I came across this on the C J Sansom Appreciation Society (https://www.facebook.com/groups/15046129703/) as posted by one of its members. It made me smile and I hope that you enjoy it as well – and the C J Sansom Appreciation Society has some lovely posts.
The caption is Henry VIII’s wives if they hadn’t married him – they certainly look different when smiling.
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.
