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Writer's picture Emma Holbrook

Official launching of The Ill-Fated Wives - the first post of many!


(Cover image – Unknown Artist – The National Portrait Gallery)


“Of all losses, time is the most irrecuperable for it can never be redeemed.”

― King Henry VIII



Whilst we all live in an era were the daily life and events of the Tudors has all been eradicated from existence, the knowledge surrounding legendary life of one of the most infamous Kings in British history has not once lost its potency.


Known as the English King who went from a young, energetic ladies-man who spent his days jousting, playing sports with his dearest companions and ruling his kingdom with his head screwed on perfectly tight—couldn’t have gotten a better pun if I tried—and turned into a fat, monstrous tyrant who loved the execution axe just as much as he loved his food, executing not just one but two of his wives and sending many more of his subjects to the execution block along with them; it may surprise you to know that, despite sending an estimated 57,000 to 72,000 people to their deaths in only 37 years of ruling, Henry VIII was not the worst of the worst when it came to tyrant Kings.


In fact, if we are doing a direct comparison, Henry VIII would only sit in second place of the world’s most murderous Kings. King Leopold II of Belgium would take home the prize as not only was he known for his villainous nature but today it is estimated that, during his rule of the Congo, millions suffered under harsh working conditions and merciless executions.


I mean, millions to tens of thousands has to be better in comparison, if one could even say that.


Nonetheless, despite how intricately and carefully experts peel away the secrets of the notorious King Henry VIII’s life, the amount of mystery that still, to this day, surrounds him is truly astonishing. Even some of the most important events of his life have still yet to be entirely known to the world. Still, experts persist every day with examining fragile extracts of handwritten letters, governmental documents and even first-hand accounts from important members of the King’s court.


Now that’s what you call determination, don’t you think?


. . .


What’s so special about this day is that we are not only celebrating the 531th birthday of Henry VIII but the official launch of The Ill-Fated Wives of Henry VIII!


And I couldn’t be more excited to take you on this wonderful journey of exploring every known fact of the lives and deaths of the women that Henry VIII shared his most intimate of time with during his drama-filled 55-years alive. Trust me, we’re going to be quite nosy in our exploration – no detail will be left untouched!


From his first encounter with a woman to the last woman he ever loved to the theories and representations of the women he surrounded himself with, this is place to be for lovers of Catherine of Aragon, Anne of Cleves and passionate history lovers galore. All are welcome here!



…So, in the words of Julie Andrews herself, ‘Let’s start at the beginning, a very good place to start.’

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