by Danielle Friedl

Created on: January 21, 2009

Henry VIII (1491-1447). His portrait is one of the most recognized of the kings of England. His brutality during the Protestant Reformation is legendary. He produced three legitimate heirs that each made their own significant mark in history. Henry VIII is quite possibly the most famous king in all of English history - but not necessarily for the way he reigned. Henry VIII is notoriously known for his six wives, the stories that made them Queen and the horror that took it all away.

Henry VIII, second-born son to Henry VII, wasn't raised to be king. That was his brother Arthur's job. As a royal prince Henry was given the proper royal education by the best tutors and was fluent in Spanish, Latin and French, however his place was to belong in the Church. Meanwhile Arthur was being prepped for ruling the country, and that included marrying a suitable wife. Henry VII, in order to form an alliance with Spain, arranged a marriage between the young Princess Catherine and his son Arthur. When Arthur suddenly died of the sweating sickness in 1502 Henry found himself in the position of future king. In an effort to keep the bond with Spain intact Henry VII offered to marry Henry to Arthur's widow, Catherine. And so the saga begins.....

Catherine of Aragon. Henry finally reached the age of majority in 1505, however Henry VII no longer cared about his alliance with Spain. Catherine's future in England was unsure until Henry VII died in 1509. At age 17, and now the King of England, Henry VIII wed Catherine and the pair attended a joint coronation on June 24, 1509. Catherine began doing her duty as the wife of a king quickly and was pregnant shortly after the wedding. She delivered a stillborn girl prematurely in January 1510 and then a son in January 1511. Prince Henry's birth was greatly celebrated, however the joyfulness was cut short when the infant died 52 days after his birth. There were two more disastrous pregnancies, including another son who did not live for very long. In February 1516 Catherine gave birth to Mary, who would later become Mary I. The exact number of pregnancies is not known for sure, however it's speculated that Catherine had a total of 7 pregnancies and only one child to survive to adulthood.

Anne Boleyn. Anne first caught Henry's eye in 1526 when she attended a masque while attending Queen Catherine. By this time Catherine was over 40 years of age, incapable of conceiving and Henry's frustration in not having a male heir led him to seek comfort in

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