The Six Wives of Henry VIII
Encyclopedia
- Not to be confused with The Six Wives of Henry VIII (documentary)The Six Wives of Henry VIII (documentary)The Six Wives of Henry VIII is a 2001 documentary miniseries by historian David Starkey about the wives of King Henry VIII. It was produced by Granada Television for Channel 4....
, a Channel 4Channel 4Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
documentary series on the subject by David StarkeyDavid StarkeyDavid Starkey, CBE, FSA is a British constitutional historian, and a radio and television presenter.He was born the only child of Quaker parents, and attended Kendal Grammar School before entering Cambridge through a scholarship. There he specialised in Tudor history, writing a thesis on King...
.
The Six Wives of Henry VIII is a series of six television plays produced by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and first transmitted between 1 January and 5 February 1970.
Each of the six plays focuses on a single wife, often from their perspective and was written by a different dramatist
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
. The series was produced by Mark Shivas
Mark Shivas
Mark Shivas was a British television producer, film producer and executive. He began his career at BBC Television in the 1960s, and quickly became one of the department's noted producers...
and Ronald Travers.
Cast
- Keith MichellKeith MichellKeith Michell is an Australian actor, particularly noted for his television and film performances as King Henry VIII of England.- Early life :He was born in Adelaide and brought up in Warnertown, near Port Pirie...
as Henry VIIIHenry VIII of EnglandHenry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France... - Annette CrosbieAnnette CrosbieAnnette Crosbie, OBE is a Scottish character actor.-Life and career:Crosbie was born in Gorebridge, Midlothian, Scotland, to Presbyterian parents who disapproved of her becoming an actor. Nevertheless, she joined the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School while still in her teens...
as Catherine of AragonCatherine of AragonCatherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales... - Dorothy TutinDorothy TutinDame Dorothy Tutin DBE was an English actor of stage, film, and television.An obituary in The Daily Telegraph described her as "one of the most enchanting, accomplished and intelligent leading ladies on the post-war British stage...
as Anne BoleynAnne BoleynAnne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the... - Anne StallybrassAnne StallybrassAnne Stallybrass is a British actress who trained at the Royal Academy of Music in London.She was born in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex...
as Jane SeymourJane SeymourJane Seymour was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII. She succeeded Anne Boleyn as queen consort following the latter's execution for trumped up charges of high treason, incest and adultery in May 1536. She died of postnatal complications less than two weeks after the birth of... - Elvi HaleElvi HaleElvi Hale is an English actress from Romford, Essex. Born to Anglo-Scandinavian parents, she is perhaps best known for playing Anne of Cleves in The Six Wives of Henry VIII, broadcast in 1970. Hale was nominated for a BAFTA award for most promising film newcomer for her performance in Wendy Toye's...
as Anne of ClevesAnne of ClevesAnne of Cleves was a German noblewoman and the fourth wife of Henry VIII of England and as such she was Queen of England from 6 January 1540 to 9 July 1540. The marriage was never consummated, and she was not crowned queen consort... - Angela PleasenceAngela PleasenceAngela Pleasence is an English actress. She is the daughter of actor Donald Pleasence and his first wife, Miriam Raymond. The surname for both daughter and father has occasionally been miscredited as "Pleasance"...
as Catherine HowardCatherine HowardCatherine Howard , also spelled Katherine, Katheryn or Kathryn, was the fifth wife of Henry VIII of England, and sometimes known by his reference to her as his "rose without a thorn".... - Rosalie CrutchleyRosalie CrutchleyRosalie Crutchley was an English actress. Trained at the Royal Academy of Music, Crutchley was best known for her television performances, but had a long and successful career in the theatre and in films, making her stage debut at least as early as 1932 and her screen debut in 1947...
as Catherine ParrCatherine ParrCatherine Parr ; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen consort of England and Ireland and the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII of England. She married Henry VIII on 12 July 1543. She was the fourth commoner Henry had taken as his consort, and outlived him...
Catherine of Aragon
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
). Catherine is heartbroken when Henry tells her he wants a divorce. There are several court scenes discussing the annulment. Cardinal Thomas Wolsey does all he can to accomplish Henry's desire for a divorce from Catherine, but ultimately fails (and later dies en-route to the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
). Henry attempts to have a Papal Trial in England, to call into question the validity of his marriage to Catherine. But when Rome and the Pope revoke this attempt, Henry begins his break with the Catholic Church and starts to sow the seeds of the eventual Protestant Reformation in England
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
. Catherine is eventually told her marriage to Henry has been annulled, and that Henry has married Anne. Catherine is moved to Wolsey's house until she dies, with María de Salinas
Maria de Salinas
María de Salinas, Lady Willoughby was a noblewoman from Spain, she served as confidante and lady-in-waiting to Catherine of Aragon, Queen of England.-Family background:Maria was the daughter of Martín de Salinas María de Salinas, Lady Willoughby (ca 1490 - 1539) was a noblewoman from Spain, she...
(her most faithful servant) by her side. While there, they receive the news that Anne has had her child, the future queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
. The episode ends with Catherine dying in her bed, María de Salinas beside her and Henry reading a loving final letter from Catherine. Henry crushes the letter callously, and walks dominatingly towards the camera, resembling the Hans Holbein
Hans Holbein the Younger
Hans Holbein the Younger was a German artist and printmaker who worked in a Northern Renaissance style. He is best known as one of the greatest portraitists of the 16th century. He also produced religious art, satire and Reformation propaganda, and made a significant contribution to the history...
portrait.
Anne Boleyn
Having seen Anne's rise in the preceding episode, this episode focuses primarily on her downfall, documenting the disintegration of her marriage in the face of two miscarriages and the king's infidelities. Anne's brother, Sir George BoleynGeorge Boleyn, Viscount Rochford
George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford was an English courtier and nobleman, and the brother of queen consort Anne Boleyn...
(with whom she was accused of having incest), is shown anxiously trying to advise and counsel her to be more prudent and cautious in her conduct with the King. But Anne continues to berate Henry for his infidelities, which elicits not-so-veiled threats from him in return. Anne's final failure to give Henry a son seals her doom. The storyline was heavily influenced by academic theories that believed Anne was the victim of a factional and political plot, concocted by her many enemies (among them, Thomas Cromwell
Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex
Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex, , was an English statesman who served as chief minister of King Henry VIII of England from 1532 to 1540....
and Lady Rochford
Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford
Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford was an English noblewoman who lived in the reign of Henry VIII. She was a sister-in-law of Henry's second wife Anne Boleyn and lady-in-waiting to his fifth wife Catherine Howard, with whom she was executed.-Early life:Born Jane Parker, she was the daughter of...
, Anne's treacherous sister-in-law), who capitalised on the king's disillusionment with her. As with most media treatments of Anne's destruction, the episode followed the historical research, which has all but proved her innocence. The scriptwriter used Anne's final confession of her sins (a burden that Archbishop Thomas Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I. He helped build a favourable case for Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon which resulted in the separation of the English Church from...
would have to bear to the end of his days), to suggest her total innocence on charges of adultery, incest, treason and witchcraft.
Jane Seymour
Jane gives birth to Prince Edward, (the future Edward VIEdward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
). When she is taken to her child's christening, she is in pain and is near death; while lying in her sickbed, the events of her life flash before her in a fever dream. She remembers how Henry fell in love with her, and how her relatives (and certain of Henry's councillors like Thomas Cromwell, Bishop Stephen Gardiner
Stephen Gardiner
Stephen Gardiner was an English Roman Catholic bishop and politician during the English Reformation period who served as Lord Chancellor during the reign of Queen Mary I of England.-Early life:...
, and others), schemed to bring about the downfall of Anne Boleyn and the subsequent rise of Jane. Directly after Anne is executed, Henry and Jane are married. During her short time as queen, Jane tries with some success to reconcile the princess Mary, with Henry. Her pregnancy is a guilt-filled one. She is tormented by the fact that her predecessor was innocent; the victim of false witness. After Jane gives birth to the prince, she falls ill; this brings the episode full circle. Jane dies, and the last images we see here are her body lying in state, arrayed like a queen and Henry weeping by Jane's funeral bier.
Anne of Cleves
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, so he considers one of the Duke of Cleves' sisters, Anne or Amelia. He sends artist Hans Holbein
Hans Holbein
Hans Holbein may refer to two German painters:* Hans Holbein the Elder father of Hans the Younger* Hans Holbein the Younger , better known of the two, court artist to King Henry VIII of England...
, who paints both girls. Based on this portrait and good reports of her, Henry chooses Anne and she is sent to marry the king. When she reaches England, Henry wishes to surprise her, so he goes to see her for the first time in disguise. He arrives unannounced, and Anne is horrified when she learns the obese and bawdy "messenger" is really her betrothed. Henry, rattled by her reaction, declares her ugly and attempts to nullify the marriage contract, but the marriage proceeds with two unwilling participants. When the time comes to consummate
Consummation
Consummation is the initial sexual act made within a marriage.Consummation can also refer to:* Consummation , 1970 recordingSee also:* Consummation of days, event predicted in Daniel Chapter 12, verses 1-4...
their union, Anne sees a possible escape from the marriage by stalling the already unenthusiastic king.
In the weeks that follow, Anne and Henry live separate lives at court, although Anne is shown as being close to his children, especially little Elizabeth. Politics then take centre stage as Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk, plans Cromwell's downfall by playing on Henry's infatuation with his young niece, Catherine Howard. The reasons for the German alliance have also shifted, making the marriage to Anne politically inconvenient. Cromwell, the architect of the alliance, knows he is doomed and warns Anne, who plans an exit from the marriage rather than risk a worse fate. Archbishop Thomas Cranmer offers Anne advice and sympathy; they both regret Cromwell's and Robert Barnes' downfall. Encouraging Henry to think it's his own idea, Anne tells Henry that she understands his demands for an annulment, and suggests that he give her a household of her own, and continued contact with Henry's children, of whom she's fond. She points out that if they both agree that the marriage was never consummated, it should be easy to have it annulled. Given a graceful exit from a marriage and wife he has no interest in, Henry gradually agrees, saying "Good night, my dear sister." The episode ends on Anne's bittersweet but relieved expression. The portrayal of Anne of Cleves is based largely on the writer's interpretation of obscure historical events. She is shown to have a strong grasp of politics, which may seem unlikely, but this answers the facts of the annulment and the even more unlikely fact that Anne of Cleves survived her marriage to Henry.
Catherine Howard
The Duke of NorfolkThomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, KG, Earl Marshal was a prominent Tudor politician. He was uncle to Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, two of the wives of King Henry VIII, and played a major role in the machinations behind these marriages...
visits his elderly mother to see if one of his nieces would be a likely enticement for the king. His ambition is clear: he wants a Howard on the throne of England. We meet Catherine Howard, a pretty and foolhardy teenager, who confides in her cousin Anne Carey that she had sexual relations with a young man named Francis Dereham
Francis Dereham
Francis Dereham was a Tudor courtier whose involvement with Henry VIII's fifth Queen, Catherine Howard, in her youth was a principal cause of the Queen's execution.-Life:...
the previous summer. She is taken by her governess, Lady Rochford (the former sister-in-law of the late queen Anne Boleyn), to her uncle, who informs her that she is to be the next Queen of England. She states her concerns because of what happened to Anne but Norfolk assures her if she listens to him all will be well, and stresses that she must not show fear or timidity when addressing the King. Norfolk is unaware of his niece's sexually active past, and Catherine lies about it, telling him that she is untouched. She is taken to meet the king. Henry, long ill with an ulcer on his leg, is immediately taken with the pretty young girl. She nurses and flirts with him and Norfolk's dream seems closer. The king decides to take her as his wife but on their wedding night Henry's impotence is an obstacle. Another obstacle comes when the young Dereham comes to visit the Queen and blackmails her regarding their prior romance. She gives him the job of Private Secretary to her, to keep him quiet. To secure her future, Norfolk insists she produce a male heir, in any way possible. Catherine, (with the help of Lady Rochford as a go-between), begins a desperate affair with Thomas Culpeper
Thomas Culpeper
Sir Thomas Culpeper was a courtier of Henry VIII and the lover of Henry's fifth queen, Catherine Howard. He was born to Alexander Culpeper of Bedgebury, to the south of Maidstone in Kent, and his second wife, Constance Harper. He was the middle child and his older brother, also named Thomas, was a...
, Henry's young and dashing personal aide, who is already overwhelmingly smitten with her. But months pass with no sign of a child, and the court begins to know about the affair; as well the rampant rumors concerning Catherine's past indiscretions with both Dereham and a music teacher named Henry Mannox. With disclosure threatened, Norfolk betrays his niece to the king before his enemies can. Culpepper and Dereham are taken to the Tower, tortured, and later executed. There is then a dramatic scene where Norfolk and the king's guards come to arrest Catherine and the Lady Rochford. Catherine demands to see the king, but is denied. She is taken to the Tower where she rehearses the speech she will give at her execution. The episode ends with the king preparing for an operation on his ulcerated leg and banishing Norfolk, who is now very violently out of favor. Henry tells him that if he ever looks on him again, it will be only on his head.
Catherine Parr
Catherine ParrCatherine Parr
Catherine Parr ; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen consort of England and Ireland and the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII of England. She married Henry VIII on 12 July 1543. She was the fourth commoner Henry had taken as his consort, and outlived him...
, the recently widowed Lady Latimer, is called to an audience with the King. Henry, old, corpulent, sick and lonely, takes to the mature twice-widowed lady; her honesty and calmness entice him. She turns down his offer of marriage, however, only to be persuaded by the ambitious Seymour brothers, Edward and Thomas (brothers of the late queen Jane Seymour), to accept Henry's proposal. Thomas, even though he and Catherine have romantic feelings for each other, is especially eager to have Catherine marry Henry. Archbishop Thomas Cranmer also encourages the devoutly Protestant Catherine to marry the King. Catherine soon becomes Queen of England; her natural maternal instinct is put into practice with the king's children, Mary, Elizabeth and Edward. However, Catholic Bishop Gardiner takes a dislike to Catherine's religious views. He plots her downfall, and questions her ladies. Gardiner even has one woman, Anne Askew
Anne Askew
Anne Askew was an English poet and Protestant who was condemned as a heretic...
(not one of Catherine's ladies, but a notable religious writer and speaker whose works Catherine had read), on the rack
Rack (torture)
The rack is a torture device consisting of a rectangular, usually wooden frame, slightly raised from the ground, with a roller at one, or both, ends, having at one end a fixed bar to which the legs were fastened, and at the other a movable bar to which the hands were tied...
. Catherine is horrified by Askew's story and confronts her husband and Gardiner. Henry is angered by her liberal opinions and angrily rejects her. Soon, a warrant for the queen to be arrested and "examined" (which is practically a death sentence), is made out. Catherine is terrified, but Archbishop Cranmer advises her to assume a modest, humble, apologetic pose to the king, and Henry forgives her. Soon after, Henry suddenly collapses, obviously near death. After a long wait, the King dies, and Thomas Seymour asks Catherine to marry him. Still in her mourning clothes, Catherine accepts.
Reception
The series was adapted into the 1972 film Henry VIII and his Six WivesHenry VIII and His Six Wives
Henry VIII and His Six Wives is a 1972 film version of the famous BBC television series The Six Wives of Henry VIII, it was written by Ian Thorne and directed by Waris Hussein.-Description:...
, and spawned a successful sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
, Elizabeth R
Elizabeth R
Elizabeth R is a BBC television drama serial of six 85-minute plays starring Glenda Jackson in the title role. It was first broadcast on BBC2 from February to March 1971, through the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in Australia and broadcast in America on PBS's Masterpiece Theatre.- Episodes...
, starring Glenda Jackson
Glenda Jackson
Glenda May Jackson, CBE is a British Labour Party politician and former actress. She has been a Member of Parliament since 1992, and currently represents Hampstead and Kilburn. She previously served as MP for Hampstead and Highgate...
, and a prequel The Shadow of the Tower
The Shadow of the Tower
The Shadow of the Tower is a historical drama that was broadcast on BBC2 in 1972. It was a prequel to the earlier serials The Six Wives of Henry VIII and Elizabeth R. Consisting of thirteen episodes, it focused on the reign of Henry VII of England and the creation of the Tudor dynasty.- Cast :...
starring James Maxwell
James Maxwell (actor)
James Maxwell was an American actor, theatre director and writer, particularly associated with the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester.-Early life:...
and Norma West
Norma West
Norma West is a British actress, born 19 November 1943 in Cape Town, South Africa.Her most prolific television appearance was as Queen Elizabeth of York in the 1972 BBC series The Shadow of the Tower. Other TV roles include Ace of Wands, A Touch of Frost, Lovejoy, The Murder at the Vicarage...
as Henry's Parents, Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
and Elizabeth of York
Elizabeth of York
Elizabeth of York was Queen consort of England as spouse of King Henry VII from 1486 until 1503, and mother of King Henry VIII of England....
.
BAFTA Awards, 1971
- Best Actor, Keith MichellKeith MichellKeith Michell is an Australian actor, particularly noted for his television and film performances as King Henry VIII of England.- Early life :He was born in Adelaide and brought up in Warnertown, near Port Pirie...
- Best Actress, Annette CrosbieAnnette CrosbieAnnette Crosbie, OBE is a Scottish character actor.-Life and career:Crosbie was born in Gorebridge, Midlothian, Scotland, to Presbyterian parents who disapproved of her becoming an actor. Nevertheless, she joined the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School while still in her teens...
- Best Production Design, Peter Seddon
- Best Costume Design, John Bloomfield
- Special Award, Ronald Travers & Mark Shivas
Also nominated for:
- Best Drama Production, Ronald Travers & Mark Shivas
- Best Drama Production, (Single Program), John Glenister (for the episode, Catherine of AragonCatherine of AragonCatherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...
) - Best Actress, Dorothy TutinDorothy TutinDame Dorothy Tutin DBE was an English actor of stage, film, and television.An obituary in The Daily Telegraph described her as "one of the most enchanting, accomplished and intelligent leading ladies on the post-war British stage...
Emmy Awards, 1972
- Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a leading role, Keith MichellKeith MichellKeith Michell is an Australian actor, particularly noted for his television and film performances as King Henry VIII of England.- Early life :He was born in Adelaide and brought up in Warnertown, near Port Pirie...
Also nominated for:
- Outstanding Drama Series, Ronald Travers & Mark Shivas, producers
- Outstanding New Series, Ronald Travers & Mark Shivas, producers
- Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a leading role in a dramatic series, Keith Michell
- Outstanding Single Program, drama or comedy, Ronald Travers & Mark Shivas, producers
See also
- Cultural depictions of Henry VIII of EnglandCultural depictions of Henry VIII of EnglandHenry VIII of England and his reign has been depicted in art, film, literature, music, opera, plays, and televisionPLEASE NOTE: Those with Wikipedia articles are cited only-Art:*Henry VIII by Hans Eworth...
- Katherine of Aragon in popular Culture
- Anne Boleyn in popular cultureAnne Boleyn in popular cultureAnne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII of England, has inspired or been mentioned in numerous artistic and cultural works. The following lists cover various media, enduring works of high art, and recent representations in popular culture, film and fiction...