#sixwives

[intoneverland]

[nylatrashcan]

All of the queens when they were with Henry

[elevnns-archive]

The six wives of Henry VIII 5/6

Catherine Howard - beheaded

[elevnns-archive]

The six wives of Henry VIII 4/6

Anne of Cleves - divorced

[elevnns-archive]

The six wives of Henry VIII 3/6

Jane Seymour - died

[elevnns-archive]

The six wives of Henry VIII 2/6

Anne Boleyn - beheaded

[elevnns-archive]

The six wives of Henry VIII 1/6

Catherine of Aragon - divorced

[infamoushistory]

Did You Know?

King Henry VIII Was Related To All Six Of His Wives Through One Common Ancestor

While Henry VIII's six marriages are famous, there's another surprising twist—he and all six of his wives were related, albeit distantly. Each of them could trace their ancestry back to King Edward I of England (1239–1307), making them all distant cousins. Among Europe's royal and noble families, this was actually quite common due to centuries of intermarriage.

The closest family connection was between Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, who were first cousins through the powerful Howard family. Their uncle was Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, making it even more remarkable that two first cousins both became queens—and both were later executed on Henry VIII's orders.