Henry VIII

Alison Weir, “Henry VIII (The King And His Court), Ballantine Pub Group, 2001, 498 Pages

As a child I must have watched a movie concerning Henry VIII as I had a clear view of him as a obese, individual much inclined to chopping heads off for little reason—especially wives. Imagine my surprise when I found that of his six wives he only had two beheaded. Of course hundreds more, who were not his wives, met the same fate, such as Thomas Cromwell.

Apparently, up until Henry’s later years, he was a very fit and strong individual. He embodied the Renaissance ideal of a man of many talents--musician, composer, linguist, scholar, sportsman, and warrior. Weir describes everything from courtly fashions to political factions and elaborate meals to tournament etiquette—all in great detail.

While readng this book, it occurred to me why religion was so important to royalty: The divine right to rule is derived from God. Each King in turn was fixated on providing a male heir to the throne. Should a male heir not be available, civil war was very likely. Henry had two male heirs. The first, a bastard, died an early death. The next, a legitimate son, died soon after becoming King. Hence, along came his daughters, Mary and the very famous Elizabeth I. Henry remained surprisingly quite religious throughout his life in spite of his battles with the Pope over disposing of wives. This book ends with Henry's death, so these succession topics are not covered.

If you want this detail of courtly life, this is the book for you. As for me: I must get back to my financial readings.