Your favourite of Henry VIII's Wives?

[LadyGrinningSoul]

Anne Boleyn. I would say she was the most intelligent, cultured and savvy of his wives. Being an Anglican myself, I respect what she achieved through her husband in regards to the church of England. Very much a radical of her day, I respect her courage, smarts and determination.

In my view her great daughter was very much like her. For giving birth to the great Queen, she would have my eternal gratitude in any case.

Second favourite would be Catherine of Aragon. I also admire her guts and determination for her daughters future. Wonderful how she educated Mary too, passing on the wisdom and teaching of. She was clearly a dedicated, dignified and dutiful wife and Queen. Not just in trying to produce heirs, but for her acts as regent whilst the King was in France.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Catherine of Aragon is my favourite wife.

 

[Midwestern Mom]

I'm kinda coming in late to this discussion so this may have already been addressed but back on page one or two someone said Catherine of Aragon was dead when Henry married Ann Boleyn but as I recall she was not dead. Henry married Ann while Catherine was still living...this is why Elizabeth I was considered illegitimate.


MM

 

[Vecchiolarry]

Hi,

Elizabeth I was born in September 1533.
Catherine of Aragon was still alive then, and died in January 1536.
Anne Boleyn died in May 1536.

Larry

 

[Grandduchess24]

Mine would have to be Anne Boleyn she was intelligent and yet I truly feel she was innocently beheaded and because she gave birth to a Queen. A little princess who would rule England like her father and was the "son" Henry wanted.

 

[Ruhije]

Anne of Cleves.

For me its most definitely Anne of Cleves.
I have done much research on this much maligned wife, and am very interested in her life, and related interests like her portraits and life after divorce.
I think she is the most interesting, mysterious, wronged and misunderstood, least popularly known, and luckiest survivor of Henry VIIIs wives.
Many more recent, and generally female, authors and biographers have come to this or similar opinions.

 

[Vasillisos Markos]

Here is an article which touches upon the last Queen for Henry VIII:

Inside Sudeley, the castle that courts controversy - Telegraph

 

[p.annaliesse]

I would have to put my favorite at the last queen, Catherine Parr.

She was smart enough to evade tghr sword when Henry signed her watrant and she was a fair and just regent when he was in France.

After her step son became Edward VI , she was content to marry a nobleman after having been the highest lady in the land instead of marrying another royal for alliance.

I admire her wit. She was as smart as any man back then.

 

[Artemisia]

After her step son became Edward VI , she was content to marry a nobleman after having been the highest lady in the land instead of marrying another royal for alliance.

I like Catherine Parr but she was most definitely not content with being the wife of a mere nobleman. She married Thomas Seymour for love; however, she heavily resented the fact that she technically ranked below Anne Seymour - the wife of the elder brother Edward Seymour, the Lord Protector. Of course Anne's claim of higher precedence was never very successful and Catherine demonstratively took precedence over her on official events.

 

[NGalitzine]

She had 4 husbands so she certainly had something going for her.

 

[p.annaliesse]

I like Catherine Parr but she was most definitely not content with being the wife of a mere nobleman. She married Thomas Seymour for love; however, she heavily resented the fact that she technically ranked below Anne Seymour - the wife of the elder brother Edward Seymour, the Lord Protector. Of course Anne's claim of higher precedence was never very successful and Catherine demonstratively took precedence over her on official events.

She was content to marry a 'mere' nobleman because she loved him. I'm sure it wouldn't have mattered to her what his rank was as long as she could love him.

 

[princess gertrude]

For me its most definitely Anne of Cleves.
I have done much research on this much maligned wife, and am very interested in her life, and related interests like her portraits and life after divorce.
I think she is the most interesting, mysterious, wronged and misunderstood, least popularly known, and luckiest survivor of Henry VIIIs wives.
Many more recent, and generally female, authors and biographers have come to this or similar opinions.

Couldn't agree with you more. I LOVE Anne of Cleves. She to me is the smartest (getting out of the marriage and then being a confidant to the King) of them all. I have a theory...I think that Anne would have been the best wife for Henry at the time if Henry would have given her a chance. I believe that he realized that after he married Catherine Howard. But the best thing for him to do was keep her close by.

 

[Artemisia]

She was content to marry a 'mere' nobleman because she loved him. I'm sure it wouldn't have mattered to her what his rank was as long as she could love him.

I do not contest that; Thomas Seymour was undoubtedly the love of her life - even though he certainly did little to deserve such devotion.
However, while she might have been content to marry Thomas, she was certainly not happy at losing her status of First Lady of the Kingdom, status she would have kept had she not remarried. As it were, some pretty unleasant incidents took place with Katherine and Anne Seymour (Edward Seymour's wife) publicly contested seniority and rank.

 

[p.annaliesse]

Oh I know. It was because it was a nobleman that she fought for that right I feel. In the end, had been captain of her household guard or a man such as Owen Tudor (lets not forget which King came from his children) then it wouldn't have mattered. It because Seymour was at court all the time for his nephew the king that she felt she should keep her First Lady of the Kingdom. That wouldn't have happened if she had been away from court. And I agree about Seymour, I always disliked that man both in history and fiction.

 

[Tiara66]

Catherine of Aragon is my favorite of Henry VIII's queens. I find her strength and perseverance extraordinary. First she comes to England to marry Arthur, Prince of Wales. Then he dies and Henry VII forces her to remain in England for several years. She marries Henry VIII and they were happy together for many years. In fact, he had so much respect and trust for Catherine that he made her regent while he went to war in France. Catherine's tragedy was that she couldn't produce a male heir which was Henry's irrational obsession. She also endured her husband's habitual infidelities with great dignity. Catherine was also greatly loved by the English people.

Henry's despicable attempts to annul and then divorce Catherine made her even greater. Faced with enormous pressure to bend to Henry's will, she stood her ground not only to maintain her status as his legitimate and annointed queen, but to protect Princess Mary's position as heir to the throne. Her fortitude and courage never wavered and she died abandoned and alone. That she was denied access to her daughter for years was particularly cruel of Henry. Catherine is undoubtedly one of England's greatest queen consorts.

 

[Pranter]

Yep I agree Tiara.


LaRae

 

[Daniel Lapuste]

Catherine of Aragon

Catherine of Aragon, how can I vote against my own bloodline. hahahaa

 

[Gloriana]

Anne Boleyn, definitely. Brilliant woman!

One things that I think is a shame, though, is how liking one wife almost seems to require you to dislike another. Personally, I find both Anne and Catherine of Aragon to be admirable ladies in their own ways. And, in the end, Henry was the true villain, and all six wives were victimised by him in different ways.

 

[Archduchess Zelia]

Catherine of Aragon, she was devoted and dedicated to Henry despite the things he put her through. She was also a strong leader, even stronger than her husband, think of all the potential there could have been if she had reigned in place of Henry. She was a real fierce woman, how can you not admire her.

 

[HereditaryPrincess]

I don't really know who my favouite is, but probably Catherine of Aragon. She was popular at the time, and even people who weren't fond of her couldn't help but praising her for a good deed she did. I also like Jane Seymour. It's a shame that she died in childbirth. Apparently she was lovely to all her in- laws and stepchildren. How nice.

 

[NGalitzine]

Anne of Cleves because she survived and prospered, and likely had a much better life than if she had remained married to him or if she had stayed home in Cleves.

 

[sophie25]

I liked Catherine of Aragon and Jane who both seemed very decent and kind. Anne Boleyn was such a nasty women encouraging Henry to strip his first wife of any dignity she had left after the divorce; wearing yellow to celebrate when Catherine died; making Mary Elizabeth's maid, the list goes on. I think in the end she really got what she deserved but she was no worse than Henry himself.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Catherine of Aragon
Anne of Cleves
Jane Seymour
Katherine Parr
Anne Boleyn
Katherine Howard

 

[nascarlucy]

I like Jane Seymour. She my favorite.

 

[AnnEliza]

I said Anne of Cleves as my favorite as in I would like to have met her, but I have always found Anne Boleyn the most fascinating.

 

[kathia_sophia]

i dont have any favourites, but:
i simpatize with Catherine of Aragon, but i pity her too, she must have been a very lonely women...
Anne Boleyn is the most interesting of them all, not only by her life and tragic history but also her character. she was the most fascinating of them all!

 

[Danishla]

From my readings I think the life of Catherine of Aragon is an example of virtue, perseverance and courage. So she is most definitely my favorite

​

 

[CelestialPrincess]

I have an unusual taste of favourite wife because mine is Katherine Howard. Yes she was frivolous and cheated on Henry but you have to look at her situation. She was raised in a not well monitored household where they were left to do as they pleased and only hoped to get a good marriage by chance. Then suddenly without warning at 17 she's Queen of England and married to a 40 something year old man, who's over-weight with gout and a leg ulcer. She also has people manipulating her and she was scared so I can't blame her for how she acted or what she did.

 

[CelestialPrincess]

I have to say my least favourite wife was Jane Seymour though. She's most people's favourite but I think she was even more scheming then Anne Boleyn. She listened to her father and brother, then watched how Anne acted then acted the opposite to lure Henry to her. She only secured her spot by producing an heir and keeping her act up.

 

[HRHHermione]

I honestly can't fault any of Henry's wives. They were women living in a society where they had absolutely no power- each one of them, in her own way, did what she had to do.