Читать книгу Henry VIII’s Wives: History in an Hour - Julie Wheeler - Страница 5

Introduction

The reign of Henry VIII was one of the most revolutionary periods in English history. The king’s obsessive search for true love and intense desire for a male heir led to England’s break from the rule of Catholicism and the complete Reformation of the Church. ‘Divorced, Beheaded, Died; Divorced, Beheaded, Survived.’ This popular rhyme that many use to remember the fate of the six wives of Henry VIII shows us just that: their final destiny.

Although many rulers of the time married only for political reasons, Henry wanted an ideal we still crave today: a truly loving marriage. His quest for this improbable perfection changed him from a fun-loving prince into a belligerent tyrant, and his ever inflating ego ensured the changing passions he felt for the women in his life, and the heirs they may provide, were mixed with the type of play-acting that convinced him he was successful in the game of courtly romance.

The women whom he tried to squash to fit this perfect mould differed vastly. First came the devoutly Catholic and devoted Katherine of Aragon, then the tantalizing, volatile, Reforming Protestant Anne Boleyn. She in turn was ousted by the gentle and submissive touch of Jane Seymour. After her death, Henry made his only attempt at a wholly political alliance by choosing Anne of Cleves and he even tried to turn that into a romantic story. He went on to allow his heart free rein in the rule of his head in selecting the party-loving teenage tease, Katherine Howard, before finally settling for the intelligent and independent Katherine Parr.

This book, in an hour, will introduce you to these six entirely diverse and captivating personalities and the events that propelled them to their individual fates.