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King Henry VIII of England reigned from 1509 to 1547, and famously married six times.

His main reason for doing this was he wanted to produce an undisputed, male heir to the throne, avoiding the possibility of a civil war after his death.

Undisputed

Henry's father, King Henry VII was the victor of the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, bringing to an end the long and bloody civil war known as The Wars of the Roses.

This was a conflict over the throne between the descendants of King Edward III and its origins can be traced back to the year 1399 when King Richard II, the rightful king by the usual rules of inheritance, was deposed by Henry Bolingbroke who became King Henry IV.

Male

The last time a female stood to inherit the throne of England was in 1135 when Matilda, daughter and rightful heiress of King Henry I, reigned - very briefly.

She was deposed by her cousin Stephen of Blois, who became King Stephen and this led to a 19 year civil war known as "The Anarchy."

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13y ago

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