Timeline
Divorced, Beheaded, Died. Divorced, Beheaded, Survived. Who were these six women, remembered mostly for their fate after marrying one of England's most notorious kings? Read below for a short bio, or head to our blog page to find new opinions and insights as we explore the women behind the rhyme.
Catherine of Aragon
Born: 16 December 1485
Parents: Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile
Background: Princess of Spain, originally married Henry's older brother, Arthur, Prince of Wales, before he died the following year.
Marriage: Married Henry when he became king in 1509. Had many miscarriages and stillbirths, and a son who died in infancy (52 days old).
Children: One daughter survived into adulthood (Mary I)
Divorced in 1533 so he could marry Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
Born: 1501/1502 or 1507? (date unknown)
Parents: Sir Thomas Boleyn and Lady Elizabeth Howard
Background: Daughter of English nobles, spent her adolescence at the French Court before returning to England and becoming one of Catherine of Aragon's Ladies-in-Waiting.
Marriage: Married Henry in 1533 after 6+ years of trying. Credited as the reason for the break with Rome and changing the course of English history.
Children: One daughter (Elizabeth I)
Beheaded in 1536 on charges of adultery
Jane Seymour
Born: 1509 (date unknown)
Parents: Sir John Seymour and Margery Wentworth
Background: Daughter of English nobles, became one of Anne Boleyn's Ladies-in-Waiting.
Marriage: Married Henry in 1536 after he ended his marriage to Anne Boleyn. Often remembered as the only wife Henry "truly loved".
Children: One son (Edward VI)
Died shortly after childbirth in 1537
Anne of Cleves
Born: 22 September 1515
Parents: John III, Duke of Cleves, and Maria of Jülich-Berg
Background: German Protestant, suggested for marriage to Henry in order to form a political alliance with her family.
Marriage: Married Henry in 1540. He made his choice based on her portrait and they had only met 5 days before the wedding took place.
Children: None
Divorced after a few months
Katheryn Howard
Born: 1524 (date unknown)
Parents: Lord Edmund Howard and Joyce Culpeper
Background: Cousin to Anne Boleyn. Became one of Anne of Cleves' Ladies-in-Waiting.
Marriage: Married Henry in 1540, shortly after he ended his marriage to Anne of Cleves. He called her his 'Rose without a Thorn'.
Children: None
Beheaded in 1542 on charges of having had premarital affairs
Katherine Parr
Born: 1512 (date unknown)
Parents: Sir Thomas Parr and Maud Green
Background: Daughter of English nobles and twice-widowed.
Marriage: Married Henry in 1543, and helped reconcile him with his daughters. She had a good relationship with all his children.
Children: None by Henry