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{PDF EPUB} the Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir the Six Wives of Henry VIII Summary & Study Guide Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir The Six Wives of Henry VIII Summary & Study Guide. The Six Wives of Henry VIII Summary & Study Guide Description. The Six Wives of Henry VIII Summary & Study Guide includes comprehensive information and analysis to help you understand the book. This study guide contains the following sections: This detailed literature summary also contains Topics for Discussion and a Free Quiz on The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir (historian). This book chronicles the lives and relationships of the six wives of England's King Henry VIII, one of history's most well known monarchs. Rich with well-researched and meticulously documented historical detail, the book navigates the chronology of one of the most spiritually and politically volatile periods in English history while maintaining a clear focus on the personal experiences of the people living through it. Themes relating to the role of women in medieval society and the destructive power of certainty emerge as the author weaves a vivid tapestry of ambition, lust, loneliness, idealism, and the occasional glimpse of grace. A detailed chronology of the important events in the lives of Henry VIII and his six wives is followed by an introduction by the author, in which she summarizes both the general situation of women during Henry's time and the individual ways in which Henry's six wives lived within the confines of that situation. Part One, Katherine of Aragon, focuses on the early life of the Spanish princess Katherine, child of two great rulers who was betrothed while still an infant to Arthur, eldest child of the politically insecure king of England, Henry VII. The narrative explores the political maneuvering, typical of the age, that brought the betrothal into being, that brought Katherine to England at a very young age, that brought her to Arthur's bed as his wife, and that eventually brought her to the bed of his brother Henry as his wife after Arthur's sudden death. Part One concludes with narration of the deterioration of Henry and Katherine's marriage following the birth of their only surviving child, Mary, and his falling in love with one of Katherine's ladies-in-waiting, the ambitious Anne Boleyn. Part Two, The "Great Matter", is titled with the name given to the circumstances that, in many ways, defined Henry's life and reign—his determination to annul his marriage to Katherine so he could marry the increasingly impatient and demanding Anne. The narrative portrays this determination as so intense that when the Roman Catholic Church refused to declare Katherine and Henry's marriage invalid (a declaration Katherine unwaveringly supported until her dying day), Henry created his own church within which he could get the marital result he wanted. The narrative goes on to describe how Anne gave birth to only one living child (the future Elizabeth I), how Henry quickly grew tired of her and found another potential wife in Jane Seymour (one of Anne's ladies-in-waiting), and how his advisors manipulated events to have Anne declared treasonous and therefore expendable. Part Two concludes with a narrative of Anne's execution, Henry's subsequent (and very hasty) marriage to Jane, Jane's almost immediate pregnancy, her giving birth to Henry's long-desired male heir, and her almost immediate death from a common fever. Part Three, How Many Wives will he Have chronicles Henry's last three marriages—the arranged and politically advantageous union with Anne of Cleves (whose physical appearance repulsed Henry), the lust-driven union with the promiscuous Katherine Howard (whose foolish and very public adultery led her to her execution), and the contented union with the mature but reluctant Katherine Parr. The final section of the narrative includes descriptions of Henry's death, of Katherine Parr's subsequent ill-fated romance with the fickle Thomas Seymour, and of her subsequent death from the same childbirth-related fever as Jane Seymour. The book closes with a description of the contented life and graceful death of Anne of Cleves, portrayed as perhaps the wisest and certainly the luckiest of all Henry's six wives. The Six Wives of Henry VIII. In this remarkable composite biography, Alison Weir brings Henry's six wives vividly to life, revealing each as a distinct and compelling personality in her own right. Drawing upon the rich fund of documentary material from the Tudor period, The Six Wives of Henry VIII shows us a court where personal needs frequently influenced public events and where a life of gorgeously ritualised pleasure was shot through with ambition, treason and violence. 'At last we have the truth about Henry VIII's wives. This book is as reliable and scholarly as it is readable' Evening Standard. Six Tudor Queens: Katharine Parr by Alison Weir. Two husbands dead, a boy and a sick man. And now Katharine is free to make her own choice. The ageing King’s eye falls upon her. She cannot refuse him… or betray that she wanted another. She becomes the sixth wife – a queen and a friend. Henry loves and trusts her. But Katharine is hiding another secret in her heart, a deeply held faith that could see her burn… Katharine Parr. Henry’s final Queen. And so my favourite historical fiction series comes to a conclusion. Anyone who has been reading my reviews for the past few years will know how much I love Alison Weir’s Tudor Queens series. With meticulous research and appropriate embellishment to make for an interesting read, I’m quite sad that this is the final book in the series. You can read my reviews of the preceding books in the series HERE. In each novel, Alison presents a fictional account of each of Henry VIII’s wives, from their childhood all the way through to their death. Whilst each book is considered fiction, it’s clear how much research and factual information has been used to paint these portraits — Alison always explains her basis in the Author’s Note at the end of each novel. Henry’s sixth and final wife, Katharine Parr, might just be one of his more mature and intelligent wives. She outlives him, of course, but she seems to be the only wife that manages to keep secrets from him and not get caught. Katharine knows when to fight her battles — she’s courageous and confident, but she’s also aware of her weaknesses. Given she was married four times in her relatively short life, she makes for an interesting story. “It was June when Mother arrived, looking every inch the great lady in damask and jewels. Her manner when she greeted Lord Borough at the outer door was imperious, as befitted one who served the Queen. But Mother did not know that he despised Queen Katherine and knew that she was out of favour at court.” Sharp and engrossing, fans of the Tudor age will find themselves enthralled in Katharine’s story. Whilst Katherine wasn’t thrilled to marry the King, she does so in the hopes she can sway him towards religious reforms. She practices her faith in secret, working to step away from Catholicism. Faith is an element that wasn’t explored as deeply through the other Queen’s perspectives, so it added something unique to this final book. Like the other Queens, Katharine Parr works to position herself in roles of power, even though the time period didn’t benefit women. But unlike the others, Katherine knew when to fight and when to accept defeat, and that’s probably the reason she outlived the King. “It was hard practicing her new faith in secret. She had to make an outward show of following religious custom, for she was too fearful of reprisals if she betrayed her true beliefs.” Admittedly, it does take a bit of time for Katharine’s path to cross with King Henry, but Katherine does live a rather eventful life up until then. With two marriages and two dead husbands, it feels like she’s lived a lifetime by the time she’s crowned Queen. And her story is definitely not over then. I think some readers might find themselves surprised to love this book – Katharine Parr certainly isn’t the most well known of Henry’s six wives, but Alison crafts her into quite the interesting woman. “Over the following days, she agonised over whether she should be encouraging Thomas’ friendship. The angel on her shoulder told her she should not, but the devil on the other assured her that it could do no harm.” I feel there’s no more praise left to give for this series. Alison Weir’s Six Tudor Queens is highly recommended for fans of historical fiction, but I’d recommend you go back to the very beginning with Henry’s first Queen, Katherine of Aragon, to experience the full chronological journey. Readership skews female, 30+ Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review. Six Tudor Queens: Katharine Parr, The Sixth Wife Alison Weir May 2021 Hachette Book Publishers. ISBN 13: 9780099523628. One of the most powerful monarchs in British history, Henry VIII ruled England in unprecedented splendour. In this remarkable composite biography, Alison Weir brings Henry's six wives vividly to life, revealing each as a distinct and compelling personality in her own right. Drawing upon the rich fund of documentary material from the Tudor period, "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" shows us a court where personal needs frequently influenced public events and where a life of gorgeously ritualised pleasure was shot through with ambition, treason and violence.
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