Sep 12, 2007, 12:26 GMT
Britain's King Henry VIII planned to have a 10th wife, it has been revealed.
The Tudor king - who set up the Church of England to allow him to divorce - died in 1547 while married to his sixth wife, Catherine Parr, but a new exhibition has revealed he planned to marry again four times.
An inventory of every possession belonging to Henry VIII, made three years after his death, has revealed he carried four wedding rings with him at all times.
It is believed the rings were part of an 'emergency wedding kit', and the discovery suggests the king was prepared to have as many as 10 wives.
The list will go on display as part of a new exhibition at London's Royal Academy, entitled 'Making History: Antiquaries in Britain', curated by historian David Starkey.
Henry VIII first married his brother's widow Katherine of Aragon. He then broke away from the Catholic Church when they refused to allow him to have the marriage annulled and set up the Church of England, to enable him to divorce Katherine and marry Anne Boleyn.
Anne was beheaded for adultery and Henry then married Jane Seymour who died.
His next wife was Anne of Cleves, who he also divorced, before he married Catherine Howard, who was beheaded for committing adultery before he married Catherine Parr.
Fortunately for Catherine Parr, Henry VIII died before he had a chance to move on to wife number seven.
(C) BANG Media International
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