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Born on a brilliant day of June 28th 1491, Henry Tudor became thy second son of King Henry VII. Around Europe he soon became known for his handsome royal figure, renowned for excelling at jousting, hand to hand fighting, wrestling, hunting, and tennis and his almost six feet tall, distinguished sportsman.
After the devastating blow of his brother death, Henry was prepared to become the king by becoming a scholar with exceptional talents including a

• poet
• musician
• songwriter
• French
• Latin
• Greek

At this time, Europe and its people loved him, he brang us the promise for a glorious reign over our quiet England. He believed in the Catholic teaching ( especially the seven sacraments). He even wrote a book in response to Luther's reforms, defending the catholic church titled 'Defence of the Seven Sacraments'

But even though he began as a merry monarch, things soon turn sour and the once magnificent prince degenerated into a uncivilised wreck of a man.

Firstly his father died, which meant that he would have to rule the land at the young age of 17 and therefore after only seven weeks of his fathers death, he married his dead brothers widow, Catherine of Argon even though it was against all the Catholic Church's rules, and the Pope still allowed it!

Catherine of Argon Profile
She was first married to Auther, Henry's older brother, but after six months he died and Catherine was engaged to Henry instead

She was only 17 years old but Henry was only 12!

They got married when Henry became king in 1509. She was older and wiser then him, so often gave him advise upon how to rule

She was a good and faith full wife for over twenty years and had many children but only one survived - Mary - who latter became queen.





Henry fell in love with Anne when she was a servant in Queens Household in 1522. By 1526 he was trying to get divorced from Catherine so that he could marry her.


The head of the Catholic Church, the pope wouldn't allow it, so eventually Henry broke away from the church in Rome and declared himself the head of a new Church of England. He granted himself a divorce.


He married Anne in 1533, and latter that year she gave birth to a girl, Elizabeth who would grow up to be a strong queen for England


Henry soon got fed up with Anne ( apparently she was really grumpy) so he accused her of meeting other men. She wrote a letter begging Henry to believe in her innocence but he didn't and in 1536 she was beheaded. Henry did some exercise and played tennis whilst she had come to her final hour.

Henry enforced that the church was to recognise that he was the head of the church by making all churchmen swear an oath of supremacy. Many loyal followers of the pope refused to do so and in the end were executed along with their buildings destroyed and their goods confiscated.
In 1536 a protest took place known as the 'Pilgrimage of Grace' where thousands of people marched in protest, reinstated Catholic worship.
Unfortunately for them Henry was notoriously quick to execute anyone suspected of treason and the rebellion was quickly crushed and the leaders were, inevitably, executed.
11 days later Henry married his third wife
Jane was from an old and noble family. She was gentle , modest and not grumpy. She gave birth to a son in 1537, Edward, the son he so longed for, who would become King after Henry died.

Sadly 12 days later she died. It was said that Henry loved Jane the best of all his wife's and it took him a whole two years before marrying again.









Anne of Cleves profile
Henry wanted to make a good marriage this time so decided to look all over Europe for a bride. He sent painters to paint any eligible bridges so he could see what they looked like.

A picture was shown to him of Anne of Cleves and he agreed to marry her without ever having met her! She was intelligent and fitted the profile he wanted perfectly.

When she arrived in England, Henry was very keen to meet her but she didn't speak any English and didn't know who he was. She was rather rude to Henry and ignored him.

It was not long until he said he found her repulsively ugly, and called her a horse! he couldn't break his promise to marry her but it only lasted six months. They were divorced in June 1540.

20 days after his second divorce, Henry married his fifth wife

Catherine Howard
Catherine was a cousin of Anne Boleyn and was only 16 when she came to marry Henry who was 49!

He was subdued by her outrageously flirty personality. She was lively, pretty, kind, and with a thick skull but Henry thought she was perfect.

However she was previously, secretly engaged to one man and possibly a second one too. When the King found out he chopped both the men's heads off followed by Katherine's in 1542

The following year he married for the six and final time


Kathryn Parr profile


Kathryn had already been married twice before but both her husbands had died. She was really in love with Thomas Seymour ( Jane Seymours Brother) but was too scared to refuse the king ( which was probable wise)

Henry was very very fat and ill by now and Kathryn was as much a nurse as a wife. She was a kind woman and was the first women to bring all three of his children to live together under one roof.

When Henry died in 1547, Kathryn quickly married Thomas Seymour. Sadly he didn't love her as much as she loved him and became very unhappy. She died in childbirth a year later in 1548.