Henry VIII: Court Life and Marriages

i Henry VIII Italian artist PietroItalian artist Torrigiano. Margaret Beaufort, sculpted by the Elizabeth of York, and his grandmother the effigies of his parents Henry VII and chapel at Westminster Abbey containing The most important of these was the lavishly architectural on spent projects. and the establishment of the Tudor dynasty was determined toHenry commemorate and six wives. today for his extraordinary marital history monarchs. is popularly remembered He of the set arts, him from apart earlier tournaments,court and his role as apatron building new palaces and staging elaborate incourt England. The king’s appetite for often described as the first Renaissance The reign of VIII Henry produced what is Marriages and Court Life VIII: Henry

copied and exists in several versions. personality. This image of the king was widely emphasised his strength of will and dominant in Room It 1. shows in apose Henry which for the original design survives and is displayed of fragment a the preparatory drawing (or ‘cartoon’) of the Tudor dynasty. Destroyed by fire in 1698, designed as acelebration of the achievements including the Whitehall mural of which 1536/7 was Holbein was employed on several royal projects, his image and reflect the splendour of the court. 1543), the king found abrilliant artist to promote In the painter Hans Holbein the Younger (1497/8– Hans Holbein and the King’s Likeness By Hans Holbein the Younger, the Holbein Hans By King Henry VIIIKing Henry c .1536–1537

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i Henry VIII consummation) then to and Katherine Howard, (annulled the same year on the grounds of non- first to Anne of Cleves, aGerman princess, 1540 in Two followed: marriages unsuccessful brief and birth to the longed-for son, the future Edward VI. third wife, Jane Seymour, who died after giving beheaded. In the same month married Henry his subsequently was and of adultery accused herself rejected by after in 1536 Henry being birth of adaughter (later Elizabeth I), Anne was hismarry mistress, Anne Boleyn. Following the when Henry’s desire for amale heir led him to widow, Katherine of Aragon, ended in divorce The king’s first marriage 1509 in to his brother’s King’sThe Marriages in the houses of the nobility and gentry. produced to behung alongside images of Henry Katherine of Aragon shown here were probably partnership: the portrait of types Anne Boleyn and played their in this part dynastic view of marital of Henry’s wives portraits Contemporary would several produce marriages royal princes. children at this date, clearly Henry hoped his a male heir. Given the high rate mortality of seen in the light of his obsession with producing The history of the king’s marriages should be favour during his years of ill health. king’s the maintaining Katherine with death, final marriage to Katherine Parr lasted until his who was executed for adultery in The 1542. king’s NPG 668 NPG of a portrait after century late sixteenth By an unknown artist, Boleyn Anne L246 artist, unknown an By Katherine of Aragon 4690 NPG artist, Anglo-Netherlandish unknown an By VIIIKing Henry toLeft right c .1520 c .1533–1536 c

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NPG 4451 NPG Attributed to Master John, to John, Attributed Master Parr Katherine c .1545 This pick-up also can found be on our website at npg.org.uk/tudor-pickup