What did Henry VIII think of his wives?

None of his wives ever really did anything that we would really blame them for if they lived in modern day England, but in their time women played different roles. Though Henry married women of different ranks-princesses to ladies-in-waiting-the same things were expected of all of them. Women's main value was as bearers of sons who would inherit their father's titles and estates.

Catherine of Aragon, after over 15 years of marriage failed to produce a male heir, embarrassing her husband in a way because he had only a daughter to show for his commitment.

Anne Boleyn, was fiery, witty, and passionate-much different from Catherine who was humble and submissive-though prideful. These attributes in her that he found very appealing in her he soon tired of when he married her. She also failed to provide a male heir, though she gave him another daughter.

Jane Seymour was considered by the King his most beloved wife because she bore him his only legitimate male heir, though she died in the process.

Anne of Cleves was the first bride the King married without knowing or even seeing first, and found her unappealing to his tastes-though not ugly.

Katherine Howard was at most 16 when she married the then 49 year old King who was fat, temperamental, and due to an open wound on his leg that seeped puss, never closing, disgustingly smelly. She was his way of keeping him young, and at this point he was still hoping for children. She-shocker-found him disgusting and had an affair with someone else.

Catherine Parr survived her fat, temperamental, smelly husband, though having a close call with almost losing her head like two of his previous wives (Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard) for voicing her opinion on political and religious matters.