Community Chat

[drizzellla]

Henry VIIIs wives

Catherine of Aragon - annuled

Anne Boleyn - beheaded
Jane Seymour - died 12 days after giving birth to son
Anne of Cleves - generous annulment

Kathryn Howard - beheaded
Katherine Parr - outlived Henry VII

[Oznell]

That's a good point, @goldensrbest.  I think it's kind of complicated, in the context of the times.  I'm going to guess that the early wives, before he had beheaded anyone, didn't imagine that he would.  And it wouldn't surprise me if some of the later wives

1) never thought he would do it to THEM, (human ego at work), or,

2) felt coerced by their circumstances to marry him.

But maybe the people who really know the English royals have other ideas.  Anyone?   @sharke?

[Oznell]

What a good little chart, @drizzellla!  That helps. 

[goldensrbest]

Iwatched the pbs show that was on last year,  i kept thinking they had options, and chose him.

[bathina]

He had 2 of his wives executed. The majority he banished, lived or died in childbirth. They married him because they had no choice. Women's preferences were not considered, especially when the families were higher "class". Marriages were made for increasing familial closeness to the King, thus amassing land, money and power. In the case of Ann Boleyn, she caught the eye of the King and she was ambitious (and probably in love) and her family wasn't going to say no to what all that would bring. Henry created his own religion- The Church of England, so he could marry Anne since the Pope would not grant him an annulment from Catherine of Aragon. I believe he really and truly was in love with Anne. But when the blush was off the rose and no male heir, he needed to get rid of her to move on.

[Drythe]

A British friend taught me this:

Divorced

Beheaded

Died

Divorced

Beheaded

Survived

He said he learned it an grade school as a memory trick.

I understand that the family of Mary & Anne’s mother were very power hungry and manipulated Mary into a relationship with Henry that she did not want, she was married to someone else.  Anne claimed that she was betrothed to another man and that they had gone through a marriage ceremony.  She refused to have anything to do with Henry.  Her family & his (the young man’s) put so much pressure on him that he recanted the act of marriage, after that she agreed to their plot to entrap Henry.

A nice bunch!

[this is my nic]

Some women find power quite appealing.  Also, Henry is reported to have been quite handsome and athletic in his younger years.

[violann]

“King Henry the Eighth, to Six wives was he wedded.

One died, One survived, Two divorced, Two beheaded”.

I’d happily credit this if I knew who said or wrote it, but I have no idea where it comes from. 

This period of English history is fascinating to me too, but I think living through it was a heck of a lot more dangerous than reading about it.

[PamfromCT]

There is a very interesting theory, perhaps providing insight into Henry’s psychological state.  As a young man, it seems he was very strong, athletic, and happy.  As the theory goes, he was severely injured in a jousting tournament, unconscious for a while, and became a different personality.  Severe head injury?  

[Oznell]

That is fascinating, @PamfromCT-- had not heard that theory possibly accounting for personality change in him!