The problem with King Henry VIII (the English king infamous for beheading 2/6 wives) was that the matriarchs of the Tudor line, not the male heirs, were the powerhouses. Margaret Beaufort started the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I ended it.
King Henry VIII was a spoiled rotten momma’s boy, who was never ever meant to rule; unusual, Arthur Tudor’s early childless death was never planned for despite Henry being a healthy extra male heir. Unfortunately for everyone, Margaret Beaufort, Elizabeth Woodville, and Elizabeth of York were not alive to babysit and puppeteer Henry VIII’s entire reign. Henry’s obsession with producing a male heir, at the expense of his family line, was a bitter irony. Iron lady and “mommy dearest” Margaret Beaufort had strategized and politicked her son, King Henry VII to the English throne; she was Henry VIII’s grandma. With their similarities, Catherine of Aragón and her should have gotten along, but alas, they didn’t.
His wives and his daughters were the enfant-terrible man-child’s most well-known victims. “Bloody Mary” Tudor’s youth was wasted due to Henry’s own scandalous pursuits, which made her a politically worthless princess to marry. Starting when she was 17, he bastardized her for her younger half siblings: Elizabeth I (whom was also bastardized after Anne Boleyn’s framed execution) and then long-sought but short-lived Edward. Due to Edward willing the throne to another protestant, Lady Jane Grey, violating Henry VIII line of succession, that Catherine Parr convinced him to restore.
Catherine Parr was his sixth wife, who Henry coerced to marry him, despite this interrupting her courtship with the lover, she married after Henry finally died. Edward had considered Lady Jane Grey for a wife before he died at 15. Edward VI’s rule, starting when he was 6, was controlled by his Seymour uncle. Note that Catherine Parr married Jane Seymour’s other brother, her lover; teen-aged Lady Jane Grey and teen-aged Elizabeth I lived with them until Catherine died in childbirth, cursing her husband trying to seduce teen-aged Elizabeth I; he was executed for treason for trying to emotionally exploit Elizabeth to usurp the throne.
After 15 year old Edward died, a coup put Lady Jane Grey on the throne for just nine days: thus, she is nicknamed the nine-days queen. Jane Grey’s royal consort, who she was forced to marry, was a Dudley. He was the brother of Robert Dudley, Elizabeth I’s one-and-only-love, who she was forbidden to marry due to Robert Dudley’s brother and father being executed, and Lady Jane Grey too, to return the throne to Mary. Robert Dudley was spared execution, and pardoned of treason charges, but Elizabeth I couldn’t marry a Dudley without England revolting against the marriage.
Henry VIII’s inability to actually love a woman cost both of his daughters and his son love. Ironically, Henry VII was so in love with Elizabeth of York, that he never cheated on her. Henry’s parent set a great example for him. He was just an ill-tempered, capricious, impressible, insatiable, incompetent, and selfish spoiled brat. Henry VIII had more in common with the “mad king”, Henry VI of England (different family) who died childless), whom his grandfather defeated and dethroned, than his own family.