14.6 Jane, Anne, Catherine, and Catherine: The Last Four Wives of Henry VIII

Henry VIII was married to his first wife for 23 years. It took him only 15 years to blow through the next five wives. I covered the first two wives in episode 14.5. In this episode, I cover: Wife #3: Jane Seymour, who died of childbirth after providing Henry with his heir Wife #4: Anne of Cleves, who Henry called "loathsome" and was richly rewarded for going quietly Wife #5: Catherine Howard, who in modern times would be called a victim of abuse, but in Tudor times was called adulterous Wife #6: Catherine Parr, who had a head on her shoulders and managed to survive. Visit the website (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. Support the show on my Patreon page for bonus episodes, polls, and a general feeling of self-satisfaction. Or make a one-time donation on Buy Me a Coffee. Join Into History for a community of ad-free history podcasts plus bonus content. Visit Evergreen Podcasts to listen to more great shows. Follow me on Threads or Instagram asHer Half of History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Om Podcasten

Why don't women's clothes have more pockets? Who are the female writers and artists my education forgot to include? How does a woman go about seizing control of her government? What was it like to be a female slave and how did the lucky ones escape? When did women get to put their own name on their credit cards? Is the life of a female spy as glamorous as Hollywood has led me to believe? In short, what were the women doing all that time? I explore these and other questions in this thematic approach to women's history.