Henry executed two of his wives at the Tower of London.
Anne Boleyn, Henry’s second wife, had proved unable to provide him with the son he so desperately sought. Anxious to marry again, he accused Anne of adultery and treason; she was quite probably innocent.
Catherine Howard, Henry’s fifth wife, was quite possibly guilty of the same charge: being the twenty-something young wife of a 50-year-old man was no defence.
Henry VIII took Hampton Court Palace from his chief minister Thomas Wolsey and rebuilt it.
His third wife, Jane Seymour, gave birth to Henry’s only legitimate son, Prince Edward, at the palace, and died soon afterwards.
Henry married his sixth and last wife, Kateryn Parr, at Hampton Court.
Also famous for...
The Reformation
Henry broke with the Roman Catholic Church and established the Church of England – all to get his first divorce.
This also allowed him to seize church land and property (a great help in financing costly European wars). Under Henry, England witnessed the wholesale destruction of beautiful monastic buildings and libraries.
