on the block, and the executioner waved his sword and cut off her head. The king, who observed all this, immediately ordered everyone to have fun.

Jane Seymour (left) and Anna of Cleves

Third wife was Jane Seymour(1508-1537). She gave birth to an heir to the throne, who was named Edward. But after giving birth, the woman fell ill with childbed fever and died.

The next wife was Anna Klevskaya(1515-1567). But the crown bearer married her not for love, but for political reasons. Anna was the sister of the Duke of Cleves. The lands under his command were part of the Holy Roman Empire. This marriage cemented the alliance of the German princes and the king of England.

Everything would be fine, but Henry VIII did not like the appearance of his new wife when she arrived in England. The wedding took place in January 1540, and already in June the newlyweds separated. The reason was the previous engagement of Anne of Cleves to the Duke of Lorraine. But the woman did not leave England. She remained as the “king’s sister.” Until her death, she remained at court and died only 10 years after the start of the reign of Elizabeth I.

The fifth wife was Catherine Howard(1521-1542). This was a very young lady with whom His Majesty fell passionately in love. The wedding took place in July 1540. After this, the king was transformed. It seemed that his youth had returned to him. Masquerades and balls began to be held at court. But the young wife found herself with a tarnished past. She had lovers before marriage and had no intention of living differently after marriage. Almost immediately after the wedding, the betrayals began. It soon became clear that the girl was engaged to one of her suitors.

When the king found out about all this, he became furious. The lovers were executed, and the unfaithful wife herself ended up on the scaffold on February 13, 1542. The poor thing was in a state of shock, so they practically carried her to the place of execution. The unfortunate woman's head was placed on the block, and the executioner, swinging an ax, separated it from the body. There was no fun after this execution. Everyone left in a depressed state.

Catherine Howard (left) and Catherine Parr

The last sixth wife was Catherine Parr(1512-1548). She married Henry in 1543. The far from young autocrat lived with her until his death in 1547. All these years he was seriously ill. But the wife did not give any reason for additional grief. This was her third husband. The women had extensive experience of family life, which excluded suspicion and betrayal.

Thus, it is clear that all the wives of Henry VIII were completely different women in character and appearance. All of them found themselves at the top of life, but some did not stand the test of success. Therefore, the end for these ladies turned out to be different. And taking into account the harsh morals of the 16th century, 2 of them ended their lives on the scaffold.

There are only two days when wives are dear to us: on the wedding day, and then on the day the body is removed.
Hippocrates

Exactly five hundred and nine years ago, on April 22, 1509, Henry VIII ascended to the English throne after the death of his father.

Henry was the second king of the Tudor dynasty, which came to power after the War of the Roses, during which the Yorks and Lancasters, with a tenacity worthy of better use, exterminated each other, and at the same time a fair part of the English people.

His father, Henry VII (yes, they were not particularly original in their names) overthrew the notorious Richard III (the murderer of his nephews, the children of King Edward IV, “A horse, a horse, half a kingdom for a horse!”) and received the throne. Being related to the Lancastrians, he married the daughter of Edward IV of the York dynasty, Elizabeth, and began to have children, one of whom would be Henry.

Projects, the economy, the fleet, taxes, paving roads, building fortresses, debits and credits - all this is insipid and dreary. Therefore, in history, Henry VIII remained primarily “Bluebeard”. It's no joke, six marriages, six women, six heads (some of them will fall off thin necks with a thud)! With such a busy personal life, you even want to discuss your neighbor, why talk about the King of England! True, in the first case you risk being branded as a gossip and a collector of dirty linen, but in the second you are a person who is not indifferent to history, a great fellow and generally a role model.

We don’t know our wives, the Russian Henry, the Tsar of All Rus', Ivan the Terrible, well, we don’t teach them at school (either there are five of them, or seven). And British children have a special mnemonic phrase about the king’s spouses: “divorced - executed - died - divorced - executed - survived.” Six words. Six destinies. Six lives.

First wife, Catherine of Aragon

The marriage to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, lasted almost a quarter of a century. Not too beautiful, not very smart, Catherine was the daughter of the great Queen Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand. An alliance with Spain against the Kingdom of France was greatly needed by England, and there is no better way to cement it than marriage. Therefore, Catherine was first married to Arthur, Henry's older brother, who soon dies, and then to Henry himself.

Six children will be born in the marriage, but only one will survive, or rather one - a girl with the meek biblical name Mary. Later known as Bloody Mary, Catholic Mary, who lit the streets of London with bonfires on which Protestant heretics burned. On her orders, the “nine-day queen” Jane Gray is executed.

Maria I. By the way, on her chest is the famous pearl “Peregrina”

There was no heir, Catherine could no longer give birth (six births is an impressive figure even for our time; her health, apparently, had become worse). The Pope's refusal to grant a divorce led to a break with Rome, and in 1534 England became a Protestant state. Now the king, as the head of the church, can allow himself anything he wants. Those who did not accept this Act of Supremacy were declared traitors and executed. Among them was the famous politician, humanist writer, author of Utopia, former comrade-in-arms of Henry VIII, Sir Thomas More.

Thomas More

Even during his marriage to Catherine, Henry developed a passion for a pretty and smart girl, red-haired Anne Boleyn. The dynasty needed a son, an heir to the throne. Anna gave birth to two sons, but both soon died, only her daughter remained alive, but what a... Elizabeth I, the last of the Tudor dynasty is known to everyone (by the way, they say that our Ivan IV wooed this Virgin Queen. Elizabeth will refuse, and will never get married). The marriage of Henry and Anne lasted less than three years: the queen was executed on charges of treason.

Lovers on the hunt, artist's fantasy

The author of the famous ballad “Greensleeves” is often called Henry VIII, and the addressee is Anne Boleyn. The ballad is lyrical, tender, caressing. It’s always like this with men: first he sings songs to you, and then he cuts off your head.

The grief-stricken king soon marries the lady-in-waiting of his previous wife, Lady Jane Seymour. Henry loved his new wife dearly, and she reciprocated. Everything was like in a fairy tale: and they lived happily ever after. But it didn’t work out for long; the marriage lasted four years. During childbirth, Jane Seymour died, but her child remained alive. After the death of his father, he will ascend to the throne under the name of Edward VI, live for 15 years and... essentially kill Lady Jane Grey, leaving her the crown, bypassing his older sisters. Made famous by Mark Twain in The Prince and the Pauper.

Edward VI and his mother

Henry was married to his fourth wife, Anna of Cleves, for less than a year. And that’s why, because he chose his wife based on her portrait. A talented artist is able to beautifully and attractively depict even the most boring mediocrity. The painter Holbein the Younger knew how to do this; he painted a portrait of Anna, and the painting was sent to Henry. The king was enchanted, the portrait turned out to be beautiful, but the living Anna was not.

The same portrait

There was soon a divorce, but the ex-wife remained as the king’s “sister” at court and was his faithful friend until Henry’s death.

By the way, about Holbein. It was his painting “Dead Christ in the Tomb”, mentioned in the novel “The Idiot”, that impressed Fyodor Dostoevsky so much that he shuddered.

- To this picture! - the prince suddenly cried out, impressed by a sudden thought, - at this picture! Yes, this picture may cause someone else to lose faith!

And now Henry is alone again, he is fifty years old. The fifth wife is Anne Boleyn's cousin Catherine Howard. The young girl (date of birth unknown, but approximately 15-20 years old) was beautiful, Heinrich himself became younger next to her, he was cheerful and playful. She was never able to get pregnant, and was soon executed, because before her marriage to the king she already had a not entirely platonic relationship. Such harsh medieval laws... Their life together lasted only a year and a half.

Unhappy Catherine Howard

Sixth wife. The venerable widow, not young, but pleasant to the eye, smell, and touch - Catherine Parr. She married old men from a young age and loved to take care of their adult children. Whether there was anything obscene in this concern, history is silent. Henry's children, however, also adored their stepmother. A little over three years later, Henry VIII dies. Catherine Parr, after crying into a brocade scarf for a couple of evenings, immediately got married, became pregnant, gave birth to a daughter, but died during childbirth.

Catherine Parr. Three times widowed, four times married, good stepmother, Queen of England - a worthy track record.

In his youth, Henry was a miracle, how handsome he was. Tall, more than 190 centimeters tall (a lot even by our standards), stately (judging by his clothes, his waist was only ninety centimeters), with courageous facial features, agile.

With age, he became flabby, decrepit, ugly and monstrously fat. He was so obese that he could even move around the castle only with the help of a special mechanism. Not surprising: by the end of her life, the royal waist was 150 centimeters (the diameter of a good log), and her weight was about 140 kilograms.

The handsome prince with a gentle disposition became a greasy barrel, tyrannizing everyone around him.

What instructive conclusion can we draw from this? It is obvious: a large number of wives is harmful to health. So take one wife once in your life.

Well, I watched everything four seasons historical series "Tudors", my goal was to see Natalie Dormer in the role Anne Boleyn- second of the six wives of the despot king Henry VIII, but after watching this long series, I achieved more, I learned about thirty years of bloody history of England, and it was very interesting and informative, despite the fact that some historical information was distorted, the basic facts remain true. The series takes place in Medieval England beginning with 1518 and ending with events 1547(date of death of the English king Henry VIII).

Compared to the reign of the cruel Henry VIII, the events of the series "Game of Thrones" will seem like just a children's fairy tale.

By the time we met Anne Boleyn the king was already married to Catherine of Aragon (played by Maria Doyle Kennedy), the widow of her older brother. Catherine widowed at age 16 years and did not have time to lose by that moment innocence because I'm married to 15 year old Arthur I only managed to stay for a few months. At 24, Catherine married 18-year-old Henry VIII. The young king’s cherished dream was the birth of a son-heir, but unfortunately Catherine children were stillborn, and some, apparently healthy, did not live long, and only one of her many births gave the spouses a daughter - the future queen Maria I- went down in history as Maria Bloody(her father played an important role in the cruelty Henry). For 16 years marriage, the king showed a love interest in his wife Ekaterina, while having many mistresses.

Catherine of Aragon She turned a blind eye to all her husband’s adventures; she was patient and flexible. One of the lovers Heinrich – Bessie Blount gave birth to a son for the king, after which she was still forgotten for the sake of a new favorite - Mary Boleyn– sisters Anne Boleyn. Maria was dissolute and short-sighted, she quickly became boring to the king, and then Henry had his eye on her sister - graceful, educated and flirtatious Anna (Natalie Dormer). U Anna Boleyn had an excellent upbringing, according to the description of contemporaries of that time, this woman did not have undeniable beauty, but she made many men fall in love with her, and the reason for this was her sharp mind, refined manners, grace and beauty of fashionable and expensive clothes.

Ann Bolein (Natalie Dormer) was known as a real fashionista and charmer. Henry VIII offered to become Anna his favorite and only mistress, but Anna She said that she was only capable of loving her future husband and would marry innocent. Most likely, the seductress was disingenuous, because she spent a long time at the court of the French king, and the morals there were frivolous, but in order to achieve her goal Anne Boleyn It was not difficult to pretend to be a chaste coquette. King I was so incensed by the actions of this person that I decided to divorce my legal wife. It should be noted that it was almost impossible to do this and the divorce process dragged on for more than one year, and all this time Ann Bolein she either pushed away or brought the ardent king closer to her.

In the end, having not received consent to divorce from the Pope, the king, at the request of Anna declared himself the supreme head of the church England, that is, broke up with Rome and changed his faith from Catholic to Protestant. All this led to the division of the country into two camps, all people disliked by the king were executed, among them was his friend Thomas More. Where am I leading with all this? Yes, besides, the image Anne Boleyn very often previously they romanticized and presented her as simply a victim of the king, but in fact she was a very calculating and cruel woman, she clearly walked towards her goal over the corpses of her enemies, she interfered in matters of national importance, contradicted the oppressive king, reproached him, then there, becoming queen and wife of Henry VIII , she revealed her true face and was no longer as careful as before. Everything could have turned out differently for her if she had given birth to a son for the king, but a daughter was born - the future great queen - Elizabeth I.

Further at Anne Boleyn 2 miscarriages followed, after which the king finally became enraged and decided to get rid of his wife, who was boring him, in a cruel way - he accused her of treason. The case was completely fabricated - the queen Anna She was accused not only of having affairs with court men, but also of having an incestuous relationship with her brother.

AND 19 May 1526 wife of Henry VIII Ann Bolein(Natalie Dormer) was beheaded and remained queen for just under three years. For her execution from Calais a seasoned swordsman was dispatched to painlessly take the life of his victim. By the way, the rest were less fortunate, and were executed over the course of four seasons of the series "Tudors" very many people. Could you Anna avoid this death? Yes, she could, but most likely she did not realize that everything had already been lost, that the king already wanted tenderness and a long-awaited son from the new queen she had become Anna's maid of honor - Jane Seymour (played by Annabelle Wallis).

Henry VIII, his third wife Jane Seymour, daughter Mary and one of his mistresses in the background.

Jane was the complete opposite of her predecessor Anna- she was shy, kind and did not delve into the affairs of the state, but she did not manage to be the king’s wife for long, since after giving birth to the king Henry VIII long-awaited son Edward- she died from puerperal fever.

The king's fourth wife was Anna of Cleves (played by Joss Stone), because the Henry Because of the sad fate of his previous wives, it was very difficult to find a new wife; he married a willing chosen one at the persuasion of his associates, who showed the king a portrait of his future bride. But as it turned out, the portrait did not reflect reality, and it is possible that Anna Klevskaya it simply did not suit the 49-year-old king, who by that time had already had enough wives and mistresses for his sexual functions to begin to fade.

Catherine Howard stands behind and watches the execution of her lady-in-waiting, the queen in line for the scaffold.

Having divorced his fourth wife, Henry began the search for the fifth. It should be noted that Anna Klevskaya she got off very easily and, moreover, remained on friendly terms with the king, and all thanks to her kind and flexible character. That is, we conclude that if you did not weave intrigues at the medieval court, it was quite possible to save your head and die from prickly heat (a disease that was rampant in the Middle Ages and killed tens of thousands of people), plague, typhoid, or puerperal fever. Fifth wife became the king Catherine Howard(played Tamzin Merchant) is a dissolute and short-sighted young woman. She cheated on the king after the wedding with his page, to which there were numerous witnesses, and if in the case with Anne Boleyn the facts were far-fetched, because if Anna and had some sins, then skillfully hid them, then the young Katherine Howard acted very recklessly. IN In 1542, Catherine Howard was executed.

Tamzin Merchant could have become Daenerys Targaryen - she even starred in the pilot episode, but by the will of the directors and fate - now the Stormborn is played by Emilia Clarke.

And the last one The king's sixth wife was Catherine Parr (played by Joely Richardson). It’s interesting, but out of the king’s six wives, three were Catherine, and two Annami. So, Catherine Parr was at the time of marriage with Henry already twice a widow and became the king's wife in 31 year, but she was still beautiful and very pretty. Catherine Parr She was several times on the verge of death, since she had many enemies. Meanwhile, the king’s insanity progressed towards old age, Henry became very suspicious and suspicious, many executions were carried out throughout the country and the last queen could also be accused of heresy. After all, the king decided to return to the Catholic faith again, and his wife was a Protestant. But in 1547 the king died. He was at that moment 55 years- It seems like a little, but the monarch’s health was undermined. In his old age, the king injured his leg while hunting, the wound festered and did not heal, perhaps the bone was crushed and periodically the leg festered, as bone fragments came out. Due to problems with his leg, the king could no longer pay sufficient attention to physical exercise, began to eat a lot and move little, as a result he became obese and died.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers– did an amazing job with the role. And although hardly a king Henry VIII was similar in appearance to him, but this is not so important. The main thing is that the actor managed to convey the character of a medieval king - despotic, unbalanced and most importantly - dangerous! In the final episode Jonathan They put on make-up, and a tired, sick king, disillusioned with life, appeared before us. In all four seasons Jonathan Rhys Meyers was different, because events developed throughout 30 years both the character and views of the king changed and the actor showed all this perfectly.

Natalie Dormer– also did an amazing job with the role. She got used to the role, and now Anne Boleyn many will be able to imagine just like this - an insidious, calculating and undoubtedly very seductive and attractive queen, laying her pretty head within the walls of the Tower.