Log In
Register
Home
Topic RSS
8:44 pm
April 20, 2010
Offline
Henry spent 6 years trying to get rid of Katherine, and even after he got his divorce, he never felt “free” until Katherine died.
He spent approximately 3-6 months trying to get rid of Anne, and really the actual “getting rid of” part took less than a month.
So I wonder…..why did no one ever think of trumping up charges against Katherine in order to demand her death? I mean, Katherine had miscarriages and failed to produce a living male heir just like Anne. What made Anne so “special”?
I'm trying to reconcile a man spending 6 long years trying to divorce a woman to the point of changing the religion of a country, but yet he spends less than a month getting rid of the woman he “dated” for 6 years????
12:05 am
February 16, 2009
Offline
I think the main difference was that Katherine was a Spanish princess. There would have been a complete uproar if Henry had tried to frame her and execute her, with her nephew being Charles V the Holy Roman Emperor. There would have been war and I'm not sure that Henry could afford to make an enemy like that, he was already on dangerous ground by doing what he did.
Anne on the other hand was simply a courtier's daughter, she had no royal family behind her just a diplomat father and brother. Yes, she was related to the powerful Howard family but they were quite happy to wash their hands of her to protect themselves. Henry was risking nothing really in framing her, she was not important as far as the rest of Europe were concerned, just “the concubine” as Chapuys called her.
I agree with you about Henry's psyche, Nikki, it makes no sense to pursue a woman for so long, do all you can to possess her and then just get rid of her! 
Debunking the myths about Anne Boleyn
6:14 am
April 19, 2010
Offline
I also think her status protected Katherine of Aragon, but not only. At first, Henry did not believe it would be so hard to get rid of her, but when it proved to be, how would it have looked if he had had her suddenly accused of some evil leading to death penalty? Too obvious. Besides, the divorce thing was very unpopular, as was Anne, and the people of England loved Katherine. They didn't care seeing Anne on the scaffold, more, they were not even surprised by it since they believed she was a wh*re and a witch. But Katherine was very religious and never had a behaviour that could raise suspicion, nobody would have been inclined to believe any thing of that kind about her.
I also think Henry can have believed some of the accusations against Anne, obviously coming right on time but not necessarily born from him. But could he force himself into believing Katherine guilty of adultery?
1:59 pm
April 20, 2010
Offline
Ok, now I can sleep…..I think you two are absolutely right….I see that Kathryn Howard was executed too….I guess it really DIDN'T pay to be a “Howard”…..(even though Henry couldn't get enough of this family)…..
So despite Henry being ruthless and narcissistic, I guess even HE thought twice about killing Katherine(even though he treated her like crap)……and, some people would probably say, drove her to her grave….
