July 12, 1543

On this day in history in 1543 King Henry VIII of England married his sixth and final wife.

To Six Wives Was Wedded...

King Henry VIII is infamous for the six wives he married. Many rhymes have even been created that account for his marital history including the following:

King Henry VIII,

To six wives was wedded.

One died, one survived,

Two divorced and two beheaded.

His first wife, and first divorce, was to Catherine of Aragon (top left photo). They were married for 23 years before the king sought an annulment because she bore him no son. He infamously separated the English church from the Roman Catholic Church solely so he could get the annulment the Pope refused to grant him.

Immediately after his annulment from his first wife King Henry VIII married his second wife, Anne Boleyn (top middle photo). Just as with his first he wished to separate from her after she did not bore him a son. Ironically, the one daughter she gave him would go on to become Queen Elizabeth I who is considered one of England's greatest monarchs. Anne Boleyn suffered a fate much worse than Catherine of Aragon. The king, desperate to end the marriage, accused her of adultery and treason and she was beheaded for these crimes.

His third wife was Jane Seymour (top right photo) who died after giving birth to King Henry's long-awaited male heir. Edward VI served as King of England for just six years before he died in 1553 at only 15.

The king's fourth wife was Anne of Cleves (bottom left photo) and their marriage only lasted six months. It was a marriage of strategy rather than love. King Henry VIII needed to create a European alliance so he married one of the sisters of Germany's Duke of Cleves but they divorced shortly after.

Catherine Howard (bottom middle photo) was the king's fifth wife and second to be executed. After rumors of infidelity arose a year into their marriage she was executed for adultery and treason.

King Henry VIII's final wife was Catherine Parr (bottom right photo). The king had her arrested when she showed an interest in Protestantism but she was left alive because of the stability and peace she brought to court, combined with her being a caring stepmother to his other childcare. They remained married for thirty-five years until King Henry VIII died in 1547, Catherine died just one year later.