Which of King Henry's VIII wives got the worst treatment? (England, Spain)
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Anne of Cleves actually made out pretty well. This is despite Henry being disappointed at her appearance when he first saw her... she was given a title, land, servants by Henry to get out of the marriage... and apparently they even stayed on good terms afterward! Henry tends to get portrayed pretty mercilessly in pop culture for his treatment of Anne, but it was actually pretty decent behaviour on his part as a way of evading an unwelcome arranged marriage...
Out of his other unfortunate wives, I'd say Anne Boleyn tied with Catherine Howard... both went to their deaths for sad reasons. Catherine of Aragon kept her head, and was well compensated for her time spent with Henry. Jane Seymour had a pretty typical life (and death) for her era and her social status. Catherine Parr was the one who probably got the last laugh...
Catherine Aragon
After death of first husband kept penniless but not sent back to parents
After A 20 something year seemingly happy marriage treated so harshly and disrespectfully
Marriage declared divorced
Daughter bastardized
Self and daughter imprisoned and penniless
Died in poverty
A slow painful death and not allowed to see your daughter and what few friends
I'd have to say Catherine of Aragon as well. Though she and Henry had about 20 years of marriage that was relatively "happy" before the S hit the fan with Anne Boleyn, the Church, all that jive, she lost several infants and pregnancies through no fault of her own, and he was unfaithful to her for many years prior to hooking up with Anne Boleyn. Divorce and even annulment were incredibly disgraceful back then, but ESPECIALLY to a devout, devoted queen. When she was put aside, her daughter - her only surviving child - was bastardized and outcast. She and her daughter were kept in an isolated, damp castle as prisoners. She was sick for years, and dealing with the shame of her situation and the loss of a husband she was devoted to for decades. She was intentionally needled and ridiculed and embarrassed by Anne Boleyn and Henry. And she and her only daughter were eventually separated and kept completely apart from each other. She died after a long, lingering, wasting illness - with poor medical care and living an abject, shamed life - separated from her beloved and only child - intentionally, by the way, by Henry, who was very punitive toward her, and toward Mary.
Anne of Cleves actually made out pretty well. This is despite Henry being disappointed at her appearance when he first saw her... she was given a title, land, servants by Henry to get out of the marriage... and apparently they even stayed on good terms afterward! Henry tends to get portrayed pretty mercilessly in pop culture for his treatment of Anne, but it was actually pretty decent behaviour on his part as a way of evading an unwelcome arranged marriage...
Out of his other unfortunate wives, I'd say Anne Boleyn tied with Catherine Howard... both went to their deaths for sad reasons. Catherine of Aragon kept her head, and was well compensated for her time spent with Henry. Jane Seymour had a pretty typical life (and death) for her era and her social status. Catherine Parr was the one who probably got the last laugh...
Catherine Howard was a twit and an idiot and she should have known the ramifications of her actions.
Anne Boleyn was a much more complex character but I have a hard time digging up much pity for her. She treated Catherine of Aragon horribly.
I'd say the luckiest was Anne of Cleves closely followed by Catherine Parr. I agree with you about Jane Seymour.
Catherine Howard was a twit and an idiot and she should have known the ramifications of her actions.
Anne Boleyn was a much more complex character but I have a hard time digging up much pity for her. She treated Catherine of Aragon horribly.
I'd say the luckiest was Anne of Cleves closely followed by Catherine Parr. I agree with you about Jane Seymour.
How was Catherine Howard a twit? And how did Anne Boleyn treat CoA horribly? Regardless, couldn't their actions be excused by being women in that time?
Catherine Aragon
After death of first husband kept penniless but not sent back to parents
After A 20 something year seemingly happy marriage treated so harshly and disrespectfully
Marriage declared divorced
Daughter bastardized
Self and daughter imprisoned and penniless
Died in poverty
A slow painful death and not allowed to see your daughter and what few friends
Yep she had it worse
I think so, too. Some things might have been worse than a quick execution.
How was Catherine Howard a twit? And how did Anne Boleyn treat CoA horribly? Regardless, couldn't their actions be excused by being women in that time?
She knew what the risks were of keeping up a sexual relationship with her bf while being married to the king, although, admittedly, she was a pawn used by the men in her family to begin with.
And Anne Bolelyn was not some innocent young woman. She was calculating and knew she could oust Catherine by playing her cards right. She strung Henry along for 7 years till she got her way.
Anne of Cleves actually made out pretty well. This is despite Henry being disappointed at her appearance when he first saw her... she was given a title, land, servants by Henry to get out of the marriage... and apparently they even stayed on good terms afterward! Henry tends to get portrayed pretty mercilessly in pop culture for his treatment of Anne, but it was actually pretty decent behaviour on his part as a way of evading an unwelcome arranged marriage...
Out of his other unfortunate wives, I'd say Anne Boleyn tied with Catherine Howard... both went to their deaths for sad reasons. Catherine of Aragon kept her head, and was well compensated for her time spent with Henry. Jane Seymour had a pretty typical life (and death) for her era and her social status. Catherine Parr was the one who probably got the last laugh...
Catherine of Arragon was treated very badly by Henry--
He lied about her unconsummated marriage to his brother Arthur when it suited him -- either to marry her initially or to divorce her...
Catherine was very religious Catholic and having her oath she gave re the unconsummated aspect so she could marry Henry questioned was a blow to her soul--not just her emotions...
She saw her daughter Mary called a bastard by her father so he could have a son with Anne Boleyn and ostracized from her former place as Princess of the Realm...
She was kept a virtual prisoner in England a country she pretty much despised because of her political value to Spain...
I think she died a very unhappy woman--
Agree that Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard paid a high price--Howard likely deserved it but he just wanted to be shut of Bolyn and she wouldn't go quietly--she had paid too high a price to get where she was...
Catherine of Arragon was treated very badly by Henry--
He lied about her unconsummated marriage to his brother Arthur when it suited him -- either to marry her initially or to divorce her...
Catherine was very religious Catholic and having her oath she gave re the unconsummated aspect so she could marry Henry questioned was a blow to her soul--not just her emotions...
She saw her daughter Mary called a bastard by her father so he could have a son with Anne Boleyn and ostracized from her former place as Princess of the Realm...
She was kept a virtual prisoner in England a country she pretty much despised because of her political value to Spain...
I think she died a very unhappy woman--
Agree that Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard paid a high price--Howard likely deserved it but he just wanted to be shut of Bolyn and she wouldn't go quietly--she had paid too high a price to get where she was...
Of them all IMHO yes, Catherine of Aragon suffered probably the most.
Everything queen Catherine knew and held dear (aside from her religion) was taken away from her including the daughter. Her rank diminished, repudiated by Henry VIII, then thrown out of her home and subsequently moved to grimmer and grimmer castles to both break her spirit and health, finally left to die basically alone.
Yes, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard suffered, but they were commoners who unlike queen Catherine were not brought up from birth as royalty much less as queen.
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