The Wives of Henry VIII

by Antonia Fraser

The six-week New York Times bestselling history of the legendary six wives of Henry VIII--from an acclaimed biographer. "Admirably succeed(s) in bringing to life the six women who married England's ruler. . . ."--New York Times Book Review. 16 color plates. 32 pages of illustrations.

In the popular imagination the unfortunate consorts of Henry VIII survive as feminine stereotypes; the Betrayed Wife, the Temptress, the Good Woman, the Ugly Sister, the Bad Girl, and the Mother Figure. Now one of our leading historians restores these women to human dimensions while unraveling the web of forces that raised them to the throne and sometimes brought them to the headsman's block.

Under Antonia Fraser's intent scrutiny, Catherine of Aragon emerges as a scholar-queen who steadfastly refused to grant a divorce to her royal husband; Anne Boleyn is absolved of everything but a sharp tongue and an inability to produce a male heir; and Catherine Parr is revealed as a religious reformer with the good sense to tack with the treacherous winds of the Tudor court. And we gain fresh understanding of Jane Seymour's circumspect wisdom, the touching dignity of Anna of Cleves, and the youthful naivete that led to Katherine Howard's fatal indiscretions. The Wives of Henry VIII interweaves passion and power, personality and politics, into a superb work of history.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Tudor Period, Historical, British Literature, Royalty

479 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Antonia Fraser is the author of many widely acclaimed historical works, including the biographies Mary, Queen of Scots (a 40th anniversary edition was published in May 2009), Cromwell: Our Chief of Men, King Charles II and The Gunpowder Plot (CWA Non-Fiction Gold Dagger; St Louis Literary Award). She has written five highly praised books which focus on women in history, The Weaker Vessel: Women's Lot in Seventeenth Century Britain (Wolfson Award for History, 1984), The Warrior Queens: Boadecia's Chariot, The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Marie Antoinette: The Journey (Franco-British Literary Prize 2001), which was made into a film by Sofia Coppola in 2006 and most recently Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King. She was awarded the Norton Medlicott Medal by the Historical Association in 2000. Antonia Fraser was made DBE in 2011 for her services to literature. Her most recent book is Must You Go?, celebrating her life with Harold Pinter, who died on Christmas Eve 2008. She lives in London.

Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this would be a quality history by any standard, I've decided to judge it by exactly the standard that Antonia Fraser sets for herself right at the beginning of the book. She says that her mission is to rescue the six wives of Henry VIII from the sterotypes that have plagued them for centuries (not to mention the horrid singsong of "divorced, beheaded died..." etc). The stereotypes in question are, in order: "The Betrayed Wife, The Temptress, The Good Woman, the Ugly Sister, The Bad Girl, and The Mother Figure." I should note that she does admit that of course there is an element of truth to the stereotypes, but it isn't all as presented. So, does she accomplish this task?

The answer to that is a (mostly) unqualified yes. This is my first Antonia Fraser history, and I am so delighted that this is the one I chose. I highly respect her methods, her voice, and her manner of presentation. If I can become half the historian that she is I will consider myself quite accomplished. She's utterly meticulous, and obeys the rule of "cite cite cite," several times a page, using as many primary documents as possible, and notifying the reader when an account of a story comes from someone who was not present, or who hadn't been born yet, or who had a reason to write with some kind of bias. She goes out of her way to note even the slightest possibility of error, giving us footnotes even on the origin of various paintings, or the craftsmanship attribution of the Queen's badges. Things that might not even seem important- she makes it a point that every fact is important, and the historian doesn't get to decide which ones to give and which ones to withhold. It is for the reader to decide that. While one historian might simply state an event, Antonia Fraser goes through several different versions of an event, drawn from different eyewitness accounts, analyzing the likelihood of one story or another being true. She makes it a point to address our most prominent myths about the Queens, and tell us either why they're untrue, or leave the question open. I really liked that- it shows a respect for the reader's intelligence that was very appealing. All of this gave her writing a very reassuringly evenhanded, fair, measured tone that would hardly ever lapse. I think there were only a few occasions when the author allowed her opinions to be known- usually through a snide comment, but she was always careful to make sure that she wasn't presenting it as fact, just a possibility. Honestly, it didn't bother me because most of such opinions were after chapters of dealing with the same nonsense from a particular character until I wanted to scream at them- and Antonia Fraser just allowed herself a Jane Austen, ladylike sarcastic sideswipe. I liked that too- showed there was a bit of a person behind there, no matter how hard she tried to keep up the facade.

Okay, right, onto the actual queens themselves and the stereotypes:

-Catherine of Aragon, "The Betrayed Wife"- Honestly, I think that it is this stereotype that is the most true. It is sort of hard to deny after reading all of the crap that Henry put the poor woman through. But she does rescue her from being "merely" a wife very handily- Catherine is seen to have some power, her own opinions, a fantastic sense of drama when necessary. Not to mention we see just how happy their marriage was for a time. Also, the first section contains a lengthy description of the diplomatic conditions of the time period, sets up the rivalry of the Three Kings, and explains just why it was such a coup for Henry VII to get Catherine in the first place and how her status changed. It was a fascinating lesson in the diplomatic ways and means of the period, and just how unstable this Europe was in many ways, even before Luther and his door nailing party.

-Anne Boleyn, "The Temptress,"- I acquit her of this one, mostly. After all, she did wait seven years for the guy to marry her, and didn't sleep with him until well into the sixth year. Also, Henry seems to have been rather singleminded about his loves, so. Antonia Fraser did a good job of pointing out the situation she was in and how limited her options were once she attracted the attention of the king. Also, interesting discourse on her Lutheran tendancies- it appears she was a geniune reformer. Had intellectual interests other than catching men. However, I don't acquit her of being an utter bitch at times, especially to Mary. Though I do now have more understanding of her insecurity and why that may have happened.

-Jane Seymour, "The Good Woman"- The poor girl didn't live long enough to judge. Turns out she may have been kind of a prude, and definitely was interested in protecting her position as Queen- some jealousy towards the pretty girls around her. She was also probably not particularly Protestant, which was interesting.

-Anna of Cleves, "The Ugly Sister"- This was, oddly, probably the most interesting bit of the book. Her story is a fascinating stumble of mistakes and miscues, rash decisions followed by waiting periods. Girl got totally screwed over by her relatives and Henry, though he did pay for her upkeep after the "divorce." She seems to have been well meaning at first, and probably wasn't ugly at all. Tried really hard to become English. The interesting part is that she succeeded, stayed on at the court, etc. Seems she felt more rejected when Henry didn't remarry her after the death of Katherine Howard- and she had the capability to be just as much of a bitch as Anne Boleyn. Also, she survived the longest of the wives. Interesting personality. I'd like to read a novel of her life- someone should write that.

-Katherine Howard- "The Bad Girl"- Nope, not particularly evil. Just dumb and shallow- your basic girl from a small town goes to the big city for college and loses her head a little bit. Flighty, kind of dumb.

-Catherine Parr- "The Mother Figure"- Not really. Yes, she was a pretty good nurse. She was chosen for her maturity. But I don't think it was to "mother" him necessarily. Henry just always needed a woman next to him- to oppress them, sometimes. Also to take care of him and adore him. He likes dominating women and loving them about equally for most of his life, the balance tips to selfish domination and getting his own way towards the end. She had interesting religious opinions, and definitely a mind of her own. Probably the most Protestant Queen, next to Anne Boleyn. I loved the portrait of her after Henry died, how she sort of overflowed with the repressed life that she'd had to hide as Queen. Some bad things went on then, but it was heartbreakingly understandable. I think I liked her best of all the Queens, except when Anne Boleyn was at her earthiest and most honest.

Overall lesson? As Fraser tells us herself, women were truly helpless to the whims of their male relatives, strong personalities or not, and doubly so if this person was the king. It sucked to be a woman ... and yet women were fighting back against it in small ways all the time. In small ways. In the ways open to them. Some of them were wise enough not to try, tried to work within the system. Some of them said "fuck that"- Anne Boleyn being among those.

Also, as many others have said about this book- these women were women, not symbols. Henry VIII was a man, not a monster. Granted, he did terrible things, but Antonia Fraser is able to break those down, tell us why they may not have seemed like terrible things at the time. She's able to try to give us some psychological insight as to why he might have felt himself justified, or why he became the person that he did. It doesn't give you sympathy with him, per se, but it did succeed in lessening the vitrolic disgust a bit. Context always helps with that, of course.

Anyway to wrap up this loooong review (oops), I will say that I recommend this to those interested in the Tudor era, women's studies, Tudor foreign affairs, or anyone willing to sit through a bit of history for some good psychological profiles.

[Mª Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uno de los mejores ensayos sobre las seis esposas de Enrique VIII que he leído.

Lo primero, indicar que si bien está escrito con fines divulgativos hacia el gran público en general, esto no le resta rigurosidad ni a los personajes ni a la época. Ameno, ágil y se lee bien.

Está dividida en un prólogo y 20 capítulos. Desde el primer momento, Fraser intenta desmitificar ese estereotipo en el que se ha encasillado a cada una de las seis esposas, "la traicionada", "la tentadora", "la buena mujer", "la hermana fea", "la muchacha mala" y "la figura materna". Interesante la reflexión que hace acerca de sus retratos y de como el público los confunde, consecuencia de dicho estereotipo.

Los diez primeros capítulos se corresponden a las dos primeras esposas, Catalina de Aragón y Ana Bolena. En ellos, junto con la historia de cada una, vamos a conocer la época, los miedos del soberano, todo el proceso de separación religiosa de Roma y el de construcción de una nueva iglesia. Los diez capítulos restantes los dedica a los reinados de las otras cuatro esposas.

El fresco de la época está muy bien retratado. Al principio del libro encontramos dos árboles genealógicos. Uno, el del propio Enrique y sus esposas, el otro el de los antepasados Plantagenet desde Eduardo I. Es muy de agradecer el tener a mano esa genealogía. El miedo cerval que le tenía Enrique VIII a cualquier descendiente de Eduardo III por muy colateral que fuera, le llevó a acabar con todos ellos. Por otro lado, todas sus esposas estaban de una u otra manera (muy intrincada a veces), emparentadas con la realeza. Ambos árboles ayudan al lector a situarse en estos terrenos.

Fraser nos expone igualmente como el rey supeditó todas sus políticas a la consecución de un heredero varón. Ferviente católico, se construyó una iglesia a medida únicamente para poder divorciarse de Catalina. Las similitudes del dogma entre las iglesias católica y anglicana no son mera casualidad. El monarca ya se encargó de que así fuera. Eso conllevó ejecuciones tanto de católicos, que se oponían a la ruptura, como de protestantes que veían en la separación de Roma la oportunidad de establecer sus tesis reformistas afines a Lutero.
Igualmente nos relata las penurias para el pueblo y la crisis económica que conllevó la disolución de los monasterios y conventos.

Y por supuesto, vamos a conocer con bastante detalle la vida de sus seis esposas, de personajes relevantes de la época, así como la infancia y juventud de la princesa María.

En conclusión. Un ensayo ameno y riguroso sobre las esposas y reinado de Enrique VIII. Se lee bien, informa y no cansa. Recomendable.

[Melindam · Rating 4 out of 5]

After recently finishing the Thomas Cromwell trilogy by Hilary Mantel and loving it to bits, I had serious trouble saying goodbye to this intriguing anti-hero and the Tudor world.

And then I went promptly to my bookshelf and grabbed this book, which had been standing there, untouched (unless you count the occasional dusting) for at least 10 years. What a shame! :(

But it finally got its deserved days of glory and appreciation. While it is of course not about Cromwell per se, but all his political movements got a mention as I traced the course of history through the lives of Henry VIII's queens.

Praise for Antonia Fraser. This biography of the 6 queens is informative, unbiased and very interesting, giving the political and historical background without making you feel overburdened with dry details.

Recommended for those who loved the Thomas Cromwell trilogy as well as to those who didn't, and to those who are simply interested in the Tudor era.

[B the BookAddict · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this non-fiction account of the six wives of Henry VIII because my interest was piqued by the television series The Tudors and the historical fiction novels Tudor Court by Philippa Gregory. Prior to these two sources, I had no real knowledge of the women Henry married; of course, I knew their fates were “divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded and survived” as that little ditty goes although I had not heard that particular ditty. So where better to go to now than a non-fiction account by prominent historical biographer, Antonia Fraser. One must bear in mind that this book is Non Fiction as opposed to Historical Fiction; there is a big difference in the two genres.

As Fraser says: “It is seductive to regard the six wives of Henry VIII as a series of feminine stereotypes... [but] Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Parr possessed real intellectual ability, ...[ ] during those fraught months of 1536, Jane Seymour's comportment was a model of discreet wisdom, ...[ ] Anna of Cleves behaviour during her bewildering short marriage ... displayed a touching dignity” and poor Katherine Howard “...a charming amoral butterfly.” But there is more depth to the women who featured in Henry's marriages as he was driven to provide an heir for the English throne.

Fraser provides you with so much interesting information; she sources documents, written accounts, letters, bills of fare and much more. She quotes ambassadors at the court, in particular ( and my favourite ) Eustace Chapuys, the Spanish Ambassador who provided a link to home for Katherine of Aragon, later a link to Katherine for Mary.

I particularly liked how Fraser gave you a history of the women, their family connections and how they, somewhat unfortunately I think, came into Henry's radar. It was refreshing, for me, that she did not impose emotions on the wives, rather she says “would/might have felt”, “could have imagined” when relating the women's perspective. I have not read any other Historical Biographer's work of this topic so I cannot make any comparisons. I will say I tremendously enjoyed this comprehensive account of six women who are distinguished in history by their fate. 5★

[Dem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read a book called the last queen which details the life of queen Juana of Castile, the last queen of Spanish blood to inherit her country's throne, her sister Catherine of Argon was the first wife go King Henry VIII. I came across when it was reviewed by a Goodreads member I decided to give it a try as Tudor history has not been high my radar and I wanted to learn more about Catherine's time in England.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book as it is well written and well researched and Antonia Fraser gives an insight into the women and the marriages of King Henry VIII without too much of the politics of the time. As I say I am not a fan of Tudor History but this managed to keep me interested and I learned a little something along the way. The author included family trees, photos, and notes throughout the book which I really feel added so much to the book.

I think this has satisfied my curiosity on the Tudors as the book was very informative.

[*TUDOR^QUEEN* · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book back in 1998. It was large, heavy and had a cover that looked and felt like an ancient parchment. If you are a fan of Tudor history, this is the book that will enchant and prime you for a trip to England. It has photos of many of the important sites like exactly where royalty are buried. This was important information for me, as I was fascinated in particular with the execution of Queen Anne Boleyn. Of course, it showed the picture of where she was executed and the chapel right behind where she is buried under the side of the altar. So, when I made my trip to England the following year and visited the Tower of London, I was all the more amazed when I found myself sitting in a pew in that chapel just steps away from her final resting place. I also learned from this book where King Henry VIII was buried (in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, under the floor near the choir) and it supplied the photo. In fact, when I returned home from my trip I delved back into the book and looked at all the photos again, marvelling at the fact that I had actually seen all these things in person. Out of all the books I have read on the Tudors, I would definitely call this a mainstay book to own.

[Maja - BibliophiliaDK ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

When reading this book it was very clear to me, that Fraser's purpose in writing this book was not to challenge any of the usual conceptions of the six wives of Henry VIII. She has next to no primary sources, and those she does has she doesn't explore or challenge in any way. So this is not a work of historical curiosity. It is a book made to enlighten and entertain without losing the wider audience. I don't particularly mind that kind of writing, it's nice to read from time to time, but with a book about the wives of Henry VIII it is a little un-needed, seeing as how there are a thousand other books out there that states the exactly same thing. And with Fraser snatching ideas and theories from other historians... well, let's just say I'd rather have read those works than this.

[Madeline · Rating 2 out of 5]

"I have...attempted to deal with each woman in turn with the sympathy I feel they all deserve for having had the unenviable fate (to my way of thinking) of being married to Henry VIII. At the same time I have tried to practise the detachment which recognizes that this is an eminently modern judgement; not one of the King's six wives married him against her will. I have also hoped to practise that detachment towards the King himself: the gigantic Maypole at the centre of of all round which these women had to dance. But of course this is not his story. It is theirs."

I'll open by stating the good aspects of this book: first, it's obviously very well-researched and Fraser does her best to stay neutral and not call Henry a stupid fat bastard with the emotional maturity of a toddler. (you know it's true) It's all very in-depth and informative, and I would have no reservations about recommending it to someone who wanted to learn more about Henry VIII's wives beyond the old "divorced beheaded died, divorced beheaded survived" thing. It's not bad, is what I'm saying.

But I only gave it two stars - why? Simply because, in my mind, Antonia Fraser failed to deliver what she promised in the beginning of the book. She says that her goal is to show us these women beyond their respective stereotypes: the Betrayed Wife, the Temptress, the Good Woman, the Ugly Sister, the Bad Girl, and the Mother Figure. Fraser says she's going to make us see that these women were more than their stereotypes make them seem, and that we shouldn't think of them in these terms.

But you know what, Fraser? The stereotypes are true. Katherine of Aragon was Henry's loyal wife for over twenty years and he betrayed her. Anne Boleyn seduced Henry and kept him interested for seven years until he married her. Jane Seymour was a good woman by Tudor standards because she gave Henry a son and didn't cheat on him (possibly because she just didn't have enough time). Anne of Cleves was not attractive, and after Henry divorced her she was treated as his sister. Katherine Howard cheated on Henry, which is both bad and stupid. Catherine Parr was a good wife and a good mother to her three stepchildren and needy immature husband. The stereotypes exist because they're based on truth, and any extra information Fraser shares with us about these women's educations or whatever doesn't do much to convince me otherwise.

And maybe I've just read too many books about the Tudors, but I didn't feel like I really learned anything from this. There was new information about the wives, sure, but none of it really shocked me or made me see them in a different light.

The ideal reader for this book is someone who's recently become obsessed with that HBO show The Tudors, and is curious to see how accurate the show really is. If I knew someone like that, I'd recommend Fraser's book without hesitation. It's a good introduction to the real story of Henry VIII's famous wives, but since I already knew the story, the book didn't have much to offer me.

[Alice Poon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a work of elaborate research into and objective recount of the lives and fates of the six queens of Henry VIII. Although I had to struggle with the innumerable and often confusing names and titles of the gargantuan cast in the presentation, this didn't thwart my desire to get to the end.

The stories of the women themselves are poignant, if not upsetting (upsetting because they are not fictitious but real people). Their fates are a direct result of the times they lived in, which was probably one of the bloodiest reigns in English history, not to mention their ill luck of being tied in marital bond with, to say the least, a volatile and self-indulgent monarch who was obsessed with the issue of a male heir.

The author did a good job in explaining in detail the intricacies of European politics in that era: the unending strife between the Catholic and Protestant factions, the in-court rivalry between the consort-related nobility and the use of royal marriages for political ends. Highlighting such labyrinthine political background are the calculating and often deadly machinations by stakeholders behind a masquerade of civility and honor.

One gruesome detail of the narrative is the description of those monstrous capital punishments and tortures permitted under sixteenth century English law, which rival in cruelty with China's penal system in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties.

Overall, the moral lesson that can be drawn from this historical account is perhaps that a ruler or political leader (man or woman) can never be trusted with having absolute, unchecked power over others.

[Anna Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved everything about this. For me, Antonia Fraser can do no wrong - at least thus far. I even learned a few new things about the wives, which I didn't think was possible at this point. Highly recommended.

[K.M. Weiland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, in-depth, entertaining exploration of a perennial topic that is all too often skimmed. Weir puts the focus not on Henry but on the women who made him (in)famous.

[Lilirose · Rating 4 out of 5]

La storia di Enrico VIII e delle sue sei mogli sembra fatta apposta per affascinare il pubblico: divorzi, tradimenti, esecuzioni, è quasi una soap opera ante-litteram. Il rischio per il biografo è quello di romanzare troppo per il gusto del raccontare, o al contrario di privare le vicende del mordente e del fascino che indubbiamente rivestono in nome del rigore storico. La Fraser non cade in nessuna delle due trappole e ci offre un saggio curato nei dettagli senza rinunciare alla piacevolezza dell'esposizione. Il suo intento è donare spessore e profondità a queste donne intrappolate nel mito, immergendole in un contesto realistico e storicamente molto accurato; la forza del libro sta proprio nel non dimenticare mai che ci stiamo occupando di persone vere, con le loro ambizioni e i loro drammi privati al di là dell'importanza storica che rivestono per i posteri.
Lo stile poi è brillante, a volte sembra quasi di leggere un romanzo vista la vivacità con cui è narrato e l'abbondanza di aneddoti e piccole scene quotidiane che snelliscono la prosa.
Penso sia un libro ideale per chi è appassionato di storia, ma allo stesso tempo è in cerca di un testo scorrevole che sia da leggere e non da "studiare".

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to get a better overview of the whole series of wives of Henry VIII from the vantage of actual history, rather than historical fiction. I also wanted to get a better picture of what happened after Anne Boleyn. I enjoyed this book a great deal. Fraser creates a compelling narrative while retaining good scholarship. She does a good job of going over what information is hard fact, what is conjecture, what is rumor, what is likely or unlikely - she's honest about the reliability of the various pieces information available and analyzes what does & doesn't make sense. In particular, I appreciated reading the context of Henry VIII's reign and relationships in terms of what was happening on the continent. Because the story of the English reformation and Henry VIII is presented both in basic American history textbooks and in popular culture in isolation, there were some lines that I never drew between events until reading this book. For instance, we never say much about the Puritans until they're already on the boat and headed our way - but in fact, they were on the rise in the early reign of Henry VIII, catching the interest of not only Anne Boleyn but Jane Seymour and other members of court and the aristocracy. The humanist writings of Erasmus and the reforming tracts of Martin Luther were also getting a lot of attention by this time. It was very helpful to consider how this would have contributed to the choices made at court. Beyond that, the Hapsburg Empire in continental Europe and the kings of France and Spain also had a big influence on Henry VIII's selections for himself and his children. One somewhat throw-away line about Suleiman the Magnificent fighting the Hapsburgs was almost embarrassingly revelatory. Duh - all these things were happening at the SAME TIME! Why have I never thought of how they would have had at least a tangential relationship with each other? Why is the history of so many interacting players always presented in little pieces, as though they are separate tents instead of rooms in the same house? I also never got a thorough appreciation for Henry's obsession with having a son. Americans come away from World History class with the impression that Henry VIII was just following his pecker around. We're never given a clear impression of the awful civil wars that occurred in England whenever the succession was not clear. And yet of course, he was king - if all he wanted was to get laid, who would stop him? But the idea of having a stable of illegitimate children to challenge for the throne would have been a bad one. The idea of leaving an inadequate number of sons, in a sexist world of high child and infant mortality, was also a bad one. In fact, Henry VIII seems to have taken the lessons of English history and his own responsibilities in providing a clear succession rather seriously, and genuinely found his lack of sons as a possible judgement from God on the validity of his marriages to both Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. Fraser does a good job of presenting this concept to readers who are not steeped in early English history the way a native might be.

[Anne Of Cleves · Rating 5 out of 5]

at last! a version where my piteous excuse of an ex husband doesnt take up all the space on the cover.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some may think that having already read "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" by Alison Weir, that reading "The Wives of Henry VIII" would be Tudor over-kill and nothing more than repetition. However, Antonia Fraser manages to put her own spin on these famous wives and brings out details and facets of each woman that I hadn't previously contemplated. I am not sure I could choose a favorite between Weir and Fraser. If I remember correctly, Weir seemed to put a bit more focus on Anne Boleyn while Fraser leaned a bit more towards Catherine of Aragon. It took me awhile to read this book (through not fault of the author or the book itself), but I was able to pick up where I left off each time I read and I finally made it through.

Some people are uncomfortable leisure reading "history" books because of the "boredom factor". Frasier has an easy narrative way of writing that keeps you interested in the story of this king and his ill-fated wives. I would highly recommend this to established Tudor afficionados as well as fans of The Tudors series on Showtime who may want to learn a bit more about this storied royal family.

[Nancy Oakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is really a 3.5 but since we don't have that option, I'll round it up.

The Wives of Henry VIII is well written, very well researched and offers more information than you can possibly hope for about each of Henry's wives. More than half of the book covers Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, with the rest dedicated to the other four. But wait ...there's more...it's also a good examination of historical events, European court intrigue, the religious situation not only in England but elsewhere in Europe, and other people connected with the British court and beyond. Furthermore, Fraser ties it all up very neatly by examining in brief the lives of the queens that survived the death of Henry VIII, and poses the question at the end that gives the reader some food for thought: if Katherine of Aragon had delivered a healthy son, would there have been the same type of religious change in England?

I liked this book, but to be really frank, if I had written something like this as a grad student, my advisors would have told me to cut it back and organize it better. She is a bit overly wordy, and there are a lot of things that fit better under different sections other than where she placed them. Also, I have to wonder when historians purport to know the mind of their subjects, and there are several places where the author makes judgments based on what she things Henry VIII would have thought. This was a bit off-putting. Also, in some cases where she makes a statement that somebody said something or something was thought, there were no footnotes that I could reference. However, overall, there is a wealth of information here, and the woman has definitely done her homework. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who has a serious interest in the topic and wants a good reference work. Hang in there...it's long, but it's worth it in the end.

[Ben Bachelor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unbearably dry. The author also assumed I had some knowledge of the events that were to come, especially when initially talking about any wife, so she would focus on some seemingly odd details and jump around in the timeline in an odd and slightly confusing manner. This would probably have been acceptable if I was reading this book rather than listening to it while half occupied with something else (namely driving).

This is a long and mostly boring story which, regardless of the author's claims, and with the exception of Katherine of Aragon, really doesn't discuss the women outside the context of their time with Henry VIII.

There were a few interesting details hidden here and there that enabled me to give this one 2.5 stars.

[Lilybet Perry]

just know i’m counting my coursework reading because this book is phat

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was excellent. I was particularly interested in her exploration of how each of the six women were victims of their “biological destiny”. Patriarchy and the gender binary were alive and well in Tudor England, lemme tell ya.

I’m looking forward to reading the author’s book on Marie Antoinette next.

[Preethi · Rating 5 out of 5]

How did I - someone who rarely reads non-fiction - get here?

1. I watched Blood, Sex & Royalty on Netflix (A+ content), and
2. SUCH A PRETTY COVER!

[Alyson Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book: The Wives of Henry the VIII
Author: Antonia Fraser
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

Okay, so the library messed up on the book I wanted. I actually wanted to read Alison Weir’s book, but it’s okay. I was actually very surprised about how much I liked this one. I have tried to read Antonia’s books before, but never really got into them. This one was very different.

I enjoyed the detailed accounts of each of the wives. I really didn’t know anything about Anne of Cleves and found this to be very eye opening. I felt like not only Anne of Cleves, but the other wives just seemed to come off the page. I was drawn to the easy writing and how nothing seemed to be left out. I enjoyed seeing how these women rose to power and in how many cases fell from grace. We didn’t only get to read about the queens, but them as a person.

I thought the book itself was really researched and really put together. It really is hard to talk about the eight wives in a single book. I really thought that Antonia did a wonderful job of making sure that each queen was equally covered. Now, I did think that Catherine of Aragon had a bigger section, but she was married to Henry for twenty years!

Catherine of Aragon’s part was probably my favourite. I do view her as the queen who got shoved against. I really do admire her character and wit. She really did show Henry just what women were capable of doing. She lead a victory against Scotland, gave Henry a living daughter, and stood by his side for twenty years. Often times, I think she is the queen who is overlooked. Her accomplishments are tossed aside because she was divorced. We often times forget about all of the remarkable things that this woman did. Let’s not forget that she was kept in poverty for a long time and that Henry VII kept her alone in England without her family after Arthur’s death. To me, this is a pretty remarkable life. Just imagine what she went through. After all, she was the daughter of Isabella and Ferdinand.

The other parts of the book were well written too. Anne Boleyn is probably the most famous wife, so I did like how her part stood out, but wasn’t the main focus of the book. I also enjoyed Jane’s part. She did give Henry a son, but died right after. I think that hers and Anne of Cleves story is saddest. Okay, they say that Katherine Parr was the survivor, but I actually think it was Anne of Cleves. Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t she actually outlive all of Henry’s wives? To me that is a survivor.
Once again, I was actually surprised at how much I did enjoy this book. Again, I have tried to read Antonia’s work before, but was just unable to get into it. Now, maybe I will have to give it another try.

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Wives of Henry VIII was the first non fiction book I read about the Tudors. I picked it up after reading a couple of Philippa Gregory’s novels, wanting to know more about these fascinating women. From that moment the six wives of Henry VIII have become some of my favourite historical figures, and I’ve read tons of books, both fiction and non, about them. Still, I was excited to return to this book and see if I still enjoyed it.

As I was hoping, it was as delightful as I remembered. I need to try other works by Antonia Fraser, because it is clear she is a great historian. Her research is vast and precise, but her style is quite accessible. She is also very objective in her exposition, even if sometimes it shows that she is more interested in some wives than in others. Compared to Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, the parts about the remaining four wives are brief; this is a little frustrating, but it is also true there is not as much material about them, mostly because they were queens for short periods of time.

In the preface Fraser says she wants to present the wives in an objective view, disproving the common stereotypes associated with them. I think she is successful. She points out how the stereotypes are sometimes quite wrong, and sometimes they are closer to the truth, but they are only a small part of who these women were. For example, Catherine Parr was indeed a dutiful and obedient wife, but she also had an impulsive and passionate nature which emerged in some occasions.

I also appreciated how Fraser stressed out that the bad reputations surrounding some of the wives are not necessarily deserved. It was easier to blame the women (especially Anne Boleyn) for the awful things Henry VIII did. She also points out that, no matter how independent the wives might be, they were completely subjected to the king's will and power, and this needs to be taken into consideration.

Still one of the best non fictions about these enigmatic women.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars! I liked this better than Alison Weir's book. I felt this was easier to read, but it's still a little heavy.
It's split into five parts: about 100 pages each on Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, 60 pages on Jane Seymour, 70 on Anna of Cleves and Katherine Howard, and 60 pages on Catherine Parr. Of course they overlap with each other, but each part tends to focus on each wife and the people around them. There is also a glossy color photo insert for each wife, which I thought was nice.
Overall a very well written book, I definitely recommend it (over The Six Wives of Henry VIII)!

[Morgan Plant · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been watching the Show Time series the Tudors. After reading Wolf Hall I needed to find something else to give me more history and this was the perfect book. I found that actually the film series is in many ways quite historically accurate and some of the remarks are almost verbatim, i.e. Anne Boylen's remarks before her beheading.

[Drake30 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muy documentada radiografía del reinado de Enrique VIII, que a través de la relación con sus esposas muestra una época en el que las relaciones de poder lo eran todo; también ofrece el panorama de los hechos que condujeron al cisma con la iglesia católica. Bien narrado y traducido.

[beesp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Antonia Fraser scrive le storie affascinanti delle donne di Enrico VIII. Oltre i ruoli stereotipati che la storia ha loro attribuito, queste dame più o meno prudenti, più o meno coraggiose, sfortunate o felici, danno il meglio di sé sulla pagina, alle spalle gli intrighi dei cortigiani che promuovevano il loro prestigio o la loro caduta. Sebbene di queste sei donne si conservi molto meno materiale di quanto possa essere stato documentato a proposito del sovrano che le legò a sé, Antonia Fraser cerca comunque di darne un’immagine quanto più veritiera e completa possibile, sulla base delle fonti a nostra disposizione. Non si ferma ai ritratti di superfici, necessari a una storia delle donne che delle donne conosceva solo l’immagine che trovava rispecchiata nell’autore, e arriva con le supposizioni (probabili e ben documentate) laddove solo l’immaginazione ci permette di ricostruire. Conoscere la storia di queste donne, forse, può non sembrare fondamentale a chi necessiti di studiare la storia di quest’epoca, ma forse aiuta molto a comprenderla; e mi spingo persino a dire che capire le condizioni delle donne, studiarle e rimirare donne che non fossero solo oggetto di idealizzazione e lodi (Ché queste non ci permettono affatto di sondare le loro personalità), potrebbero essere fruttuoso proprio per la nostra contemporaneità.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

”What a man is the King! How many wives will he have?”

A lot. The answer is a lot.

My fiancé showed me a TikTok one day that was something along the lines of girls who loved history were obsesses with these certain time periods and historical subjects. Aside from the fact that I could identify with almost every single historical obsession (I was one of those kids who would read my history textbooks for fun), one of those time periods that popped up was the Tudor era, specifically Henry VIII and his six wives.

When people think of Henry VIII, they think of two things: his massive size and the fact that he had six wives. We all know the rhyme about them: divorced, beheaded died, divorced, beheaded, survived. Now, I don’t know what it says about him that the amount of wives he had overshadows practically everything else he ever did in his reign, but I digress. And when it comes to those six wives, there always seems to be a competition over which wife was their personal favorite. Furthermore, his six wives seem to be categorized by certain stereotypes that have haunted their legacy for the past hundreds of years.

Catherine of Aragon is the first wife, the devoted wife who got blindsided by her husband when she couldn’t produce the son and heir to the throne; Anne Boleyn, the seductive temptress who lured Henry VIII away from Catherine with the promise of the son he so desperately desired, only for her to fail; Jane Seymour, the gentle, passive wife who gave the king the son that he wanted at the cost of her life; Anna of Cleves, the ugly wife who was so unattractive that Henry was repulsed upon the sight of seeing her; Katherine Howard, the wanton wife who conducted many affairs behind Henry’s back; and, finally, Catherine Parr, the wife who at the end of it all outlived Henry and was responsible for bringing his family back together before his death. And I’ll admit, I believed those stereotypes about them as well.

But, boy, was I wrong. And with the help of Antonia Fraser’s book, it helped me see that Henry VIII’s wives were so much more than we’ve reduced them to being.

For being a honker of a book (my page count was 564 pages), this book was positively gripping. I read it every chance I could. When I was getting ready in the morning and brushing my teeth, during my lunch hour, and before bed. Make no mistake. this book took a while to get through, but it was absolutely worth it. Antonia’s Fraser gentle and unbiased education of Henry VIII’s wives reminded me why I love history and studying it in the first place, all the while satisfying that 11-year-old inside me who first heard about the Tudors and wanted to know all about them.

Ms. Fraser’s research is fantastic, and yet her writing style was never boring. She truly took an unbiased and sympathetic approach to everyone involved, from Henry VIII’s six wives (whom this book is truly about), to the various people around them in their social circles, to even Henry VIII himself. One line that truly struck me when I was reading this was when Antonia Fraser said that even though we know reading this book today that Henry VIII would go on to have six wives, Henry VIII himself didn’t. Never in his wildest dreams could he have possibly predicted that. If someone from the present day were to travel back in time and tell Henry that he would one day have six wives and that would be his legacy, he would probably execute them for witchcraft. And I think that explains a lot both in her position while writing the book and how we as the reader should look at it.

A real travesty that lies within is the fact that because these six women who had the fortune (although in most cases misfortune) of being Henry VIII’s wives have been reduced to being nothing more than their respective stereotypes and being nothing more than a wife, their intelligence and other attributes have been completely lost to the sands of time. All six women were smart and independent in their own right, and I learned things about them I had never heard before. Catherine of Aragon was truly a remarkable and fierce woman in her own right. She would have made mincemeat of any man who had a conversation with her by sheer intellect alone. Anne Boleyn was also intelligent, although I never knew how Protestant her own beliefs were. Jane Seymour, while she is best known for giving Henry the son he desired, was actually Catholic and not Protestant as many have made her out to be. Anna of Cleves really came out on top at the end, and it was only through what can be described as a comedy of error and misfortune that she ended up being Henry’s wife at all. Catherine Howard as a small fish in a humongous pond and was just so naïve in how court life and scandal worked. She lived life on her own terms, but she didn’t understand the bigger game she was playing. And Catherine Parr was such a trailblazer for the Protestant movement, more than I ever realized. She was far more than the empathetic mother figure than she is primarily known for.

Next to The Search for the Green River Killer, finishing this book is probably going to be one of my biggest reading accomplishments this year. While there is some truths to the archetypes we have given these six women, they were so much more than that. Antonia Fraser, in her writing, gives these women the voice and truly celebrates the individuals that they were. She acknowledges their negative attributes while explaining the reasons why. And though Henry VIII does play a part in this book, she always comes back to the women who made him and gives them the voice they were denied in life. Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Catherine Parr may be known to history only as the wives of Henry VIII, but with the help of Antonia Fraser, they will be celebrated as much more than that.

”This is not his story. It is theirs."

[María Fuertes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ya conocemos a Enrique VIII (tristemente) y a sus seis esposas.

Catalina de Aragón, Ana Bolena, Juana Seymour, Ana de Cleves, Catalina Howard y Catalina Parr: seis mujeres cuyos nombres y vidas se encuentran inevitablemente vinculados a Enrique VIII. Las seis esposas del rey, no obstante, merecen algo más que responder a un simple estereotipo femenino (la mujer traicionada, la seductora, la bondadosa, la perversa, la mala o la esposa madre) que las ha definido como consortes. Todas ellas desempeñaron un papel importante en el momento en que les tocó vivir, una época en que la mujer elegida para ocupar el trono era tratada como simple moneda de cambio entre las distintas monarquías europeas para cerrar pactos diplomáticos o estratégicos. Las seis mujeres con quienes se casó Enrique VIII mantuvieron sus propias ideas y fomentaron ya fueran los estudios o las tendencias religiosas de que eran partidarias. Todas ellas tuvieron unas vidas fascinantes y unos destinos sorprendentes. Ahora les toca hablar a ellas y conocer la historia desde sus palabras.
Un ensayo de lo más interesante, para aquellos interesados de la historia Tudor.

[Adrienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened via audible.

Read about this author in the Wall Street Journal and decided to read one of her books because they do not typically read like a boring non-fiction book. I totally agree. PLUS, I would love to see the Broadway "Six" one day and now feel sufficiently educated enough to know what is going on (although by the time I see it I will have probably forgotten!!)

Henry VIII is not well remembered by the little history we Americans learn about him (having 6 wives and killing 2 of them) but I think that is unfair. The king may have made final decisions but he was surrounded by A LOT of people who had their own agenda and really could taint the waters and change the tide when it came to their "advice." That sounds like nothing has changed no matter who is in charge.

Anyway, I am so glad I listened to this and gained perspective.

[Jocelyn H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is excellent. I recently watched the series The Tudors for the first time, which piqued my interest, so decided to seek out some non-fiction on the subject. This biography by Antonia Fraser of the six wives of Henry VIII (Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Catherine Parr) is well-researched and fascinating. It looks at the family backgrounds of each woman, their educations, the political machinations of the time, the circumstances of the marriage, etc. I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed it.