{ A Little History Lesson }

"Divorced, beheaded, died; Divorced, beheaded, survived."

Now that's a martial track record to write home about.

Regardless (or maybe because of?) his love life, I am always drawn to anything to do with the Tudors-- today, I'm talking specifically about the wives of Henry VIII. While this topic didn't make the initial "lovely" list to blog about, one of my best friends has encouraged me to post on this topic. And today, I am stuck at home sick so .... blame her and the antibiotics if this one is a snoozer ;)

Can you imagine marrying someone knowing he could wake up one day and decide he doesn't like you... then have your head cut off so he could check his status box as "single"?

Here they are. Mrs. Henry VIII 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

My interest in these queens started in college with dissertation on Elizabeth I's leadership style.* (*Copies of this are available for your summer beach reading list, please let me know if you want one.)

Elizabeth I was an extraordinary monarch; she ruled with an unprecedented style that was somehow innate in her personality. I wanted to know more about her, and how she became the Queen she did-- so I went a generation back, to her parents, Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.

I started with this book, written by Alison Weir about all the wives of Henry VIII (because, after Anne Boleyn was gone, Elizabeth had to call the rest of these ladies "stepmom.") While I admit I'm a history nerd, this one is written to appeal to a wider audience and if you're interested in these stories at all, this would be a great book to pick up. It stays historically accurate while still keeping a narrative tone. And the historiography is fantastic-- I love reading Henry's love letters to his wives. He had game.

I went to see The Other Boleyn Girl with two of my friends, and upon exiting the theater one of them (the one that requested this post, may I add) deemed the movie "the most depressing thing I've ever seen." She then continued with, "That is so unfair, he could just have her killed like that."

While I hate that it was a downer for her, it's proof that the story is timeless.