Who is your favourite of Henry VIII's wives?

[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.

[angela]

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.

[McKeen]

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.

[Artemisia]

Originally Posted by 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.

That may be true for "ordinary" women (commoners) but a lot of royal and noble women enjoyed great deal of power and influence.

It's enough to look at some of the women of the time - Marguerite of Navarre (sister of Francis I of France), Margaret of Austria (daughter of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor), Catherine de' Medici (consort of Henry II), Jeanne d'Albret (Queen of Navarre), Diane de Poitiers (Henry II's favourite), and so many others.

In fact, Henry's first two Queens - Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn - were very influential. Catherine was Regent of the Kingdom in Henry's absence and even personally led armies (more successfully than her husband, I must add) when there was a threat of foreign invasion. Anne's influence is well-documented and she has rightly been called the most influential Queen Consort in English/British history.

Even ordinary women in England had far more rights than in continental Europe or other places, including rights of property and inheritance.

[HRHHermione]

Originally Posted by Artemisia

That may be true for "ordinary" women (commoners) but a lot of royal and noble women enjoyed great deal of power and influence.

It's enough to look at some of the women of the time - Marguerite of Navarre (sister of Francis I of France), Margaret of Austria (daughter of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor), Catherine de' Medici (consort of Henry II), Jeanne d'Albret (Queen of Navarre), Diane de Poitiers (Henry II's favourite), and so many others.

In fact, Henry's first two Queens - Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn - were very influential. Catherine was Regent of the Kingdom in Henry's absence and even personally led armies (more successfully than her husband, I must add) when there was a threat of foreign invasion. Anne's influence is well-documented and she has rightly been called the most influential Queen Consort in English/British history.

Even ordinary women in England had far more rights than in continental Europe or other places, including rights of property and inheritance.

Anne Boelyn did not have the power to prevent her execution on trumped up charges. Catherine of Aragon did not have the power to prevent the king from ending their marriage and sending her away to live a lonely life away from what she was raised to be.

These women could only influence things as long as they were allowed to do it by Henry VIII. Their very lives were in his control. I don't consider that true power, when it's given at the whim of the king and might just as easily be taken away.

[Alison H]

Catherine Parr (apart from her awful judgement in marrying Thomas Seymour after Henry died!). A very intelligent woman who was prepared to stand up for her own beliefs, and who tried to get on with all of Henry's children.

Catherine of Aragon had power when she was given it - she can be given the credit (apologies to any Scots reading this!) for the English victory at Flodden Field - but she wasn't able to stop Henry from declaring their marriage void, or to stop him from preventing her from seeing Mary, or to do anything about the appalling way Henry VII treated her (leaving her with no proper position and very little money) after Arthur died. I've got a lot of sympathy for all Henry's wives - they were all victims of circumstance, even Anne Boleyn who'd just have married Henry Percy and enjoyed being Countess of Northumberland had Henry not decided he fancied her.

[Kotroman]

Many years ago, I voted Anne of Cleves. I believe she'd be my choice today as well. The woman was just hillarious - she thought that being kissed goodnight was enough to conceive a child until the Countess of Rutland explained birds and bees to her See Eleanor Manners, Countess of Rutland - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia There is even a dialogue between the two.