Painting of Henry VIII

Henry VIII

Henry VIII (1491–1547) was the second king in the Tudor dynasty who famously had six wives and established the Church of England. He was the second son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York and became heir to the throne after the death of his brother Arthur in 1502. Henry ascended the throne in 1509 and reigned until his death in 1547. He played a significant role in the English Reformation, instigating the English church's break from Rome in the 1530s in order to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, and marry his second wife, Anne Boleyn. The Tudor king had six wives in total. These were, successively, Catherine of Aragon; Anne Boleyn; Jane Seymour; Anne of Cleves; Catherine Howard and Katherine Parr. Henry died on 28 January 1547 and was succeeded by his only surviving legitimate son, Edward VI. Henry's two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, would also later rule England

Three Tudor-era children sit at a table within an ornate architectural frame, dressed in elaborate period clothing, with small round objects laid out before them.

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A stylised illustration shows a hand holding a large, brightly coloured flower. In the centre of the flower is a person’s face, framed by vivid red‑orange petals. Green leaves extend from the stem, each containing faint, sketch‑like faces. The background is dark and textured, creating contrast with the bright central flower.

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The curse of the Boleyns: how Anne's fall doomed her family. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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A historical portrait of a person in a dark fur‑trimmed garment and black hat is placed before the ruins of a stone building, with a moody, clouded sky behind.

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A collage of Tudor figures. Each square shows a different monarch or noble figure in 16th‑ or early‑17th‑century dress, including ruffs, jewelled headpieces, and richly decorated garments. Recognisable figures such as Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, Mary I, Elizabeth I, and James I appear among the portraits. The grid highlights variations in artistic style, clothing, and facial depiction across the period.

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A digital collage mixes close‑up sections of a painted face with modern geometric shapes in yellow, blue, gray, white, and rust‑red, intersected by black lines. A necklace with a gold letter “B” and pearl drops appears among the fragments.

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A large illustration of Henry VIII with several images imprinted on him

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An illustration of a haunted house. The background is black and purple, and the house is split into orange, green, black and white boxes. In each box, there are Halloween themed things such as skulls, ghosts, and eyes looking through keyholes

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Two men dressed in Tudor clothes stand next to one another against a green curtain backdrop. Between them are several items, including a globe, a hymnbook and a lute

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Thomas Cromwell shown in a c1533 portrait after Hans Holbein the Younger (Photo by Penta Springs Limited/Alamy Stock Photo)

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Tracy Borman at Hampton Court Palace

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Anne Boleyn during her imprisonment in the Tower of London, a c1835 painting by Édouard Cibot (Photo by Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

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Painting of Henry VIII and his second wife Anne Boleyn. Several servants as well as Cardinal Wolsey look on.

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From service to survival: what happened to the households of Henry VIII’s six wives?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Replicas of necklaces belonging to Anne of Cleves, Henry VIII's fourth wife (Photo by Angela-Treasures For A Queen - Etsy)

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Queens of bling: the importance of jewellery to Henry VIII's six wives. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Good King Hal

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Portrait of Henry VIII, King of England from 1509-1547

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A portrait of King Henry VIII

Tudor

Henry VIIIThe life and rule of the Tudor king, plus 5 surprising facts

Closeup of Henry VIII's face

Tudor

The slow death of Henry VIII

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Rafaëlle Cohen as Anne Boleyn in BBC docu-drama The Boleyns: A Scandalous Family

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The Château Vert pageant: 500 years since Anne Boleyn’s first recorded appearance at Henry VIII’s court. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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