Six Lives: The Stories of Henry VIII's Queens

by Charlotte Bolland (Editor)

What were the real life stories and legacies of the six women who married Henry VIII? Discover these extraordinary queens through the court culture that recorded and shaped their often tempestuous lives: their letters, heraldic devices, books, love tokens and, of course, their portraits.

The women who married Henry VIII have come to be encapsulated in a six-word rhyme: ‘Divorced, Beheaded, Died / Divorced, Beheaded, Survived’. But what were their real stories and legacies? Six Lives: The Stories of Henry VIII's Queens reveals the extraordinary lives, and afterlives, of Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Katherine Parr. A source of fascination to historians and writers down the centuries, each of the queens, and their relationship with the king, has been the subject extensive research and a source of creative inspiration. This publication focuses on the material traces of the queens and the court culture that shaped their lives, extensively illustrated with their letters, heraldic devices, books, love tokens and, of course, their portraits.

The book begins with an examination of the women as cultural phenomena, looking at the ways in which their lives have inspired storytellers, from Shakespeare’s Henry VIII to the musical Six, and the role that portraiture has played in the performance of the queens’ stories. An overview essay examines the queens’ self-presentation through portraiture before individual chapters consider each of their relationships with the king, their social and familial networks and their patronage. Each chapter is accompanied by a thematic piece written by an expert scholar, taking a closer look at an element of court culture, ranging from music and jewellery, to court pageantry and heraldry.

The publication accompanies an exhibition of the same name at the National Portrait Gallery in Summer 2024.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published June 20, 2024

Reviews

[Carol-Ann Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you can't get to the exhibition...bring the exhibition to you. This book is full of wonderful images, some recently rediscovered, that tell the tale of the Six Queens of Henry VIII but also acknowledges each woman's individuality through their jewellery, portraits and literature. A must have for any Tudor fanatic

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the official catalog to the 2024 National Portrait Gallery exhibition. Each woman gets a chapter with a separate historian, including Suzannah Lipscomb. The writing is generally good, and even those who know a great deal about one or all of them will find lots to enjoy. It is a handsome volume, replete with hundreds of pictures. Some are of portraits and artifacts that are at the NPG, but some were borrowed, and there are some stunning reproductions. A personal favorite because she is, was the Holbein Anne of Cleves, recently restored at the Louvre. The original colors carry the bright, sensuous shock of the restored Sistine Chapel ceiling. We left London last year the day before the exhibition opened, and if I couldn't see it in person, this book gave a wonderful sense of it.

Highly recommended if the ladies are at all interesting to you, especially if accompanied by a cup of coffee or tea and some period music playing. That probably sounds a bit twee, but it really did enhance my experience. It is also relatively free of Henry VIII analysis. The consulted experts either devote time to how their particular queen viewed her husband or argue for or against the provenance of the portraits.

[Moniek Bloks · Rating 5 out of 5]

The lives of the six Queens of King Henry VIII of England have continued to fascinate us over 500 years later.

The National Portrait Gallery is running an exhibition called "Six Lives. The Stories of Henry VIII's Queens", and this wonderful hardcover book accompanies it. So, even if you can't make it down to London, you can still enjoy some of the exhibition. You may recognise the names Suzannah Lipscomb, Nicola Clark, and Nicola Tallis as some of the contributors to this volume.

The book is divided into six main chapters dedicated to Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Katherine Parr. In these chapters, you'll also find thematic pieces about music, jewels and ladies-in-waiting. It is a gorgeous book that will make an excellent addition to any bookcase.

And although I imagine it is not the same as seeing such an exhibition in person, it will certainly help soothe the pain of missing it. 

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was published as an accompaniment to an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery called "Six Lives. The Stories of Henry VIII's Queens."

This is one of those books that reading felt like sitting down to a seven course meal of all my favorite foods and drinks, leaving me stuffed and happily replete.

The book contains portraits that are of or have been tentatively identified portraits of the six women whose lives were forever shaped by being married to Henry VIII.

There are six main sections that are mini biographies of each queen, with an emphasis on her portraiture, who painted the paintings and when, what the symbols meant, and then the history of what happened to paintings after - and how the survival and identification - or lack of - was very much predicated by how each queen was viewed after she died.

In between section are short essays with more pictures and paintings on different aspects of Tudor court life including ladies in waiting, jewelry, heraldry, and more.

A fascinating and detailed book both in art and history and a Must Have for any Tudor fan!