Two posts in one day. I’m sorry if I seem to be going slightly overboard. However, as other folks have pointed out I’ve not really begun to scratch the surface of Henry and his spouses, not that this is even taking me beyond the veneer. It’s more of a trip down memory lane. I couldn’t resist this image. I recognised it from a text book I used at school.
Of course there’s the rhyme about the wives as well:
Divorced, beheaded, died.
Divorced, beheaded, survived.
There’s also the mnemonic: All boys should come home please.
The first letter of each word equating to -Aragon, Boleyn, Seymour, Cleves, Howard and Parr.
Having got that out of my system I intend to look at each wife in more detail, or some of the key people around them over the next few weeks. I also intend to use some of the wonderful Tudor related images that are available from Holbein to more contemporary interpretations. Here’s one to be going on with from the Guardian. Double click on the image to open a new window and access the Guardian’s two part guide to the kings and queens of England printed in 2009. I still have my paper copy in the proverbial safe place.
Dear Julia no worries send as many articles as you can write. The cartoon of Hal is funny. Do you ever remember that actor who played Friar Tuck the Richard Greene as Robin Hood on TV. Well! this chap also dressed as Henry 8 advertising Richmond pork sausages. He was Henry to a tee. Your picture brought the memory back as the advert for Richmonds products had all the flavour of this coloured picture. Great work keep slogging away at articles as reading them makes my day.
I rather like the idea of Henry VIII advertising sausages. He is probably the monarch that everyone recognises thanks to Holbein.
Or how about:
Henry the Eightth to six wives was wedded,
One died, one survived, two divorced, two beheaded!
I’ve not heard that one before.