I love British history but there is one part that is most interesting and one story I never get tired of – The 6 wives of Henry the 8th. It’s better than anything you could make up. You have all the ingredients for a V.C. Andrews novel – greed, lust, jealousy – all the biggies. They make it as bland as possible in school but I assure you that it is anything but. I read any book I can get my hands but my personal fave is the Alison Weir book I read years ago – The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1991). I never do plugs and have no personal gain. I just loved it and you will to, provided you like to read. I wasn’t too impressed with The Queen of Scots book she did though, but then again, anyone plotting against my Elizabeth is no friend of mine. I have always been biased against her.
In the beginning of the saga you have Henry, a prince in ever sense of the word – tall, handsome,virile, athletic, musically inclined – in other words, a catch. But at the end you have a big, bloated, gout ridden, impotent, tyrannical monster of a man. What could go so wrong in life that you do a 360°? You have to look at what happens in between. His first marriage was to Katherine of Aragon. Within 20 years of marriage she had a quick succession of unsuccessful pregnancies that ended in either a miscarriage or a stillbirth resulting in a fat face and figure. At least she did have Princess Mary – poor, pitiful Mary, who’s life was a lesson in misery. Well, that’s a whole other story. Still wanting a male heir and having an old wife was a recipe for disaster. Then Anne Boleyn entered the picture, much to Katherine’s misery, and things get interesting. Some people just bring the excitement don’t they? She was plain and did not have the blonde haired, blue eyed looks that were and still are considered the epitome of beautiful. She was dark complected with dark eyes and supposedly a 6th finger on one of her hands, the sign of a witch back then. He was determined to have her at any cost and his wife was banished to a dingy, damp castle where she eventually died. Anne strung him along with her eye on the prize – marriage to the king. Totally infatuated with her, he spent long years trying to divorce his wife to marry Anne. When he finally succeeded she was already pregnant with the great Elizabeth. Needless to say after he finally had her, he tired of her quickly, which is often the case. Realizing too late what a monster she was, he had her arrested on trumped up charges of treason and adultery with her brother then beheaded. Poor Elizabeth,motherless at 3. Anyways, rumor says he was on his way to his new lady’s house during the execution. Enter Jane Seymour, his favorite wife, the woman he is buried next to. Apparently Henry favored quiet and shy aka doormat. She definitely played her cards right. She gave birth to his longed for son. Too bad she died a few days later. It probably just saved him time beheading her when he tired of her. After a long mourning period ended he made plans to marry Anne of Cleves due to her beautiful portraits. When she arrived from Germany he had a rude awakening. He found her repulsive and sent her packing. She got a castle and money for life so all was forgotten. Hoping to feel a little younger himself, he married Anne’s 16 year old cousin Katherine Howard. She turned out to be not only slutty but stupid. She cheated on the king and paid with her life. In his wrath, she was beheaded. Now, If I would have married him I would have been walking on eggshells. For his second wife, he chose Catherine Parr, a widow closer to his age and I think she really did walk a tightrope. This was more about companionship instead of romance. Fortunately for her she outlived him. He died a big bloated, ulcerous mess that everyone feared. I am sure she breathed a sigh of relief. She quickly remarried, if that tells you anything at all, and had a baby named Mary who somehow faded into history. He started off as a dreamboat, but died someone totally different. Things in life tend to change people for better or worse and his choice was evident. The difference is, everyone doesn’t become a wife-killing monster. His change seemed to occur around the time of his marriage to Anne. What she did to him we really don’t know. Being put through the ringer may unhinge anyone a bit, king or not. Some researchers suggest he had untreated diabetes and some say syphilis which had a hand in his lunacy. In the end, we can only speculate what could cause someone to do a complete turnabout. I’m just glad this day and age he could not get away with murder just because he was a king, at least not a public beheading. Well, I’m done rambling for now. I am such a rambler. I guess I better get out of the renaissance and tend to other matters of the here and now.
Ciao 
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