YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO
Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. How King Henry VIII ended each of his marriages is widely known thanks to this handy rhyme, while the stories of his six wives continue to enthrall. The annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon provoked a religious schism, while his second wife, Anne Boleyn, was beheaded on charges of adultery, incest and treason, as Henry tore up the rules in his desperation for a son.
In this essential guide, we get to know the six women who became a Tudor queen, explore their romance – or lack thereof – with Henry, and examine the impact they had on his reign. Over the next pages, we answer the key questions about Henry’s tumultuous love life. What if his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, had given him a living son? Did he really love Jane Seymour most of all? What happened to the queens who kept their heads after their marriages ended? Who were the other women who shared Henry’s bed, and how many illegitimate children did he have? Turn the page to start the first chapter of this historical romance-story-gone-wrong with a Q&A with historian Tracy Borman...