“Divorced, beheaded, died. Divorced, beheaded, survived.”

One of our most popular episodes from Season One was Sex & Marriage: The Tudor Period. In that episode, we discussed how royal marriages were more often arranged based on political alliances than love, and that the church had significant influence over the marital status and sexual lives of their flock. One family where these two factors converged was King Henry VIII and his six wives. There is enough information available around this royal melodrama that it could honestly be an entire podcast unto itself. Part I will introduce us to King Henry VIII and his first two wives: Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. So grab your goblet of wine and try not to lose your head!

Suggested Episodes:
Ep12 – The Six Wives of Henry VIII (Part II)
Ep05 – Sex & Marriage: The Tudor Period

Bevan, Richard. “History – Anne Boleyn and the Downfall of Her Family.” BBC, BBC, 5 Nov. 2012, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/tudors/anne_boleyn_01.shtml.
“Catherine of Aragon.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 16 Sept. 2019, http://www.biography.com/people/catherine-of-aragon-38666.
Hanson, Marilee. “Anne Boleyn Facts & Biography of Information.” English History, 8 Feb. 2017, englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/anne-boleyn/.
Hanson, Marilee. “Katharine / Katherine / Catherine of Aragon.” English History, 19 Mar. 2015, englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/catherine-of-aragon/.
Hanson, Marilee. “The Six Wives of Henry VIII – Facts & Biographies.” English History, 10 Mar. 2017, englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/henry-viii-wives/.
“Henry VIII.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 9 Nov. 2009, http://www.history.com/topics/british-history/henry-viii.
Morrill, John S., and Geoffrey R. Elton. “Henry VIII.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 6 Sept. 2019, http://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-VIII-king-of-England.
“The Pregnancies of Anne Boleyn and Catherine of Aragon.” The Anne Boleyn Files, 3 Oct. 2012, http://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/the-pregnancies-of-anne-boleyn-and-catherine-of-aragon/.
“Sweating Sickness.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., http://www.britannica.com/science/sweating-sickness.

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