The Six Wives of Henry VIII: Biographies

With this biography, Giles Tremlett uses his backgrounds in English and Spanish history to create a gripping account of Catherine of Aragon's life. Catherine of Aragon was married to Henry VIII for 24 years, the longest of any of his wives. Where other historians try to brush off an almost quarter century of marriage and history, Tremlett gives it and Catherine her due, from the seven years she spent in political limbo in England after her first husband's death to her final days exiled in a convent. He highlights her relatively unexamined political acumen, honed first from her parents, the politically astute Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile, and further explored during her brief period as regent and later throughout the Great Matter and dissolution of her marriage. His attention to her rich early life in the Spanish court of her parents is great for students curious about life in Spain and other European courts.

Anne Boleyn is without a doubt the most controversial and most discussed of all of Henry VIII's wives. Throughout history she has been painted in extremes, either demonized or glorified. Eric Ives takes these conflicting historical extremes and uses them to craft a picture of Anne that rests somewhere solidly in the middle. Anne was accomplished in her own right as a musician (she composed her own music, even from the Tower of London where she awaited execution), spoke several languages, and was well-read. She was also temperamental and stubborn. Giles delivers a complex portrait of a highly educated and talented Englishwoman who became part of one of the greatest scandals in European history.

Jane Seymour was the only of Henry VIII's wives to give birth to a legitimate, surviving son: the ultimate triumph for a European queen in the 16th century. Jane however died shortly after his birth. What little was recorded about her while she was alive suggests that she was a humble, pious, and frankly boring, Englishwoman from an important family. Few before Norton have questioned this simplistic interpretation of her. Norton discusses Jane's religious views at great length. In contrast to reform-minded Anne Boleyn, Jane was a devout Catholic who disapproved of her husband's dissolution of the monasteries. This slim volume provides important context and introduces, though not always elaborates on, key concepts in Tudor life.

This comprehensive biography of Anne of Cleves covers her life from her illustrious lineage (granddaughter of John the Babymaker, who sired over 60 illegitimate children before his marriage) to her death as an English landowner in and out of favor at the English court. Most relevant for MERS students is Norton's treatment of Thomas Cromwell (mastermind behind the match of Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves), extensive passages on Germany and the Protestant Schmalkaldic League, and Hans Holbein (eminent portrait artist of his day who painted the only contemporary image of Anne). What is remarkable about this book is that it extensively covers Anne's later life where most biographers tend to drop her after Henry's death. Anne survived Henry and his last wife Catherine Parr and this book explores her later life such as her gambling habits and variable fortunes in court and in her landholdings.

Bryne's book reevaluates Catherine (sometimes spelled Katherine) Howard's previously accepted role in history as a dumb blonde, complicating the narrative of her downfall. Barely in her twenties when she was executed for treason (for having an alleged extramarital affair), Catherine is not often portrayed with sympathy. Bryne frames his understanding of Catherine around a discussion of femininity and women's roles in Tudor England. He concludes that Catherine did not fulfill these socially accepted roles and that this is why she fell in favor. He puts forth some new conclusions about her based on his interpretation of the historical record (primarily that she was the victim of childhood sexual abuse).

In her book on the last of Henry VIII's wives, Elizabeth Norton defines Catherine Parr as a circumspect woman who did her best to find joy in her life while also protecting her best interests. When Henry asked Catherine to marry him after the death of her second husband (and while she was in love with another man, Jane Seymour's brother Thomas), she recognized that saying no to the king was not an option and agreed to marry him. She displays Catherine's tactical brilliance on her ability to soothe her husband's ire when he accused her of heresy, which could very well have cost her life. Much space is devoted to primary source texts, which add depth to the portrait of Catherine (and the page count).

A seminal work in six wives academia since its publication, eminent historian Antonia Fraser vividly re-imagines each of Henry VIII's wives based on the historical record. She reconsiders how narrowly they have been portrayed in the preceding 400 years to present a more intricate picture of each as monarchs and as women. Whether you know a lot or nothing about Henry VIII's wives before reading this book, you'll come away gaining a greater understanding of them. I recommend this book as a great starting place for understanding Henry VIII's wives and their interconnected fates. There are enough digressions on subjects as diverse as court fashion and religion that you can find something to like in this book.

An expert who has written much about the English monarchy, David Starkey's book on the six wives takes an intellectually rigorous, no-nonsense approach to appraising these women and their role in English history as a whole. From the introduction, he describes his exact historical interpretation of each wife and comments on where historians before him have gone awry. He further integrates Henry VIII into the book on his wives than other historians do (which makes sense as he's written a standalone biography of Henry VIII as well).