Don't you think that finally, Anne Boleyn was Henri's only great love ?
[Some similar past threads linked below. - Lara]
http://queryblog.tudorhistory.org/2008/01/question-from-leigh-jane-seymour-was.html
http://queryblog.tudorhistory.org/2008/10/question-from-marie-which-wife-did.html
4 comments:
I think they had a very passionate relationship. First, that passion was in the form of love and lust but it turned to hatred. But I think Henry at least believed that he loved all his wives, just perhaps in different ways. Some people feel he was too selfish to ever really love anyone.
Henry VIII was in love with the idea of being in love. While married to K of A, Henry called himself "Sir Loyal Heart". We all know how that turned out! While Anne Boleyn was pregnant, he was on the hunt for a mistress among the court ladies. When Anne objected, he told her that she should "close her eyes as her betters had done".
I think if someone had asked Henry, at the time of his death, who his greatest love had been, he would have said it was Jane Seymour. Easy really, Jane gave him a son and died before Henry got sick of her.
Then there was Katherine Howard, his mid-life crisis bride, whom Henry was said to have "kissed and caressed more than he did the others". I don't think this was love either, since he was perfectly willing to execute his teenage bride out of wounded vanity.
Then there was Katherine Parr, his most suitable wife since Katherine of Aragon. She was, if not his intellectual equal, at least in the ballpark. Henry almost had her sent to the tower (over the Anne Askew affair) but she was forewarned, and was able to circumvent it.
I have to agree with History Chick. I think that Henry really was too selfish to truly love anyone!
I think you are right. That is the point : “she died before he got sick of her”.
Henri was a womanizer, “un coureur de jupons”, as we use to say in French.
I wish Anne gave him a son, it would have probably changed her destiny.
Thank you all for your answers, I am very interested in the Tudors’ history, especially in Anne Boleyn’s one.
I would like to read Eric Ives' book about Anne Boleyn, (he is said to be the specialist) but I have been learning English on my own for 6 months and I think that the level is too high for me .
I must wait, or maybe I should try to read 2 or 3 pages at a time, no more !!
You are right, of course, that if Anne Boleyn had given Henry a son her destiny would have been quite different.
A lot of people think that Henry broke with the Roman Catholic Church for the love of Anne. While his infatuation with Anne cannot be discounted, I can't imagine that he would have divorced Katherine of Aragon if she (Katherine) had given him a son, no matter what he felt for Anne. The Tudor Dynasty would have come first.
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