viviene8swansea

                                                                     
Henry the eighth, King of England, was a tall and handsome young man, who liked horse riding, tennis, writing and playing music. He wrote many beautiful songs and had a wonderful singing voice.
When he was older, he became very fat. He had a very bad leg, and often couldn't walk. And when his leg hurt, he was always angry.
He married six times because he wanted a son to be king after him. His one son, Edward VI, died just before he was sixteen.
Henry VIII is famous in England's history because he broke with the Pope and the Catholic Church, and started the Church of England.
In 1547 he became very ill and died. His three chrldren, Edward, Mary and Elizabeth, all became King and Queen after him. None of them had any children so Henry's family came to an end.
Elizabeth was Quenn of England for forty-five years. This was the time of Shakedpeare and Sir Walter Raleigh. Elizabeth was a great Queen, but she never married, and had no children. When she died, a Scottish King became King of England.

Katherine of Aragon:" I wanted to so much to give you a son, but God's plan for us was different, and we cannot change that."
Anne Boleyn was very clever, " During the last few weeks my life has been hard, I wanted you to take me away from this terrible prison. I ask one last thing. Please be kind to our daughter Elizabeth."
That was very quick! King married Jane Seymour just ten days after Anne's death. " I was very much in love with you. I have given you a son, and I can die happy, knowing that Edward will be king after you."
Anne of Cleves married Henry because King wanted to please the Germans.
When Katherine Howard married Henry just in her eighteen, and soon she died in her twenty.
Catherine Parr " I was thirty-one years old and Henry didn't really want a wife, he wanted a friend, and a nurse, and a mother for his three children."

glossary
Pope: head of Roman Catholic Church
mistress: sexual partner of a married man
miscarriage: unintentional ending of pregnancy
        abortion: intentional ending of pregnancy
        stillbirth: the birth of dead baby