Sorry this is late. Been on a quest to get an old manuscript ready to submit and have been obsessively working on it every spare minute. I love the series called The Tudors. I’m a huge history buff and what better way to make history come alive than to have a television show? Especially one with the lovely Jonathan Rhys Meyers as the King. Henry never looked so good, huh? LOL!
The other night, I had on an episode for background noise as I edited. #1 son came in the room and asked me what happened to all seven of Henry’s’ wives. After I set him straight on the actual number, I told him about Henry’s pattern. I know those of you that follow this blog have seen me yammer on about how much I like patterns and symmetry. Old Henry must have been a pattern man himself because he followed one in how he got rid of his spouses. Check it out:
Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived (now, if he’d lived longer, I’m sure she would have died-just because I like the symmetry of that- LOL)
The other patterns were that 1/2 of his wives had Catherine, Katherine or Kathryn as their name; 2 of his wives were named Anne; and 2 out of the six were cousins- the 2 that were beheaded at that. How wild is all that?
So, Catherine of Aragon- divorced; Anne Boleyn-beheaded; Jane Seymour- died of natural causes; Anne of Cleves- divorced; Kathryn Howard- beheaded; Katherine Paar- survived the king.
I sometimes wonder if Jane had survived, would he have been content with her since she was the one to have a son or would he have tired of her as well.
Jillian Chantal 
Definitely interesting stuff. He did have a pattern after all lol. I wonder right alongside you if he would have still suffered Jane. I guess we’ll never know.
By: L. K. Below on June 3, 2011
at 9:02 am
Thanks for coming by, Lindsay. You’re right, we’ll never know but I think he’d gotten so out of control that he’d have put her aside as well. The egos of kings and all that. LOL!
By: Jillian Chantal on June 3, 2011
at 9:15 am
Jillian, interesting question about Jane. Honestly, I don’t think he would have been satisified with her. He would have taken a mistress if Jane had lived, I’m sure of it!
He was a dog through and through.
Smiles
Steph
By: Stephanie Burkhart on June 3, 2011
at 9:37 am
Steph- I think you’re right. Once you’ve murdered one wife, it’s a slippery slope, right? LOL!
By: Jillian Chantal on June 3, 2011
at 9:38 am
I was wondering where my Friday Fact was! I actually knew most of that (the divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived pattern was something my friend and I memorized so we’d do well in Tudor England class), LOL
By: danicaavet on June 3, 2011
at 10:17 am
HEHE- I love that you memorized that!! Yep. I was brain dead last night and couldn’t go on. I usually do them way in advance and set the timer but not this time. Glad someone missed me. LOL!
By: Jillian Chantal on June 3, 2011
at 10:21 am
Hmm, I think he was a man who wanted what he couldn’t have. I loved the HBO series. 🙂
By: Gaby Moore on June 3, 2011
at 7:13 pm
I think you’re right about old Henry I love the show, too
Sent from my iPod
By: Jillian Chantal on June 3, 2011
at 7:31 pm
Fascinating. I love finding the patterns in things, too. 🙂
By: Laurie Ryan on June 4, 2011
at 10:47 am
I knew I liked you for a reason, Laurie. Lol.
By: Jillian Chantal on June 4, 2011
at 11:05 am
I love that show Tudors.
I just watched the whole series last week on netflix while in bed with flu. I really became interested in anything that had to do with English history years ago when an attorney I worked for took me to see Hamlet:) I always got confused about all his wives until I watched this show. On another note, I have a mad crush on Henry Cavill, the guy who played naughty Duke of Suffolk — must see anything he is in! Hope all is well with you. You seem busy busy.
By: Samantha on February 4, 2013
at 12:38 pm
Thanks Samantha. I’m doing great. Hamlet was sooo good, wasn’t it? 😉
And yep, Henry Cavill is quite a nice one to look at, yeah? Sigh.
Henry VIII wives is easy to remember, divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.
By: Jillian Chantal on February 4, 2013
at 12:46 pm