Those Not-So-Merry Wives of Tudor



Henry VIII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1509 to 1547. He was the second monarch of the Tudor dynasty, succeeding his father, Henry VII. He wielded the most unopposed power of any British monarch in history. His reign was notable for the religious break with Catholic Church in Rome and the subsequent establishment of the independent Church of England, the Dissolution of the Monasteries, and the union of England and Wales.

He is best known however for his many marriages. Driven by the desire for a male heir - and a few other desires - he married six women during his reign. He killed two of them, almost killed a third and treated the most devoted in an abominable manner. Another died in childbirth. Henry was an educated and cultured man and in his younger days was athletic and handsome. Never-the-less, his relationships with his Queens has left him with the aura of a Bluebeard!



This placemark layer tells the story of those wives through the places where they lived. The folder for each Queen contains information, photos and links to websites of interest; each placemark describes a milestone in her life, with addtional photos. Placemarks for each Queen are identified by different colored crown icons. The information generally follows that contained in Alison Weir's work The Six Wives of Henry VIII, published in 1991. I hope that you find the set interesting.