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, Foreword
My name is [ ]. I’m a student at [ ] in [ ]. I'm in my last schoolyear, havo 5,
and chose the profile [ ]. For my profile paper, I chose to work on an English
project about Henry VIII and the ways his wives influenced him on different topics. This
interested me, because I am interested in history and often saw clips of the musical Six on
social media, which sparked my curiosity about this specific subject. I wanted to learn more
about the marriages and how they unfolded. Since Henry VIII is, of course, English, I thought
it would fit well as a topic for this subject. I would also like to thank [ ] for her
help and feedback. With her assistance, I was able to write my profile paper as well as
possible.
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, Summary
Henry VIII’s relationships with his wives significantly influenced his reign and the direction
of English history. His first wife, Catherine of Aragon, endured numerous pregnancies but
produced only one surviving child, a daughter named Mary. The lack of a male heir led Henry
to seek a divorce, which he ultimately obtained by breaking with the Catholic Church and
establishing the Church of England. His marriage to Anne Boleyn, however, also resulted in
only one surviving daughter, Elizabeth. When Anne was accused of infidelity, she was
executed, clearing the way for Henry’s third marriage to Jane Seymour. Jane bore Henry a
long-awaited son, Edward, but died soon after his birth.
After a brief and unconsummated marriage to Anne of Cleves, which ended in annulment,
Henry married Katherine Howard, who was later executed for alleged infidelity. His final
marriage, to Catherine Parr, brought stability to his later years, although Catherine’s reformist
religious beliefs nearly cost her her life.
Henry's relationships with his wives were marked by his obsession with securing a male heir
and maintaining his power, impacting English society and religious institutions. His wives
played different roles, from influencing political decisions to navigating courtly intrigues, and
each marriage shaped the Tudor legacy.
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