Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII

Henry worked his way through a series of wives from Catherine of Aragon to Catherine Parr who, according to Starkey, encompass "the full range of female stereotypes: the Saint, the Schemer, the Doormat, the Dim Fat Girl, the Sexy Teenager, and the Bluestocking". While this tends to flatten out the complexity of many of Henry's wives, there is plenty on the cataclysmic impact of the Reformation, new evidence on Henry's first wife's marriage to his brother, and a reconsideration of Henry's final wife, Catherine Parr, as "the first Queen of the Age of Print", to keep even the most sceptical reader happy. --Jerry Brotton

Reader Reviews:

An extremely interesting and refreshing approach to a well known story. (4/4 people found this helpful)

David Starkey's work on the six wives of Henry VIII is a unique biography on these six women. Starkey, unlike some other historians who have approached the same subject, has not reiterated an already well known story, but instead has set out to question the common conceptions of these women whilst also rejecting the need to become too revisionist. This mixture is best observed in the portrayal of the first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Catherine's virtuous position that has been rewarded to her by her devoted fans is questioned and Starkey reveals a more pragmatic and human perception of her. She was a woman of faults, capable of lying (as highlighted in her letter to her father Ferdinand after her first failed pregnancy), capable of immense pride and stubbornness and he accept the traditional idea that Catherine believed her position to be the rightful one.

Starkey goes on to challenge more misconceptions, for example the portrayal of Catherine Parr. Was she really this nurse figure that Victorian historian Agnes Strickland loved to promote? Oddly enough, she wasn't in the sense that Strickland meant. Parr was an intelligent woman, so intelligent that when she realised Henry's jealousy over her cleverness and the conservative's factions plot to overthrow her, she played the `submissive wife' card, declared that as a woman she didn't know better and submitted to Henry. Starkey manages to describe this change without making Katherine appear as a woman who compromised her intelligence, but as a woman who know how to survive.

The portrayal which I couldn't completely agree on was Starkey's view of Anne Boleyn. He certainly highlighted her intelligence, and unlike some other biographies in the six wives (like Weir's), he notes her level of knowledge about the divorce proceedings and her political achievements. However his views on Anne's relationship with the Princess Mary are questionable. Instead of showing how Anne and Mary equally despised each other, both made poor comments towards one another and how it was understandable why both disliked each other, he places more blame on Anne and relies far too much on Chapuy's accounts for her relationship with Mary. Chapuys, the Spanish ambassador, whose contemporary accounts are very valuable to us, was undoubtedly biased and hated Anne. His accusations have often proven to be false (like how he liked to declare that Anne and Henry's marriage had broken up long before it had and suspecting Anne of poisoning Catherine in Jan 1536), so relying on his claims of what Anne was doing to Mary is unfair and of course does not highlight what Mary was saying back at Anne.

Starkey does come up with several interesting and probable theories, one of which is the issue of Henry and Anne's first marriage. Starkey argues that Anne, who had denied Henry sexual intercourse throughout the duration of their courtship, would not have given in to his demands unless she and undergone some form of a binding ceremony with him. And Edward Hall, the councillor mentions that Anne and Henry were married in Dover on the 14th Nov 1532 and later again in the same month. This goes against the traditional idea that Henry and Anne married after she became pregnant sometime in Dec 1532. It's a very plausible argument and it makes sense that Anne would only give in to him once they had married.

Starkey's work on the downfall of Katherine Howard is excellent, especially his work on the testimony of Thomas Culpepper, who was accused of committing adultery with Katherine whilst she was Queen. Starkey's conclusion as to their relationship is brilliant and I completely agree that whilst Katherine led an indiscreet life before marriage, the possibility of her committing adultery with Culpepper were slim and even they were found guilty on intent to commit adultery rather than actual committing the act.
Anne of Cleves is dealt with briefly as is Jane Seymour, although in both cases their different personal faiths and their importance to the conservative or reformist factions in court is well examined.

Personally, I think that Starkey's work on the six wives of Henry VIII is the best I have read so far on these well documented and unfortunate women. Starkey like Alison Weir and Antonia Fraser wishes to tell us this important story, but unlike the other two, he is not attempting to merely reiterate the already known and is prepared to make excellent theories and back them up with careful researched evidence. Unlike Weir, he does not attempt to show an overwhelming bias towards one wife and attempts to show their respected faults and qualities. The main problem of the book is that it would have been nice to have had more on the last four wives, yet in fairness Starkey has identified that the beginning of the remarkable, dramatic changes within sixteenth century English society and in Henry VIII himself, occurred under his first two marriages and therefore much more observance needs to be paid to them. Henry also had longer relationships with Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn and as this book wishes to focus on the women at the time when they were in Henry VIII's life, then again it makes sense more time is allocated to the first two. Overall it's a superb piece of work that is accessible for all and if you are going to read one piece of work on the six wives, then I really recommend you pick this one!

Clearing the cobwebs from historical myth! (10/12 people found this helpful)

Finally, a definitive book on those most famous and misunderstood women who comprise the myth of Henry VIII. Starkey has written a seminal volume that blows the lid off the "set-in-stone" images of the six women, most especially Katharine of Aragon, to whom the majority of the first half of the book is appropriately focused on-- after all, he was married (or not) to her for longer thajn all the others put together. Katharine's image as the pious, marble Madonna is smashed with Starkey's historical record, showing her to be quite well-informed, machinating and matching Henry's moves, often before Henry himself was ready to make a move. As a counter, little space is devoted to the "relatively unimportant wives," although I regret that more information does not exist about the secluded life of Anne of Cleeves-- but history does not provide for such desires. Starkey's book rivals, and indeed betters, all other books available that focus not only on the personalities of the women themselves, but Henry's manipulations, cuckolding, pressures and obsessions in dealing with them. Anne Boleyn emerges, not surprisingly, as a frenetic, shrewish, frightened woman, but the Catherine Howard legend takes a completely different, and often quite empathetic view, at least in modern terms-- perhaps Starkey's views are with a 21st century approach, but regardless, they bring these women to life in a a way never before available--or so deeply enjoyed--as this book does. This is not only a magnificent starting point for anyone interested in the topic, but a fantastic oppoortunity to examine our own taught or inherent beliefs about these six women. Needless to say, this is highly recommended.

Another great work from Dr Starkey (6/8 people found this helpful)

This book is fantastic and gives appropriate weighting to each of Henry VIII's wives. As a result the bulk of the book is devoted to his first Queen, Catherine of Aragon. As with his book on Elizabeth I, Dr Starkey makes a gripping read out of real history and avoids making it seem like a boring history lesson. A trap too many historical authors fall into.

Fantastic (9/13 people found this helpful)

I cannot praise this book enough... absolutely brilliant. For those of you out there who have an interest in history in general, nevermind the reign of Henry VIII, this will prove a fascinating and thought provoking read. For those of you just looking for a good book that you can get your teeth into, look no further - this has it all.

Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII

David Starkey

Editorial Review:

Reader Reviews:

An extremely interesting and refreshing approach to a well known story. (4/4 people found this helpful)

Clearing the cobwebs from historical myth! (10/12 people found this helpful)

Another great work from Dr Starkey (6/8 people found this helpful)

Fantastic (9/13 people found this helpful)

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