How Did Marriage Influence King Henry Viii's Life

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The Impact of Marriages on King Henry VIII King Henry VIII is one of the most infamous kings to ever rule over England. Most people think of a tyrant when they think of the king, but he was not always that way. As a young man, he was a good person, known for elaborate parties and playing sports. It was not until the end of his first marriage that a change is noticeable in his actions. Considering his wives were around him more than anyone else, it is possible that his wives are the cause of his horrible reign. Though many people know about King Henry VIII, they do not know much about his wives or how they influenced him as a king. Catherine of Aragon Henry was at the young age of ten when he met Catherine. She was sixteen and engaged to his…show more content…
He accused her of incest with her brother along with four other affairs. Accepting her fate, she had a thin sword ordered from France to have herself beheaded with (Cavendish & Leahy, 2006). She died at the Tower of London in 1536. Jane Seymour Jane Seymour was Henry’s favorite wife. He met her while he was still married to Anne, but it is only known that Anne hated her (Weir, 1991). Shortly after Anne’s death, Henry was married to Jane. They were not together long before Jane became pregnant. Luckily for Henry, on October 12, 1557, he was given the boy had so desperately longed for, who they named Edward (Taplin, 2013). The happiness faded quickly though. Jane became very sick after giving birth and died of complications on October 24, 1557 (Taplin, 2013). Jane was his favorite wife because she never gave him any trouble. She also did not live long enough to cause him any trouble. Taplin (2013) said that she was the only wife he later did not regret or hate and he continued to love her until he died. This is believable since he was later buried next to her at Windsor Chapel (Taplin, 2013). Anne of…show more content…
He needed this marriage to work because he knew it would not go over well if he lost another wife (Taplin, 2013). Catherine, though, was not very fond of Henry. Of course, this makes sense. He was fat and old and she was young and beautiful. Henry truly loved Catherine. That was, until he found love letters to other men in her bedroom (Price, 2009). He was heartbroken. He had given this young girl everything she could want and yet she still did not want to be with him. Taplin (2013) tells a story of how Catherine chanced Henry down a hallway at Hampton Court begging and pleading for him to reconsider having her killed. She pleaded innocent, but it was pointless. Henry decided to have Catherine killed just like her cousin. No amount of begging could change his mind; he had seen the letters and knew what she did. He sentenced her to be killed as soon as possible. She was also beheaded at the Tower of London and buried next to Anne (Price, 2009). Catherine
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