The Wives Of Henry VIII

Rating:
Summary: Good to be the Queen?
Review: Antonia Fraser's 'The Wives of Henry VIII' is a wonderful account of the lives of the six women who married the controversial Tudor king. Fraser has written extensively on many subjects, but is particularly interested in British royal history. Her writing is clear and accessible, and almost invariably interesting.

Fraser says 'the six women have become defined in a popular sense not so much by their lives as by the way these lives ended.' Largely, they became identified (as most historical figures do) as stereotypes. Fraser's stated intent in the book is to examine the real women behind the stereotypes, to find the human strengths and frailties behind the historic labels.

Divorced, beheaded, died...divorced, beheaded, survived

-Catherine of Aragon-
Divorced
Stereotype: Betrayed Wife, bigoted Catholic
Reality: a learned woman, politically astute, perhaps not entirely blameless in the break-up (but then, what can one expect? Divorce was presumably out of the question given religious and political considerations, so might she have felt safe to be more forward than anyone should be with the formidible Henry?)

-Anne Boleyn-
Beheaded
Stereotype: Temptress, Protestant activist
Reality: she was more Protestant because the Catholic church wouldn't recognise or grant the divorce. She played a demur and devout character in court, but then, could she have publicly appeared as anything else, given the unprecedented events going on about her and because of her? She didn't have a chance to build up a power base, and suffered greatly for it. Indignatio principis mors est. Little known fact: Anne was actually divorced from Henry on the eve of her execution.

-Jane Seymour-
Died
Stereotype: the Good Woman, Protestant yet Catholic
Reality: 'Jane Seymour was exactly the kind of female praised by the contemporary handbooks to correct conduct; just as Anne Boleyn had been the sort they warned against. There was certainly no threatening sexuality about her.' Henry would look back on Jane as the wife with whom he had been uniquely happy. She died as a result of the stress of childbirth (a not uncommon fate of women of any class), Henry's only legitimate male heir.

-Anna of Cleves-
Divorced
Stereotype: Ugly Sister, Lutheran and Catholic
Reality: an interesting and difficult marriage to put together. 'Paradoxically, the King in his last forties, gross, no likely object of desire, was far more difficult to please than that handsome boy of 1509, ready to fall in love where policy directed him, whom any girl might easily love in return.' By this time, of course, Henry had a reputation of being at the least an unlucky husband. Solemn, looking older than her age, Anna was almost instantly disliked. Perhaps this saved her from a worse fate, if Henry had come to know her and then fall out of love with her.

-Katherine Howard-
Beheaded
Stereotype: the Bad Girl
Reality: Katherine was expected to produce the 'spare' to the heir produced by Jane. 'Katherine was, on her own admission, one who knew how to "meddle with a man" without conceiving a child.' Her affair with Culpeper not discreet enough, Katherine suffered the fury of Henry, who blamed his Council for forcing on him 'a succession of such ill-conditioned wives.'

-Catherine Parr-
Survived
Stereotype: the Mother Figure
Reality: not well educated but not unintelligent, a caring but politically astute person. 'As for the King himself, it was remarked that as Bishop Gardiner pronounced the now familiar words of the marriage service, an expression of real happiness crossed that bloated face.' She had taken as her motto 'To be useful in all I do.'

Fraser goes into detail about the lives, and the aftermath, what became of these women, even to the extent of recounting the period neglect and restorations of their graves. Speaking of Catherine of Aragon, she writes: 'It is rare to find the Queen's grave without fresh flowers placed upon it. Nothing is known about those who over the years have performed this touching act of respect. One can however safely assume that, whatever their own religious view, they agree with this estimate of the character of Catherine of Aragon: loyal, pious, courageous and compassionate.'

Rating:
Summary: Engrossing
Review: I have always been fascinated by English history, particularly Henry VIII. Fraser did not disappoint. Usually I find history books dry and dull. I was initially put off by the length of the book, but the author writes so well that I couldn't put the book down. She makes it seem more like a novel than a history text. I felt like I was right there with each of Henry VIII's wives. The book is meticulously researched, and she clearly shows the differences between the women in the King's life, and helps the reader to understand his motives. All the events are put in context of the sociopolitcal landscape of the times. As a result, I found myself seeing how complex the King was and not being able to hate him, even though I hated his actions. I highly reccommend this book to anyone who is interested in the history of the British monarchy.

Rating:
Summary: History Of A Serial Murdering, Multi-Marrying Monarch!
Review: I love English history, especially the period from King Edward IV's reign through the Tudors. I am also a big Antonia Fraser fan. So, before I picked up this history of King Henry's hapless wives, I knew I would enjoy it. And I am not disappointed at all.

Ms. Fraser writes with great elegance, and her usual wit, about the five women who married Henry VIII and how their lives impacted their times and history. She also describes each of these complex women, their unique characters as individuals, (not just as wives to a king), their motivations and ambitions. She outlines the ascent and decline of each of the women and how they related to one another, their peers and families...and to the King.

Much of the book is about Catherine of Aragon, but that is to be expected. She was married to Henry for 24 years, and prior to their marriage, she was wed to his older brother Arthur, a cause for future problems for the realm and much heartbreak for Catherine. Queen Catherine is portrayed most sympathetically, and that is my inclination also. She was a noble lady, raised to serve as Queen, who loved Henry, almost as much as she loved the Catholic Church, which he was to break away from and use against his wife and their daughter Mary. I have always wondered how Henry's character, his country and history would have changed if Catherine had born him a healthy son. Catherine was a strong woman of great faith, and nothing she ever did justified the treatment she received. One of the most poignant sentences in history, is one of Catherine's last. As she lay dying, she dictated a letter to the husband who had so ruthlessly abandoned her. She bid her scribe to write: "Lastly, I make this vow, that mine eyes desire you above all things. Farewell."

Anne Boleyn is an extremely well-educated woman, and very independent, especially given the times. And Henry is obsessed with the idea of possessing her. Anne plays his obsession to the hilt. Fraser describes her complex and ambitious nature, as well as the politics of her downfall, with great skill. Poor Jane Seymour's mild manner was a temporary, but welcome, relief to Henry after Anne. However Queen Jane's narrative is brief, as was her life. She died after birthing Henry's only living son.

Anne of Cleves, perhaps the most politically astute of Henry's wives, certainly the one with the best survival skills, was thrilled to be cast-off and allowed to keep her head.

Unfortunately, the naive and beautiful Katherine Howard, Henry's "blushing rose without a thorn" went the way of Anne Boleyn, because of promiscuity, lack of savvy, and church politics.

Catherine Parr, a woman of extraordinary intellect, was one of only eight women whose writings were published during the reign of Henry and his father. She was fortunate to become aware of a plot against her before she met the same end as Queens Anne and Katherine.

Ms. Fraser draws a lavish portrait of court life with its moral and political intrigues. She details the struggle for international power, and clearly explains England's break with Rome and the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.

This is a superb and very readable history, that has been meticulously researched. I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Good Reading, but General
Review: If you are familiar with the subject matter, this book does not cover fresh territory, outside of a few obscure details here and there (such as Anne Boleyn's being possibly born in early summer). However, Lady Antonia Fraser's writing, as always, is fresh, engaging and broad in perspective; although she does not delve into details, nothing is lost. But of course she must cover a huge expanse: each of Henry VIII's queens reflect him (indeed, women then were wholly dependent on his favour) at different stages of his life and kingship; his different needs. Which brings me to a poignant note: the most complex and intriguing queens (Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, and Katherine Parr) suffered at his hands and could not exercise their considerable talents unless allowed. But that is a modern perspective and irrelevant.

What Lady Antonia does best is reveal these women, their personalities and abilities, in the cultural, social and political context of the time. This book is a superb introduction not just to Henry VIII's wives, but Henry himself: vicariously we see the man through the women who both intrigue and repulse him. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: Of all the tutor biographies I've read this is my favorite. Antonia Fraser does a marvelous job. She takes detailed fact and presents it as the amazing story it truly is. Catherine of Aragon Henry's first wife is often only mentioned as the queen replaced by Anne Boelyn few authors forget to mention that Henry and Catherine were married for two decades before Anne became queen. And the often-skipped (or merely summarized in one sentence) Anne of Cleves is portrayed not as "the ugly one" but as an innocent princess who truly did not know what her brother had gotten her into. The more popularly written-about Anne Boelyn, Catherine Howard, and Catharine Parr are also thoroughly examined and Fraser goes to great lengths to go beyond the stereotypes in favor of a more accurate picture. All in all the book of course is not flawless but definitely worth the time it will take to absorb all this information.

Rating:
Summary: Divorced, Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived
Review: The triple threat of Elizabeth Longford, Antonia Fraser and Flora Fraser (Mother, Daughter & Grandaughter)have been providing us with readable yet fairly scholarly biographies for decades. All of them are well researched and certainly admired by historians and non-academics alike. This particular book is a handy all-in-one guide to Henry VIII and his six wives. It is by necessity, rather shallow, as his marital woes had and have very important ramifications, and this volume cannot begin to address these issues in depth. Overall, a great read about a fascinating man at a fascinating time. In truth, the women are not nearly as well fleshed out, with the notable exception of Katherine of Aragon, largely because their stories just were not as important as that of their husband to contemporary writers, so their lives are not as well documented. The extent 16th c. materials have been mined for individuals biographies of each woman, and they do each deserve their own book. (Many such have been written, even about poor Catherine Howard.) This is a good book for a first look at Tudor England. I like Lady Antonia and all her biographies, and those of her mother and daughter. I just wish she would stop writing those shabby mysteries.

Rating:
Summary: From a history major's perspective........
Review: This book is extremely well written, although I do think that sometimes Lady Fraser gets caught up in the minutiae. I love the illustrations, with the close-ups of each of the queen's personal heraldric badges. This book will definetly go to England with me when I go study abroad, it's a new take on the lives of the wives of one of England's most well-known kings. Family trees are extremely helpful.

Rating:
Summary: slow reading
Review: While this book does cover facts,its boring. And I am deeply into tudor history.It was a very slow read and took me much longer to read than any other book I have read.I found it very dull and would not recommend this to one who enjoys tudor history, even though it does give you alot of facts.Unless you have a test on king henry VIII wives, its a disappointment.