Kings of England

Who's Who in Tudor England

Henry VIII, His Wives, and His Children

Name Born/Died Facts

Henry VIII 1491-1547 Reigned 1509-1547
Son of: Henry VII and Elizabeth of York
Married to: Catherine of Aragon (1509); Anne Boleyn (1533); Jane Seymour (1536); Anne of Cleves (1540); Katherine Howard (1540); Katherine Parr (1543)
Father of: Mary I (b.1516 d.1558); Elizabeth I (b.1533 d.1603); Edward IV (b.1537 d.1553 )

Catherine of Aragon 1485-1553 Daughter of: Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castille
Married to: Arthur in 1501 (d.1502); Henry VIII in 1509
Mother to: Mary I (b.1516 d.1588)
Marriage to Henry VIII annulled in 1533; had 5 other children that did not survive.

Mary I 1516-1558 Reigned: 1553-1558
Daughter of: Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon
Married to: Philip II of Spain (1554)
Brief restoration of Catholicism; Remembered for burning of Protestant heritics, notably Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canturbury; Imprisoned her half-sister Elizabeth on suspicion of conspiracy to overthrow Mary.

Anne Boleyn 1501~07-1536
Daughter of: Thomas Boleyn and Elizabeth Howard
Niece to: Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke Norfolk
Cousin to: Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey (poet)
Sister to: George Boleyn; Mary Boleyn
Married to: Henry VIII (probably Dec 1532 or Jan-Mar 1533)
Mother of: Elizabeth I (b. 1533 d. 1603)
Henry VIII annulled his marriage to Catherine of Aragon to marry Anne; later had Anne arrested, tried, and executed for adultery and treason.

Elizabeth I 1533-1603 Reigned: 1558-1603
Daughter of: Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn
Imprisoned in Tower briefly during reign of her half-sister, Mary I; spent a year under house arrest; had a strong flirtation with Robert Dudley, kept his last letter until the end of her life; created the cult of the Virgin Queen; tried and executed Mary, Queen of Scots (1587); defeated Phillip I of Spain and Spanish Armada (1588); executed Robert Devereux, E. of Essex, for treason (1601).

Jane Seymour 1501-1537
Daughter of: John Seymour and Margery Wentworth
Sister to: Edward Seymour (later D. of Somerset); Thomas Seymour (later Lord High Admiral)
Married to: Henry VIII (1536)
Mother of: Edward
Married Henry VIII about 24 hours after execution of Anne Boleyn. Died of childbed fever a week after birth of Edward, Henry VIII's only legitimate son.

Edward VI 1537-1553
Son of: Henry VIII and Jane Seymour
Nephew of: Edward Seymour (D. of Somerset and Lord Protector); Thomas Seymour (Lord High Admiral)
Became king at aged ten on the death of Henry VIII. Edward Seymour overrode will of Henry VIII and made himself Lord High Protector. Thomas Seymour plotted to overthrow Edward and install Elizabeth or Mary as queen (arrested and executed). 1549 Book of Common Prayer. D. of Somerset later arrested for treason and executed. Died at age 16.

Anne of Cleves 1515-1557

Married to: Henry VIII (Jan. 1540)

Hans Holbein painted the famous portrait of her in 1539. (There is some debate about the story that Holbein improved her looks in the portrait.) The marriage was encouraged by Thomas Cromwell to cement an alliance against the Holy Roman Empire. Henry purported to have said on meeting her: "I like her not!"
Marriage annuled in July 1540. Anne went along with claims that the marriage was not consummated. She feared to return home to Germany and was allowed to stay in England for the rest of her life.
Cromwell blamed for the debacle, tried for treason, and executed.

Katherine Howard 1520-1542

Married to: Henry VIII (Jul. 1540)

Daughter of: Sir Edmund Howard and Joyce Culpepper.
Cousin to: Anne Boleyn.
Accused of having an affair before her marriage with Frances Derenham and Thomas Culpepper, and continuing the affair with Culpepper after her marriage.
Executed in 1542. Lady Rochford (wife of the late George Boleyn), tried and executed as a go-between for Catherine and her lovers.

Katherine Parr 1508-1548

Daughter of: Sir Thomas Parr and Maud Green
Married to: 1. Edward, Baron Borough of Gainsborough, 2. John Neville, Baron Latimer; 3. Henry VIII (1543-1547); 4. Thomas Seymour (1547-1548) Mother of: Mary Seymour

Twice widowed when she married Henry VIII. Was seen as returning respectability to court and bringing the children of Henry together as a family. Nearly arrested when she disagreed with Henry over theology but quickly gave in, convincing him her arguments were the prattles of a mere woman.
After Henry's death, brought young Elizabeth to live with her. Catherine secretly married Thomas Seymour a few months after Henry's death. When Seymour's flirtation with Elizabeth went too far, she banished Elizabeth. Catherine died of childbed fever giving birth to a daughter.
Historians differ on what happened to the daughter, Mary Seymour, but most now agree she died sometime in her first or second year.

Henry's Extended Family

Jane Grey 1537-1544
Daughter of: Henry Grey and Frances Brandon (daughter of Mary, sister to Henry VIII)
Grandniece to: Henry VIII
Married to: Guildford Dudley (1553)
Became queen for nine days at the death of Edward VI (July 1553), in a plot by Henry Grey (D. of Suffolk) and D. of Northumberland to keep Mary from the throne. Mary raised an army, marched on London, and prevailed. Jane arrested and sent to Tower Jul. 1553, executed Feb. 1554.

This is a work in progress. More to come!
See also:
http://www.tudorplace.com.ar/ for extensive bios of many Tudor personalities.
Genealogical chart of the Tudor Succession at elizabethan.org
Back to Tudor Historicals Page

		Henry VIII, His Wives, and His Children
Name	Born/Died	Facts
Henry VIII	1491-1547	Reigned 1509-1547 Son of: Henry VII and Elizabeth of York Married to: Catherine of Aragon (1509); Anne Boleyn (1533); Jane Seymour (1536); Anne of Cleves (1540); Katherine Howard (1540); Katherine Parr (1543) Father of: Mary I (b.1516 d.1558); Elizabeth I (b.1533 d.1603); Edward IV (b.1537 d.1553 )
Catherine of Aragon	1485-1553	Daughter of: Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castille Married to: Arthur in 1501 (d.1502); Henry VIII in 1509 Mother to: Mary I (b.1516 d.1588) Marriage to Henry VIII annulled in 1533; had 5 other children that did not survive.
Mary I	1516-1558	Reigned: 1553-1558 Daughter of: Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon Married to: Philip II of Spain (1554) Brief restoration of Catholicism; Remembered for burning of Protestant heritics, notably Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canturbury; Imprisoned her half-sister Elizabeth on suspicion of conspiracy to overthrow Mary.
Anne Boleyn	1501~07-1536	Daughter of: Thomas Boleyn and Elizabeth Howard Niece to: Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke Norfolk Cousin to: Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey (poet) Sister to: George Boleyn; Mary Boleyn Married to: Henry VIII (probably Dec 1532 or Jan-Mar 1533) Mother of: Elizabeth I (b. 1533 d. 1603) Henry VIII annulled his marriage to Catherine of Aragon to marry Anne; later had Anne arrested, tried, and executed for adultery and treason.
Elizabeth I	1533-1603	Reigned: 1558-1603 Daughter of: Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn Imprisoned in Tower briefly during reign of her half-sister, Mary I; spent a year under house arrest; had a strong flirtation with Robert Dudley, kept his last letter until the end of her life; created the cult of the Virgin Queen; tried and executed Mary, Queen of Scots (1587); defeated Phillip I of Spain and Spanish Armada (1588); executed Robert Devereux, E. of Essex, for treason (1601).
Jane Seymour	1501-1537	Daughter of: John Seymour and Margery Wentworth Sister to: Edward Seymour (later D. of Somerset); Thomas Seymour (later Lord High Admiral) Married to: Henry VIII (1536) Mother of: Edward Married Henry VIII about 24 hours after execution of Anne Boleyn. Died of childbed fever a week after birth of Edward, Henry VIII's only legitimate son.
Edward VI	1537-1553	Son of: Henry VIII and Jane Seymour Nephew of: Edward Seymour (D. of Somerset and Lord Protector); Thomas Seymour (Lord High Admiral) Became king at aged ten on the death of Henry VIII. Edward Seymour overrode will of Henry VIII and made himself Lord High Protector. Thomas Seymour plotted to overthrow Edward and install Elizabeth or Mary as queen (arrested and executed). 1549 Book of Common Prayer. D. of Somerset later arrested for treason and executed. Died at age 16.
Anne of Cleves	1515-1557	Married to: Henry VIII (Jan. 1540) Hans Holbein painted the famous portrait of her in 1539. (There is some debate about the story that Holbein improved her looks in the portrait.) The marriage was encouraged by Thomas Cromwell to cement an alliance against the Holy Roman Empire. Henry purported to have said on meeting her: "I like her not!" Marriage annuled in July 1540. Anne went along with claims that the marriage was not consummated. She feared to return home to Germany and was allowed to stay in England for the rest of her life. Cromwell blamed for the debacle, tried for treason, and executed.
Katherine Howard	1520-1542	Married to: Henry VIII (Jul. 1540) Daughter of: Sir Edmund Howard and Joyce Culpepper. Cousin to: Anne Boleyn. Accused of having an affair before her marriage with Frances Derenham and Thomas Culpepper, and continuing the affair with Culpepper after her marriage. Executed in 1542. Lady Rochford (wife of the late George Boleyn), tried and executed as a go-between for Catherine and her lovers.
Katherine Parr	1508-1548	Daughter of: Sir Thomas Parr and Maud Green Married to: 1. Edward, Baron Borough of Gainsborough, 2. John Neville, Baron Latimer; 3. Henry VIII (1543-1547); 4. Thomas Seymour (1547-1548) Mother of: Mary Seymour Twice widowed when she married Henry VIII. Was seen as returning respectability to court and bringing the children of Henry together as a family. Nearly arrested when she disagreed with Henry over theology but quickly gave in, convincing him her arguments were the prattles of a mere woman. After Henry's death, brought young Elizabeth to live with her. Catherine secretly married Thomas Seymour a few months after Henry's death. When Seymour's flirtation with Elizabeth went too far, she banished Elizabeth. Catherine died of childbed fever giving birth to a daughter. Historians differ on what happened to the daughter, Mary Seymour, but most now agree she died sometime in her first or second year.
		Henry's Extended Family
Jane Grey	1537-1544	Daughter of: Henry Grey and Frances Brandon (daughter of Mary, sister to Henry VIII) Grandniece to: Henry VIII Married to: Guildford Dudley (1553) Became queen for nine days at the death of Edward VI (July 1553), in a plot by Henry Grey (D. of Suffolk) and D. of Northumberland to keep Mary from the throne. Mary raised an army, marched on London, and prevailed. Jane arrested and sent to Tower Jul. 1553, executed Feb. 1554.