Anne does rather overshadow Henry.
I do try find an understanding for him though. I was not there I cannot really judge. I must be honest and say I have a fondness for Henry the man if not for Henry the viscious monarch. I know they are one in the same but he did what he felt he had to do in any given situation, can any of us really say with hand on heart we have never made a mistake or caused hurt to another by our actions, okay we have not chopped of any heads (I hope) but, and I am not trying to be religious here but the word is best I can think of, we have all sinned in one way or another in our relationships and effects on others.
I think it sad that he is forgotten as a sensient being in his guise of the King who killed his wives. I am sure he had legitimate pain and anguish as much as any of his subjects at various times.
Just saying. I like everyone have great difficulty in understanding the whys of it all but I do think of him as much as his wives and hope he is at peace.

It does seem Henry’m marital history does overshadow his reign. I find him an interesting figure, who changed the course of English history, and there is more to him than his mutiple marriages. After reading Starkey’s book “Virtuous Prince,” I garned a greater respect for the young Henry, before he was corrupted by power. I felt for his uprbinging, always living in the shadow of his elder brother, and Henry VII’s constant need to control Henry’s life.

Anne did outshine him. She was the star, but he must have been aware of this before his pursuit of her. She drove men into a frenzy. But, as his wife and Queen, she was meant to transform into something else, a person she was incapable of being. She reminds of of Diana, Princess of Wales. She outshone Charles because she was more interesting, not just because she was beautiful. She has a certain something, and it drew people to her, and Charles hated it. From my readings about the Windsors, it soured their already unhappy marriage. Diana could not convert. Mind, Anne was never as well-liked by her contemporaries as Diana, but I feel it is a good analogy.

juliane said

She was meant to transform into an orderly queen, but somehow, the role didn’t suit. Too bad, have got to hand it over to the understudy… Dear prima donna Anne.

I certainly know the role would not suit me. My friends joke that if I was born in the middle ages, I would have been burnt as a witch. I share Anne’s inability to transform into something other than myself, and I respect he for it. But, I could not become the obedient, seen but not hear mentality some people prefer.

In short not a lot. Elizabeth was his crowning glory to be fair. But Henry did I suppose allow the access to new learning and thinking. Elizabeth wouldn’t have been quite so good a ruler if she hadn’t been given the chance to digest a lot of the books that were forbidden by the Catholic church. Elizabeth also learnt a lot from studying her father and was resolute in her attitude to make sure she didn’t make the same mistakes he did.
Henry I rather think lived in a pipe dream world, he made lots of noise and blew fire and ballast in the right directions, but when push came to shove did and acheieved extremely little.

DuchessofBrittany said

juliane said

Fortunately or unfortunately, Anne was seen and heard by all and sundry. Lol some people can’t help but get a high profile. And she probably disliked having to repeat herself!

I for one am thankful for Anne Boleyn. When I became enthralled with her as a young girl, her life taught me to stand and speak for myself (which I sometimes struggle with), but when I waver I think of her, and find the strength to carry on. That’s corny, isn’t it?

No, it’s not corny, Anne’s an inspiration to all women – she rebelled against the way women were supposed to be and act and look like. Whenever I want to be stronger I think of her strength and courage.

Yeah, some people just don’t get it. People like Anne are the ones who paved the way for women to be different and speak out instead of forever being obedient.

LOL, Juliane, you just perfectly sumed Anne up and made it humorous like Anne.

MegC said

I caught a brief documentary on PBS recently on Henry VIII and AB, narrated by David Starkey.  Thus, I can only assume that Starkey had some in-put into exactly what was said.  He made the point that, except for his six marriages and break with Rome, Henry VIII actually accomplished very little during his reign, and, had the Great Matter never occurred, he probably would have gone down in royal obscurity.

Which was a point I had never thought about before.  I have since racked my brain and cannot think of anything else he managed to accomplish that was not directly connected to his divorce from Katherine of Aragon.  Anyone got anything?  

Right you are, Meg!
Personally, I think the only good thing Hank did was die.
Why people refer to him as ‘the good King Henry’ is beyond me, especially considering how many innocent people he had tortured, and ‘persuaded’ to confess to things they never did…. and the murder of two of his wives. IMO, Henry was nothing but an arrogant, narrow-minded, easily swayed, ruthless old braggart. With the girth and weight of him latterly, he should have been charged with animal cruelty for sitting on his poor horse!

Mya Elise said

Uh, he didn’t let food go to waste, uh huh he stopped that crisis. There was no way he was gonna let that happen.

And he fathered Elizabeth which I don’t give him full credit, it took 2 to tango and make a baby.

Mya what you got to remember that old fat boy was on a permenant diet, well 2 diets actually. A seafood Diet and a Wholefood diet.
Seafood and eat it.
Whole loaves of Bread, whole swans, whole sides of beef etc.