I just have to say that I love the Tudors. I have been interested in this royal family for quite some time now. Unfortunately, I am not a historian, so posting this hub is strictly for entertainment purposes only.

Any information I've learned over the years about the Tudors has been from books, documentaries and movies. I have always been drawn to women in history, so learning about the six queens of King Henry VIII has become a little passion of mine.

1. Who else would like to join me here and comment on these fabulous women?
2. Which of the wives of Henry VIII is your favorite and why?
3. Do you have any valuble recommendations for all of us interested in the Tudors?
   

So here are the famous wives of King Henry VIII in order from first to last.

First came the lovely and dignified Katherine of Aragon. Physically she is described as short and having strawberry red hair. Coming from a royal Spanish family, she was well educated and knew her duties and obligations as a queen. She was a preserver of the Catholic faith just like her family in Spain. She is depicted as a kind and faithful woman. She must have been very strong willed, especially during those turbulent times when Henry VIII wanted to divorce her.

She became a mother to one daughter, the future queen Mary. Based on what is written about her, she seemed to have been a concerned and caring mother. She clearly did not want her daughter to lose her title and place in the royal family at a time when Henry was plotting new romantic ventures for himself.

Next came my personal favorite, Anne Boleyn. I don't know why I'm mostly drawn to her. I think partially it's Anne's French upbringing. Being educated in the French court made Anne stand out once she came back to England. She was a petite, olive complexioned, brunette full of life and determination. I can imagine how she captivated Henry's attention starting with her appearance, a style of dress that was quite different from the English norm. Anne's French gowns and headdresses, described as more bold or sexy than the English ones, definitely helped her stand out in the crowd.

She was not a traditionalist, rahter a new thinker when it came to religion and suported the Protestant movement. Her personality is described as witty, energetic, strong-willed, alluring, and determined. She knew how to capture the king's attention with all her skills and charms and get what she wanted in the end.

She pushed Katherine off the throne and became the next queen of England. Although, she scored much lower on public opinion than Katherine. Maybe it was due to her religious views, since much of England's populace was still locked in the Catholic mindset. Clearly, not being a favorite of Cardinal Wolsey created difficulties for her.

Anne became a mother to a girl who was to become Elizabeth I of England. Elizabeth's drive and determination that led to her successes as a queen were traits inherited from both her mother and father. What a genetic combo to inherit! Unfortunately, the brutality of Henry VIII led to Anne Boleyn's execution. Her life was cut much too short. I suppose her high strung temperament and jealousies, as Henry's eyes began to rome once again, drove her to her demise. I can only imagine how stressful it must have been for her after Elizabeth was born. As queen, she was expected to give birth to a male, and not having done so, in addition to a couple of miscarriages, put Anne into a highly stressed state of mind. If she would've only taken better care of her emotional state, maybe those other pregnancies would have been successful.

Anne Boleyn was replaced by Queen Jane Seymour, a delicate blond beauty. Her personality was very different from that of Anne's. The cool and composed Queen Jane Seymour was a peace loving, family oriented, conservative woman. She knew not to anger Henry. She was sensible enough not to be caught in company of other men. Preferring to be surrounded by women, she avoided any spread of suspicion and possible rumors. She cared for Henry's two daughters and tried her best to patch up the relationship between dad and his girls. Jane secretly favored the advancement of women in society. She must have known though that in her times, being a woman and promoting women's rights, was a dangerous task.

Queen Jane Seymour is said to have been Henry's favorite wife. She is the only wife to have successfully given birth to a son. King Henry VIII finally got his greatest desire, an heir to the throne. But at what cost? It cost Henry VIII the life of his most precious wife.

After Jane came the natural and wholesome German beauty Anne of Cleves. I personally feel for Anne and would like to see more information about her, as she is not one of the more popular Henry VIII queens. Here is a young woman who comes to England from a very different cultural background. And right away she is welcomed with stares. Willkommen nach England, Anna von Cleve!

Anne of Cleves came to England with a very German wardrobe. This did not create much admiration from the onlookers. Anne Boleyn with her French fashion got much more popularity than poor Anne of Cleves. Apparently French fashion was more in than German in 16th century England.

Anne of Cleves came from a family where she was heavily controlled and dominated by her older brother. It must have been a relief to get away from him and never come back, as was seen by her actions during her divorce from Henry. She was a clever enough woman to remain in England, have a fairly comfortable home and even make public visits to the King long after their marriage failed.

The kind and generous Anne of Cleves came to Henry as a young and inexperienced woman. She clearly did not please him in bed. He is recorded saying many mean things about Anne's physical appearance. Yet, one needs only to look at Henry himself, an obese man with a puss filled leg and a sour attitude. I think it is only commandable that Anne handled herself the way she did around him. And furthermore, after their seperation Henry labeled her as "sister" and allowed her to visit him at court. Clearly, he couldn't have been that repulsed by her physical appearance.

Anne of Cleves outlived Henry and his next two wives, Catherine Howard and Katherine Parr. Anne never remarried and never felt the joys of motherhood. Before dying she made sure that her staff was well taken care of. Anne of Cleves left behind a a kind and generous self image.

Catherine Howard was a teenager waiting for a disaster to strike her. How could this young girl, not even a woman really, marry an obese and temperamental Henry? Catherine Howard came from a royal family suffering with financial difficulties. Catherine coming from a large family was sent to live with her aunt. There she did not get the strict education as many girls her rank. Catherine became a free-spirited, flirtatious teenager. She makes me think that being a "teenager" in certain respects hasn't changed that much over the centuries.

Unfortunately, instead of being allowed to marry a young man of her rank, she was pushed into Henry's dangrous arms. Catherine is depicted as a young girl loving the material luxuries that were showered upon her by Henry. However, she did not have the common sense to be careful and not commit adultery. But one can hardly blame her, being stuck in the predicament she was in. She was a teenage girl with a fiery heart, naturally longing for affections from someone more her age and taste. Henry's middle aged, obese body was hardly the thing a teenage girl would lust after. And so, Catherine Howard met her end just like her cousin Anne Boleyn, on the scaffold. These were the only two wives of Henry VIII to have been beheaded. The other women died of illnesses or due to complications after childbirth, as was the case for Queen Jane Seymour and Katherine Parr.  Although Katherine Parrdied long after Henry.

Finally, the last tragic queen of good old Henry was Katherine Parr. Her role in life seemed to have been to be a caregiver. Not only was she a caregiver to two husbands before Henry, but as luck would have it she had to play that role with Henry as well. This was a dignified, well educated woman. She too was a reformer at heart. But behind her scholarly and nurturing character, was a woman yearning for true love. Katherine Parr had a romantic connection with Thomas Seymour, but had to give it up to marry Henry. She married out of obligation and was a good and caring wife. After Henry's death she managed to marry the love of her life, only to experience a shortlived romance. She gave birth to her first and only child in her mid thirties, but experienced complications. Just like queen Jane Seymour, Katherine Parr died shortly after giving birth. She left behind a little girl who would never know her great mother, Katherine Parr.

So there is my short summary of the lives of six incredible women, all of whom had one thing in common, Henry VIII.

Feel free to post comments on your thoughts and opinions about these women.

Katherine of Aragon - traditional and faithful

Anne Boleyn - explosive and alluring

Jane Seymour - composed and disciplined

Anne of Cleves - natural and innocent

Catherine Howard - youthful and energetic

Katherine Parr - intellectual and nurturing

Again, I am sympathetic and mostly curious about Anne Boleyn and Anne of Cleves. My two Annes. How about you?