Henry VIII (1509–47) had six wives. They were, in the order he married them, Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr. Henry’s first wife, Catherine, bore him a daughter and not the son he had hoped for. Henry tried to cancel the marriage and marry Anne Boleyn instead. But the Pope refused to agree to this. Henry then declared himself Supreme Head of the English Church and broke off relations with Rome. He now married Anne. Henry’s actions began the English Protestant Reformation.

Catherine of Aragon

Henry VIII’s first wife, Catherine of Aragon, bore him a daughter, Princess Mary, and not the son he had desperately hoped for. Henry therefore tried to annul, or cancel, the marriage on the grounds that Catherine had previously been married to his brother, Arthur. He also wished to marry Anne Boleyn, who insisted on becoming queen.

Break with Rome

Henry needed the approval of the Pope, Clement VII, but the Pope refused to agree to the annulment. Advised by his chief minister, Thomas Cromwell, Henry then used the powers of Parliament to decide matters in his favour. He appointed a new Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, in 1533. Cranmer then declared Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon annulled. This cleared the way for Henry to marry Anne.

Dissolution of the Monasteries

During what was known as the Dissolution of the Monasteries (1536–1540), Thomas Cromwell, under orders from Henry, closed and demolished around 800 abbeys, monasteries, friaries and nunneries across England, Wales and Ireland. Many of them possessed great wealth and land. This all now became the property of the Crown.

Later marriages

Like Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn also produced a daughter, Elizabeth. Anne was executed for treason in 1536. The same year, Henry married Jane Seymour, who gave birth to a much wanted son, Edward, in 1537. Unfortunately, she died soon after childbirth. Henry made sure that his son, Edward, was brought up a Protestant rather than a Catholic.

Final years

Overweight and in failing health, Henry turned his attention to attacking France in the last years of his reign. But the war proved an expensive failure. Henry died in London in January 1547. Henry's six marriages had produced one sickly son and two princesses—Mary and Elizabeth—who went on to become queen, each in turn. None were to have children.