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