Secrets of the Six Wives of Henry VIII (episode 21)

In September 2020, the government of the United Kingdom
instituted the “rule of six” to attempt to mitigate the spread of
Coronavirus. It means that, with a few specific exceptions, it is
illegal to gather in groups larger than six.

This created some wonderful memes featuring images of the Six
Wives of Henry VIII, smiling happily, because when they gather
there is no room for the King! It echoes the creative team behind
the musical SIX, a retelling of the story in fun rather than
historical ways. Each wife gets a turn to tell her story. There
are references to the man who brings them together, but he never
gets to appear on stage. Once again, no room for Henry!

Of course, it’s all fanciful and fun rather than accurate. But it
does invite us to think about these women as individuals, each
fascinating in her own way. And it raises the question: what are
the secrets, or at least lesser-known facts, of each of the Six
Wives of Henry VIII?

The person who might be able to fill in some of the secrets of
the six wives for us is Anne Herbert, Countess of Pembroke. Born
in 1515, she became a Maid-of-Honor to Katherine of Aragon in
1528. She continued in that role for Anne Boleyn, embracing
Anne’s interest in the new faith. After Anne Boleyn’s fall, Anne
remained in the service of Jane Seymour and was one of the few
women present at the baptism of Prince Edward. She married Sir
William Herbert in 1538 and returned to court to be in the
household of Anne of Cleves, which quickly became the household
of Katherine Howard. Finally, Anne Herbert was a witness to the
wedding of Henry VIII and Katherine Parr in 1543. Katherine
Parr’s royal household may have been Anne Herbert’s favorite
assignment, as Katherine Parr was her sister. The only person
known to have served all six of Henry’s wives, she would have
some amazing secrets to share!

The rest of us will have to make due with enjoying the unique,
captivating, and endlessly fascinating stories of the Six Wives
of Henry VIII!


History shows us what's possible.