Henry VIII (a Catholic, until 1534; an Anglican afterward; r. 1509 – 1547) commits bigamy by marrying his mistress, Anne Boleyn, BEFORE his marriage to Catherine of Aragon (a Catholic) is annulled (bigamy). Catherine is no longer able to conceive and bear children.
Postscript: Henry later had the marriage certificate backdated to November 14, 1532 to legitimize Anne’s prenuptial pregnancy.
[updated 6/20/2026]
Subsequent Events:
References:
Winston Churchill, A History of the English-Speaking Peoples, four volumes. (London: Cassell, 1956-58), 2:60-61.
Antonia Fraser, The Wives of Henry VIII, (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1992), 187, 199.
Anne Boleyn – Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Boleyn
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