Henry VIII Wives in Order: The Six Queens and How Each Marriage Ended

Contents8

• Henry VIII wives in order: the table
• 1. Catherine of Aragon
• 2. Anne Boleyn
• 3. Jane Seymour
• 4. Anne of Cleves
• 5. Catherine Howard
• 6. Katherine Parr
• Verdict: Henry VIII wives in order

Henry VIII married six times in 34 years. His wives in order were Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Katherine Parr. The search for a male heir drove several of the marriages and the break with Rome. This page lists Henry VIII's wives in order with their wedding dates, how each marriage ended, and the children they had.

TL;DR: 1. Catherine of Aragon (annulled 1533). 2. Anne Boleyn (executed 1536). 3. Jane Seymour (died 1537 after giving birth to Edward). 4. Anne of Cleves (annulled 1540). 5. Catherine Howard (executed 1542). 6. Katherine Parr (outlived Henry, who died in 1547). Three children reigned: Mary I, Elizabeth I and Edward VI.

Henry VIII wives in order: the table

Spellings vary. Historic Royal Palaces uses "Katherine" for Catherine of Aragon and Katherine Parr, and many books use "Catherine". This page uses the most common form for each.

1. Catherine of Aragon

Catherine was a daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. She first married Henry's elder brother Arthur, who died in 1502. Henry married her in 1509, soon after he became king.

Their marriage lasted 24 years. Of their children, only a daughter, Mary, survived infancy. By the late 1520s Henry wanted a son and had fallen for Anne Boleyn. The Pope would not annul the marriage, so Henry broke with Rome.

Archbishop Thomas Cranmer declared the marriage void in May 1533. Catherine died at Kimbolton Castle in January 1536.

2. Anne Boleyn

Anne married Henry in secret in January 1533, and Archbishop Cranmer crowned her in June. Her daughter, Elizabeth, was born that September. After later pregnancies ended without a living son, Henry turned against her.

In May 1536 Anne was accused of adultery and treason. Most historians today regard the charges as false. She was beheaded at the Tower of London on 19 May 1536.

3. Jane Seymour

Henry married Jane Seymour eleven days after Anne's death. On 12 October 1537 she gave birth to the son Henry wanted, the future Edward VI. Jane died twelve days later. She was the only wife to receive a queen's funeral, and Henry asked to be buried beside her at Windsor.

4. Anne of Cleves

Anne was the daughter of the Duke of Cleves, a German ally against the Catholic powers. Henry agreed to the match partly on the strength of a portrait by Hans Holbein. He disliked her when they met. Church lawyers annulled the marriage after six months, on the grounds that it had not been consummated.

Anne accepted the settlement. She received houses and an income, and she was treated as the "King's Sister". She lived in England until 1557 and outlived all of Henry's other wives.

5. Catherine Howard

Catherine was a teenage cousin of Anne Boleyn and a lady-in-waiting to Anne of Cleves. Henry married her on the day his chief minister, Thomas Cromwell, was executed. Within a year and a half, the council accused her of affairs before and during the marriage. She was beheaded at the Tower on 13 February 1542.

6. Katherine Parr

Katherine Parr was twice widowed before she married Henry in 1543. She helped bring his three children together at court. She was also a published author, with religious works printed under her own name. She acted as regent while Henry was at war in France in 1544.

Henry died on 28 January 1547. Katherine then married Thomas Seymour, Jane Seymour's brother. She died in September 1548, days after giving birth to a daughter.

Divorced or annulled?

The rhyme "divorced, beheaded, died; divorced, beheaded, survived".

Status: Disputed. The rhyme and the legal record differ.

Note: The rhyme counts Catherine of Aragon and Anne of Cleves as divorced. In law, church courts declared both marriages void, meaning the law treated them as never valid. Anne Boleyn's marriage was also declared void two days before her execution. The rhyme is a memory aid, not a legal record.

Sources: Historic Royal Palaces, "Henry VIII's wives: six queens, six women"; Britannica, "The six wives of Henry VIII".

Alison Weir's The Six Wives of Henry VIII is one of eight picks in our guide to the best Tudor books.

Verdict: Henry VIII wives in order

Henry VIII's wives in order were Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Katherine Parr. Two marriages ended by annulment alone, two in execution, one in death after childbirth, and one with Henry's own death. The children of the first three wives each reigned, as the house of Tudor page shows. For the queens who ruled in their own right, see the queens of England page.

Every monarch since 1066, with the disputed records, is listed on the England royal family page.

Sources checked for this page

• Historic Royal Palaces, "Henry VIII's wives: six queens, six women"
• Royal Museums Greenwich, "Who were Henry VIII's wives?"
• Britannica, "The six wives of Henry VIII"
• Britannica, "Henry VIII"
• The Royal Family, "The Tudors"

Questions people also ask

What is the rhyme for Henry VIII's wives?

Divorced, beheaded, died; divorced, beheaded, survived. It follows the order Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Katherine Parr.

Which wife gave Henry VIII a son?

Jane Seymour, his third wife. Their son Edward was born on 12 October 1537 and became Edward VI. Jane died twelve days later.

Which of Henry VIII's wives lived longest?

Anne of Cleves, who died in July 1557. She outlived Henry and all his other wives.

Did Henry VIII divorce his wives?

Not in the modern sense. His marriages to Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn and Anne of Cleves were declared void, or annulled. Anne Boleyn was also executed.