On reflection, I feel sorry for the lot of them - the pawns of men , and Henry in particular. I admire Catherine Parr the most for outliving Henry, although her next marriage was *really* ill-advised (but then again, it seems to have been a love match, from her point of view). I also think Anne of Cleves was very clever, as she ended up as his "sister" and kept her head - not an easy move, considering the politics involved.

Sorry, all those Anne Boleyn fans, but she's my least fave - too calculating for my taste, though 10 out of 10 for glamour.

Lady Grace.

I would have to say I am least fond of Catherine of Aragon.  Perhaps had her loins been fertile Anne Bolyn might have had a much better life.  Also Anne of Cleves...because I know when I am discussing Henry VIII with my friends they say "Anne Who?"

Actually,  I don't really hate any of Henry VIII's wives. No matter what their faults, marriage to him was punishment enough!

 

Here's a rhyme that helps me keep them straight:

 

One died, one survived,

Two divorced and two beheaded!

 

Actually, Anne of Cleves probably got the best deal. And, Katherine Parr managed to outlive him.

Who did I hate the most.. I dunno to be honest

 

Anne of Cleves had a good deal- settled in the country.

 

 

HG

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These six women are, without a doubt, wonderful in their own right.  I don't think any royal wives have captured imaginations for so long! 

 

 Skydancer

I would have to say my favorite is Anne Boleyn, whom I think is a favorite of many because of the unprecedentedness of her situation.  England's only "commoner" queen to precede her, Elizabeth Woodville, Henry's maternal grandmother, had not been well received either.  Anne's reception was doubly difficult due to the situation of Henry and Catherine's dragged out divorce proceedings.  Though she had spent time in France in the trains of Mary Tudor and Francois's wife Claude and was by no means an unsophisticated country girl like Catherine Howard, she was placed by circumstances in the unusual position of a woman as titular head of a political party in Henry's court.  She successfully managed to keep her wits about her and advance her party's interests for many years before the relationship with Henry went bad.

 

Jane Seymour, on the other hand, simply observed and copied Anne's agenda, using it to her own advantage and with not half as much flair, so she would have to be my least favorite of the Tudor queens.  As far as her getting Mary to come back to court, I think it wasn't difficult to get Henry to do something he probably wanted to do anyway.  From all accounts he was very fond of Mary as a child and probably would not have sent her from court at all has her mother acquiesed in the matter of the divorce.

I tend to read up on each as individuals-the two queens I like reading up on especially are Catherine of Aragon and Anne of Cleves. I don't think I have a least favourite, though.

 

I agree with what Anne of Cleves Novelist said as well. :)

 

Chrissie

Katherine Howard, with all her twittering, gave me a toothache.

If she was as empty headed as she's been portrayed..I can see where

she would've been the perfect patsy for the players.

As always...Anne Boleyn was my all time fav!  :)

 

My order of preference is:

 

1.  Anne Boleyn - Because she was so feisty!

2.  Catherine Parr - I really admire her intelligence and her kind heart.

3.  Anne of Cleves - I just think she sounds like she was a really lovely person, and I feel sorry for her. What happened to her must have been humiliating, but she emerged from the situation with dignity.

4.  Catherine Howard - I just feel sorry for this kid.  She was orphaned young, and probably never knew a parent's love, which I believe is why she sought affection from any man who paid her any attention.  She was just a silly young girl, and Norfolk should have known better than to push her into H8's path.

5. Catherine of Aragon - I feel really sorry for what happened to Catherine, and I totally see her point of view over the whole divorce situation, but I think a timely withdrawal would have been more dignified than fighting to stay married to a man who plainly couldn't stand her.

6.  Jane Seymour - I don't know why, I just don't warm to her much.

I find it hard to warm to Jane Seymour too. Sometimes I think Anne Boleyn wasn't so bad but then again it's hard to sympathise with her after the way poor Katherine of Aragon was treated. But hey, it's the Tudors, they weren't a byword for nice were they?!