1 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:10,640 Divorced, beheaded, died. 2 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:15,080 Divorced, beheaded, survived. 3 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:18,080 The story of Henry VIII and his six wives 4 00:00:18,080 --> 00:00:21,040 is one of the best known in history. 5 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:26,040 There's Catherine of Aragon, the bitter, abandoned first wife. 6 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:28,960 Anne Boleyn, the original other woman. 7 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:31,720 Jane Seymour, bit of a doormat. 8 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:35,280 Then we've got Anne of Cleves - she was the ugly one. 9 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:37,880 Catherine Howard, the one who slept around. 10 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:41,840 And Kathryn Parr, the saintly nurse. 11 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:44,760 But I'm going to tell you a very different story. 12 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:51,360 I'm going to take you back in time and into the private lives 13 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:53,680 of Henry's six wives. 14 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:57,400 I'm going to see the story from their point of view, 15 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:01,120 and I'll watch as events unfold. 16 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:03,800 The fate of my soul is no longer your concern. 17 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:06,640 It will always be my concern. 18 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:09,080 These events all really happened, 19 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:11,760 and were recorded in historical documents 20 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:14,000 or reported by eyewitnesses. 21 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:16,120 I asked for his head. 22 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:17,520 Not his coat. 23 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:22,240 They reveal six complex women who lived in a dangerous age 24 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:26,160 as they struggled to survive being married to Henry VIII. 25 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:29,560 I beg of you to tell the King that my heart is filled with sorrow, 26 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:32,080 and assure him of my repentance. 27 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:35,360 Six wives, whose names were tarnished 28 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:37,480 by Henry's propaganda machine. 29 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:42,280 Six queens whose stories I want to re-examine. 30 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:45,160 Is she here? 31 00:01:46,320 --> 00:01:48,640 I'll observe their life at court. 32 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:53,760 And I'll watch them romanced by a charismatic king. 33 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:56,080 Tell me you're the same? Always. 34 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:04,720 This is the ultimate true story of love, loss and betrayal. 35 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:08,720 Remember what happened to my last wife and queen. 36 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:26,920 Henry VIII's first wife, 37 00:02:26,920 --> 00:02:31,240 warrior queen Catherine of Aragon, gave the king a daughter, Mary, 38 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:33,800 but she failed to give him a son and heir. 39 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:36,000 She has suffered a loss of the child. 40 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:37,800 Get out! 41 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:42,040 After 24 years of marriage she was cast aside for the clever 42 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:44,800 and sophisticated Anne Boleyn. 43 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:49,400 And, to marry her, Henry turned his back on the Roman Catholic Church. 44 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:52,200 You, sir, face eternal damnation. 45 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:55,400 You cannot defy the church in this way. 46 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:59,440 Anne disappointed Henry by giving him another daughter, Elizabeth. 47 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:03,320 Surely I deserve your respect, my Lord? 48 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:07,320 Worse still, she proved too challenging for the King, 49 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:10,200 so he had his second wife executed. 50 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:12,880 All this, for so little a neck. 51 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:14,800 Your Majesty. Madam. 52 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:18,600 His third Queen, Jane Seymour, always dutiful, 53 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:21,800 succeeded where Catherine and Anne failed him - 54 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:24,600 she delivered Henry a boy, Edward. 55 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:27,280 He is thriving? Very much so. 56 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:30,080 But within 12 days, she was dead. 57 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:33,480 Lord God, why must you punish me this way? 58 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:55,440 Henry VIII is now 48 years old. 59 00:03:56,480 --> 00:03:59,240 SHE SPEAKS GERMAN 60 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:02,720 A visitor has arrived from Germany to see him. 61 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:05,960 They've never met, so Henry's decided to play one of 62 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:10,200 his favourite tricks, disguising himself as the rogue Robin Hood. 63 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:11,240 Shh. 64 00:04:15,400 --> 00:04:17,000 BOISTEROUS YELLING 65 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:29,080 My lady, welcome. 66 00:04:34,280 --> 00:04:39,720 I trust you find your new residence to be more than adequate? 67 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:51,800 It's New Year's Day 1540, 68 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:55,920 and Henry VIII has just introduced himself to his fourth wife, 69 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:57,080 Anne of Cleves. 70 00:04:59,880 --> 00:05:04,400 So why was Henry getting married to somebody he'd never even met before? 71 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:07,520 This time he was slightly pushed into it. 72 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:11,920 After Jane Seymour's death, Henry's heart was broken. 73 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:14,760 He also now had his son and heir, Edward. 74 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:17,800 He could afford to relax and take his time. 75 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:20,720 But Henry's advisers had other ideas - 76 00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:23,080 they thought it was time for a new queen. 77 00:05:28,280 --> 00:05:31,120 Politically, Henry was isolated. 78 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:34,480 By breaking from Rome and making himself head of his own church, 79 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:36,800 he'd made powerful enemies. 80 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:40,680 But there were other leaders in Europe who also rejected 81 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:42,720 the authority of the Pope. 82 00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:46,560 A strategic marriage could be just the thing to protect Henry 83 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:50,080 and a like-minded ally against any possible retribution. 84 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:55,520 The problem was that Henry didn't have that great a reputation 85 00:05:55,520 --> 00:05:57,560 as a potential husband. 86 00:05:57,560 --> 00:05:59,880 After all, he was now three wives down, 87 00:05:59,880 --> 00:06:02,960 and each time it had ended badly. 88 00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:05,680 In fact, one prospective bride said, yes, 89 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:09,480 she would have married Henry VIII, if she had two heads! 90 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:14,520 The once-handsome King was now obese, 91 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:17,040 and looked older than his age. 92 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:21,040 The legacy of his passion for jousting was an ulcerous wound 93 00:06:21,040 --> 00:06:23,680 on his leg that refused to heal. 94 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:32,240 Henry's advisors scoured Europe searching for a noble family 95 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:34,480 willing to provide a bride. 96 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:40,520 The hunt took two whole years, but finally, in 1539, somebody said yes. 97 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:46,440 Henry's fourth wife would be a German noblewoman called Anne. 98 00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:51,320 She lived in the town of Cleve in western Germany. 99 00:06:56,640 --> 00:06:59,360 This is the famous Anne of Cleves cake, 100 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:01,800 still baked here in honour of Anne. 101 00:07:03,760 --> 00:07:06,400 Although she's still famous in Germany, 102 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:10,760 English history has dismissed Anne as Henry's ugly wife. 103 00:07:10,760 --> 00:07:13,200 Famously, she's known as the Flanders Mare. 104 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:17,880 But there was more to Anne than her looks. 105 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:21,840 A gift for diplomacy and an instinct for survival probably make her 106 00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:25,640 the most successful of all Henry's wives. 107 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:29,520 She was raised and educated here, at the Castle Schwanenburg. 108 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:37,040 She was the daughter of the Duke of Cleves, 109 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:39,600 a powerful, noble family. 110 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:40,840 And like Henry himself, 111 00:07:40,840 --> 00:07:44,600 the Duke of Cleves had rejected the authority of the Pope. 112 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:47,360 Anne fitted the bill. 113 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:52,800 With the bit of reluctance, Henry did agree to consider Anne of Cleves 114 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:58,080 as a bride. But first of all he wanted to know what she looked like. 115 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:01,400 Was she going to be attractive enough for him? 116 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:04,880 So he sent his top painter, Hans Holbein, 117 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:07,400 over to Cleves to do a portrait. 118 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:10,440 And this picture, combined with favourable reports 119 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:13,160 from Henry's advisers, made up his mind. 120 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:15,120 Yes, he was going to marry her. 121 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:25,800 And so, without even meeting the King, Anne set off for England 122 00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:27,160 to marry him. 123 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:30,320 Anne was 24 years old. 124 00:08:30,320 --> 00:08:33,120 She'd never been outside Germany before, 125 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:35,400 and she didn't speak any English. 126 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:38,080 It must all have been pretty daunting. 127 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:40,960 But she did have the good sense to learn what she could 128 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:45,400 from her English escort about what her new life would be like. 129 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:47,960 After all, she must have known what had happened 130 00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:50,640 to her three predecessors. She would have been anxious 131 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:52,840 to avoid making the same mistakes. 132 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:57,760 Anne made sure to have dinner with her travelling companions, 133 00:08:57,760 --> 00:09:00,640 because she needed to know what happened when Englishmen 134 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:02,680 were sitting at their meat. 135 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:09,720 She needed to get up to speed really quickly with the etiquette 136 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:11,280 of being a Tudor Queen. 137 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:22,200 It took over a month for Anne and her entourage to reach 138 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:26,600 the shores of England. When they arrived in Rochester, 139 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:29,400 they were instructed to rest up and wait. 140 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:32,920 There was just one vital thing her German advisers 141 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:35,160 had forgotten to brief Anne about. 142 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:39,400 An Englishman's sense of humour. 143 00:09:42,680 --> 00:09:44,040 My lady, welcome. 144 00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:47,840 I... 145 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:00,040 Something wrong, madam? 146 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:08,960 The King? 147 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:28,400 My Lord, what do you think of the Lady Anne? 148 00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:29,920 Do you really need to ask? 149 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:32,880 I put it to you this way. 150 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:35,920 She's not the lady I was expecting. 151 00:10:39,920 --> 00:10:43,280 Anne's advisers had let her down badly. 152 00:10:43,280 --> 00:10:46,640 They might have taught her about the finer points of dining, 153 00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:51,800 but they'd neglected the essentials of English courtly romance. 154 00:10:51,800 --> 00:10:54,880 They should have warned Anne that Henry loved to dress up, 155 00:10:54,880 --> 00:10:58,760 to disguise himself and then to surprise people. 156 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:03,520 By failing to recognise him, Anne caused grave offence. 157 00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:09,160 And Henry now turned against her, claiming to find her unattractive. 158 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:13,000 The conventional story is that Henry blamed Holbein 159 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:16,120 for having painted an overly-flattering portrait of Anne. 160 00:11:18,160 --> 00:11:21,920 But there are first-hand accounts of Anne being very attractive, 161 00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:23,320 even beautiful. 162 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:27,480 Whatever the rights and wrongs of the situation, 163 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:31,560 this has to be history's most awkward blind date. 164 00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:42,400 Their next meeting took place a few days later at Blackheath, 165 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:45,280 up on the hill behind Greenwich. 166 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:48,120 This was a formal reception for Anne, 167 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:52,240 then they rode down the hill to the Tudor palace of Greenwich, 168 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:54,760 long since rebuilt. 169 00:11:54,760 --> 00:11:57,480 As they rode they wore golden robes. 170 00:11:57,480 --> 00:11:59,200 There was a great procession, 171 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:04,960 crowds of spectators - they must have looked like a golden couple. 172 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:07,040 But all was not as it seemed. 173 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:12,720 Behind the scenes, Henry was desperately trying to wiggle out 174 00:12:12,720 --> 00:12:16,200 of the wedding. But he quickly discovered that 175 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:21,040 the marriage contract had been a complex diplomatic negotiation. 176 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:24,840 Anne's family back in Cleves weren't going to let him off the hook 177 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:26,640 that easily. 178 00:12:26,640 --> 00:12:29,440 And, in any case, was it wise? 179 00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:32,440 He needed them as allies against his enemies. 180 00:12:34,160 --> 00:12:35,680 There was nothing for it - 181 00:12:35,680 --> 00:12:38,440 he was just going to have to marry Anne. 182 00:12:46,480 --> 00:12:50,280 Henry is on his way to Anne's bedchamber for the first time. 183 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:54,360 The wedding night ritual is about to begin. 184 00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:11,440 Bless, oh Lord, this marriage bed, and those in it. 185 00:13:12,480 --> 00:13:15,400 Watch over your servants as they sleep, 186 00:13:15,400 --> 00:13:18,520 protecting them from all demonic dreams 187 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:21,320 and grant that they live in your love 188 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:25,760 and multiply and grow old together in length of days. 189 00:13:25,760 --> 00:13:28,000 Heavenly Father, hear this prayer. 190 00:13:43,520 --> 00:13:44,880 HENRY GRUNTS 191 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:26,720 Poor Anne. 192 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:29,600 And the really awful thing is that everybody knows 193 00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:32,480 that it's not working out in the bedchamber. 194 00:14:32,480 --> 00:14:37,160 Courtiers literally listen in to hear if the deed's being done. 195 00:14:37,160 --> 00:14:40,600 In the morning, they'll check the sheets for evidence. 196 00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:46,160 If the marriage isn't consummated, it's not legal. 197 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:52,680 The very public nature of this ritual means that word 198 00:14:52,680 --> 00:14:55,680 starts flying around court immediately. 199 00:14:55,680 --> 00:15:00,320 Everybody wants to know, "Why hasn't the King sealed the deal 200 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:02,000 "with his new Queen?" 201 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:10,040 My theory is that Henry just couldn't manage it. 202 00:15:10,040 --> 00:15:13,000 After all, he was getting older, and fatter, 203 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:15,520 and was quite possibly impotent. 204 00:15:15,520 --> 00:15:17,920 But Henry couldn't allow anybody to think this, 205 00:15:17,920 --> 00:15:21,040 it would undermine his masculine image. 206 00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:22,960 So he took action. 207 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:26,080 He got his physician, Dr William Butts, 208 00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:30,280 to spread it around the court that the problem must be with Anne. 209 00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:33,400 "The King," Dr Butts said, "was absolutely fine. 210 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:37,240 "He was well able to do the deed with other women, 211 00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:42,240 "and he was still experiencing nocturnal pollutions." 212 00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:44,240 They are what we would call wet dreams. 213 00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:49,640 Henry kept up the pretence of visiting Anne's bedchamber, 214 00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:52,400 but nothing was happening there apart from sleeping. 215 00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:58,240 By now malicious rumours were being deliberately spread around the court 216 00:15:58,240 --> 00:16:00,200 about what had gone wrong. 217 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:03,840 Some people said that Anne hadn't been a virgin. 218 00:16:03,840 --> 00:16:07,640 Others that, on the contrary, she didn't know what sex was. 219 00:16:07,640 --> 00:16:11,320 Then again, maybe her body had disgusted the King. 220 00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:14,760 No-one dared suggest it might have been Henry's fault. 221 00:16:15,880 --> 00:16:19,760 Because Anne's English isn't great, she's in a poor position 222 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:22,400 to defend herself against this gossip. 223 00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:25,120 But Anne is nobody's fool. 224 00:16:25,120 --> 00:16:27,920 She might not understand everything that's going on, 225 00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:32,720 but she can clearly see that her husband's eye is wandering. 226 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:35,000 She's in a dangerous position, 227 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:36,280 and she knows it. 228 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:52,480 Henry and Anne have been married for just a few months, 229 00:16:52,480 --> 00:16:56,760 and already the King is infatuated with someone else. 230 00:16:56,760 --> 00:17:00,560 If I may... A teenager, recently arrived at court. 231 00:17:00,560 --> 00:17:02,440 Her name is Catherine Howard. 232 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:11,680 Madam, this is an outrage. 233 00:17:11,680 --> 00:17:14,640 Ambassador Harst, this is King Henry. 234 00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:17,760 You suspect he is... 235 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:19,040 involved with this woman? 236 00:17:19,040 --> 00:17:20,560 A tight grip on the shaft... 237 00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:24,320 The King is a very sociable man. 238 00:17:24,320 --> 00:17:25,360 Is he not? 239 00:17:27,080 --> 00:17:28,800 And it does not grieve you? 240 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:34,120 Pull back, pull back. 241 00:17:35,280 --> 00:17:36,480 Very good. 242 00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:03,040 Bit more, bit more. 243 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:22,200 Pull back, pull back. 244 00:18:24,080 --> 00:18:26,640 Yes! Oh, yes! 245 00:18:37,600 --> 00:18:42,360 For Anne of Cleves, the arrival of Catherine Howard was very bad news. 246 00:18:42,360 --> 00:18:44,400 Her fears were well-founded. 247 00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:46,240 In June 1540, 248 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:49,760 just six months after she'd arrived in England, Anne of Cleves 249 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:51,880 was sent away from court. 250 00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:54,640 She was told to go and live at the Palace of Richmond, 251 00:18:54,640 --> 00:18:58,320 under the not very convincing excuse that the weather was better there. 252 00:19:01,080 --> 00:19:03,120 Henry wanted her out of the way 253 00:19:03,120 --> 00:19:05,440 so that he could marry Catherine Howard. 254 00:19:09,320 --> 00:19:13,000 Given Henry's past record, I think Anne must have been quite worried 255 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:15,640 about what might happen to her next. 256 00:19:15,640 --> 00:19:19,360 But she knew that if he treated her too harshly there might be 257 00:19:19,360 --> 00:19:22,120 an international incident involving Cleves. 258 00:19:22,120 --> 00:19:25,240 She also knew that Henry couldn't really afford that, 259 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:27,840 so she held out for a settlement. 260 00:19:27,840 --> 00:19:30,440 In the end, Henry offered her a deal - 261 00:19:30,440 --> 00:19:34,560 in return for going away quietly Anne would get a special title - 262 00:19:34,560 --> 00:19:37,360 she'd become known as the King's Sister. 263 00:19:37,360 --> 00:19:41,360 But here's the good bit - she'd also get two palaces to live in, 264 00:19:41,360 --> 00:19:45,280 a huge entourage of servants, and loads of money. 265 00:19:45,280 --> 00:19:48,640 Anne thought about it, and she said yes. 266 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:51,800 She sent back her wedding ring with a request 267 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:53,840 that it be broken into pieces. 268 00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:05,080 The King paid Anne off handsomely. 269 00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:08,600 Her entourage and her wardrobe continued to grow, 270 00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:11,200 and so did her property portfolio. 271 00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:16,040 Henry even gave her Hever Castle, a family home of Anne Boleyn. 272 00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:17,920 She never remarried, 273 00:20:17,920 --> 00:20:21,400 but Anne did become one of the richest women in England. 274 00:20:25,880 --> 00:20:28,480 Anne outlived all the rest of Henry's wives, 275 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:30,640 and Henry himself. 276 00:20:30,640 --> 00:20:34,240 When she finally died in 1557, at the age of 41, 277 00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:38,040 she was given a rather grand final resting place. 278 00:20:38,040 --> 00:20:41,840 It's here, in Westminster Abbey in London, 279 00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:44,840 and she's buried right by the High Altar. 280 00:20:49,200 --> 00:20:54,800 I think it's a fitting tribute to a brave and canny Queen, 281 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:56,400 who at the age of 24 took on 282 00:20:56,400 --> 00:20:59,080 the powerful forces of the Tudor court... 283 00:21:01,040 --> 00:21:02,160 ..and won. 284 00:21:24,360 --> 00:21:27,920 Since he'd made himself head of his own church, there'd been no-one 285 00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:31,360 to stop Henry ending his marriage to Anne of Cleves... 286 00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:38,120 ..leaving him free to marry teenage lady-in-waiting Catherine Howard. 287 00:21:38,120 --> 00:21:40,760 She would be the King's fifth Queen. 288 00:21:43,160 --> 00:21:47,200 Henry married Catherine just two weeks after the ending 289 00:21:47,200 --> 00:21:49,680 of his marriage with Anne of Cleves. 290 00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:53,320 Marriage to Catherine seemed to take ten years off his age. 291 00:21:53,320 --> 00:21:56,520 Under her influence he even lost weight. 292 00:21:56,520 --> 00:21:59,120 He was visibly infatuated with her. 293 00:21:59,120 --> 00:22:04,200 One eyewitness said that, "He's so amorous of her that he caresses her 294 00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:06,400 "more than he did the others." 295 00:22:06,400 --> 00:22:10,320 Now, if we saw a middle-aged man acting up like that with a teenager 296 00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:13,480 we'd think, "Wow, that's really inappropriate." 297 00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:17,280 But in the 16th century it was perfectly acceptable, 298 00:22:17,280 --> 00:22:19,960 especially if you were King Henry VIII. 299 00:22:24,160 --> 00:22:27,640 So why did Henry get married for the fifth time? 300 00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:30,680 After all, he now had his son and heir, Edward - 301 00:22:30,680 --> 00:22:33,680 he could have just kept Catherine for his mistress. 302 00:22:33,680 --> 00:22:36,960 But don't forget, he only had the crown himself 303 00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:40,040 because of the death of his older brother. 304 00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:43,480 He knew better than anybody that you need two boys, 305 00:22:43,480 --> 00:22:45,040 the heir and the spare. 306 00:22:46,480 --> 00:22:50,120 So I think he probably looked at Catherine and thought, 307 00:22:50,120 --> 00:22:53,840 "Hmm, she looks nice and young and fertile. 308 00:22:53,840 --> 00:22:56,560 "Perhaps she's the mother of another boy." 309 00:22:59,560 --> 00:23:02,760 No-one knows exactly when Catherine was born - 310 00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:06,560 she could have been as young as 15 when she married Henry, 311 00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:10,560 and she is remembered as the Queen who slept around. 312 00:23:10,560 --> 00:23:15,400 But I think that hers is a much darker and more tragic story. 313 00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:25,400 Catherine has been married to the King for just a year. 314 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:28,920 She's on her way to meet one of his advisers. 315 00:23:43,720 --> 00:23:45,320 I thought you were one of the King's men. 316 00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:48,760 I am. His Majesty's most loyal and faithful servant. 317 00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:51,240 We are in such danger. 318 00:23:51,240 --> 00:23:53,600 This is madness. Are you alone? 319 00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:54,640 Then we are safe. 320 00:23:55,920 --> 00:23:58,080 I am the King's wife, we are never safe. 321 00:23:58,080 --> 00:23:59,880 My lady, we have no time to lose. 322 00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:05,200 Every second with the King is spent thinking of our next meeting. 323 00:24:05,200 --> 00:24:07,480 Why, he cannot please you the way I do? 324 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:10,000 If the rumours are true he cannot please you at all. 325 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:11,960 Don't talk like that. 326 00:24:11,960 --> 00:24:14,080 My heart dies when we're apart. 327 00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:15,800 Tell me you're the same. Of course. 328 00:24:15,800 --> 00:24:18,200 But if we're caught? We will not be caught. 329 00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:22,120 Madam, if you wish to end this... 330 00:24:22,120 --> 00:24:24,920 No! Then place your trust in me. 331 00:24:31,200 --> 00:24:33,360 HENRY MUMBLES DRUNKENLY 332 00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:41,800 DRUNKEN SINGING 333 00:25:01,760 --> 00:25:05,520 Catherine's secret lover is courtier Thomas Culpeper, 334 00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:07,680 a notorious womaniser. 335 00:25:19,720 --> 00:25:23,280 One of Catherine and Thomas Culpeper's assignations 336 00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:26,800 took place here at Lincoln Castle. 337 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:30,920 This is from a letter that Catherine wrote to Thomas Culpeper - 338 00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:33,480 it's quite steamy stuff. 339 00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:36,240 "When I think," she says, 340 00:25:36,240 --> 00:25:42,800 "that you shall depart from me again it makes my heart to die. 341 00:25:42,800 --> 00:25:49,240 "To think what fortune I have that I cannot be always in your company." 342 00:25:49,240 --> 00:25:51,080 And she signs it off, 343 00:25:51,080 --> 00:25:54,360 "Yours, as long as life endures." 344 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:05,320 So why did Catherine risk an affair with Thomas Culpeper when she knew 345 00:26:05,320 --> 00:26:08,360 exactly how lethal Henry could be? 346 00:26:08,360 --> 00:26:11,480 After all, she was a cousin of Anne Boleyn, 347 00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:17,280 who'd been accused of adultery, and consequently lost her head. 348 00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:19,640 There are lots of different theories here. 349 00:26:19,640 --> 00:26:23,440 Some people think that Catherine was just a silly little slut, 350 00:26:23,440 --> 00:26:26,960 others that she really was in love with him. 351 00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:28,400 I don't believe either. 352 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:32,640 I believe that Thomas Culpeper was a sexual predator, 353 00:26:32,640 --> 00:26:34,000 that he was pressurising, 354 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:37,680 almost forcing a vulnerable young woman into having 355 00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:39,560 a sexual relationship with him. 356 00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:44,640 Thomas Culpeper had a terrible reputation. 357 00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:48,360 He'd been accused of raping a park-keeper's wife, 358 00:26:48,360 --> 00:26:51,440 and murdering a villager who tried to stop him. 359 00:26:51,440 --> 00:26:53,520 But he'd been pardoned by the King. 360 00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:59,760 It is true that the letter contains some pretty effusive phrases, 361 00:26:59,760 --> 00:27:02,800 when she talks about her heart dying for him, 362 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:06,720 or how she will be his as long as life endures. 363 00:27:06,720 --> 00:27:09,800 But you can read it as placatory. 364 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:14,480 Maybe she was telling him what he wanted to hear to keep him quiet. 365 00:27:14,480 --> 00:27:17,800 After all, Thomas Culpeper was a dangerous man. 366 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:23,080 Catherine met him again three weeks later, 367 00:27:23,080 --> 00:27:25,520 but this time they were noticed. 368 00:27:25,520 --> 00:27:29,360 And gossip about the Queen began to swirl around the court. 369 00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:45,800 On the 2nd of November 1541, All Souls' Day, 370 00:27:45,800 --> 00:27:49,080 a letter was left for the King to find in the Chapel Royal 371 00:27:49,080 --> 00:27:51,360 at Hampton Court. 372 00:27:51,360 --> 00:27:55,000 It contained some quite extraordinary allegations. 373 00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:58,760 It said that when his wife Catherine had been growing up 374 00:27:58,760 --> 00:28:02,920 she'd had sex with a cousin of hers called Francis Dereham, 375 00:28:02,920 --> 00:28:06,640 and also with a man called Henry Manox, 376 00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:08,440 who was her music teacher. 377 00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:13,440 When Henry read the letter he was sceptical, 378 00:28:13,440 --> 00:28:15,600 but he ordered an investigation. 379 00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:20,880 And the investigation led back to Catherine's childhood. 380 00:28:23,080 --> 00:28:25,480 Her mother died when she was young. 381 00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:29,680 Aged ten, Catherine was sent to live with her step-grandmother, 382 00:28:29,680 --> 00:28:31,800 the dowager Duchess of Norfolk, 383 00:28:31,800 --> 00:28:36,280 who ran a sort of boarding school for young ladies destined for court 384 00:28:36,280 --> 00:28:37,960 here at Chesworth Manor. 385 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:41,720 She wasn't given much of a formal education, 386 00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:43,840 though she did get music lessons. 387 00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:47,080 She was meant to pick up a bit of polish from being part 388 00:28:47,080 --> 00:28:48,640 of a large household. 389 00:28:51,400 --> 00:28:54,160 Catherine and the other girls slept in a dormitory called 390 00:28:54,160 --> 00:28:55,960 the Maidens' Chamber. 391 00:28:57,080 --> 00:29:00,920 It was supposed to be locked up at night to keep them safe, 392 00:29:00,920 --> 00:29:04,440 but the arrangements in this household were a bit lax. 393 00:29:04,440 --> 00:29:08,200 The Duchess can be said to have failed in her duty of care 394 00:29:08,200 --> 00:29:12,360 towards these girls, because certain men of the household 395 00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:14,760 knew how to get hold of the key. 396 00:29:18,560 --> 00:29:21,200 When Catherine's family connections took her to court, 397 00:29:21,200 --> 00:29:22,840 none of this was mentioned. 398 00:29:22,840 --> 00:29:26,400 And of course, it would have been dangerous to talk about it 399 00:29:26,400 --> 00:29:27,840 once she was the Queen. 400 00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:42,000 After just 15 months as Queen, Catherine is to be interrogated 401 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:46,680 about her past by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer. 402 00:29:50,840 --> 00:29:54,000 You must speak nothing but the truth, my child. 403 00:29:56,800 --> 00:29:58,680 Be calm. 404 00:29:58,680 --> 00:29:59,720 Take your time. 405 00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:03,480 We are here in God's company. 406 00:30:04,480 --> 00:30:05,640 There is no rush. 407 00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:11,080 Francis Dereham. 408 00:30:15,480 --> 00:30:16,800 You know this man well? 409 00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:20,040 Knew him, sir. 410 00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:24,280 It was many years ago, and I've not seen nor... 411 00:30:24,280 --> 00:30:29,640 Please, just simply explain your involvement with him. 412 00:30:33,080 --> 00:30:34,240 Long ago... 413 00:30:35,440 --> 00:30:37,960 ..before I met the King, 414 00:30:37,960 --> 00:30:40,880 there was the possibility that Francis Dereham and I would marry. 415 00:30:40,880 --> 00:30:41,920 Indeed. 416 00:30:42,880 --> 00:30:47,800 There is talk that you referred to one another as husband and wife. 417 00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:49,680 Not by law. 418 00:30:49,680 --> 00:30:51,000 Not in the eyes of God. 419 00:30:52,320 --> 00:30:54,520 The King has been my true and only husband. 420 00:30:55,880 --> 00:30:58,200 Did you lie with Dereham? 421 00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:03,280 Yes, my lord. 422 00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:07,120 I must be truthful. 423 00:31:07,120 --> 00:31:08,240 You must. 424 00:31:10,920 --> 00:31:12,320 Have there been others? 425 00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:15,800 Before the King, apart from Dereham? 426 00:31:17,800 --> 00:31:19,200 Henry Manox perhaps? 427 00:31:20,240 --> 00:31:21,360 Please. 428 00:31:23,320 --> 00:31:24,480 Sit back down. 429 00:31:30,240 --> 00:31:33,280 Have you anything to say about this man? 430 00:31:33,280 --> 00:31:35,520 The choice to lie with him was not mine. 431 00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:38,480 I was a child. 432 00:31:39,480 --> 00:31:41,480 Yet, still... 433 00:31:43,640 --> 00:31:46,880 ..the accusations are not without weight? 434 00:31:51,320 --> 00:31:52,400 They are not. 435 00:31:55,120 --> 00:31:56,960 I see. 436 00:31:56,960 --> 00:31:58,440 Please, my lord, 437 00:31:58,440 --> 00:32:01,920 I beg of you to tell the King that my heart is filled with sorrow, 438 00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:04,440 and assure him of my repentance. 439 00:32:04,440 --> 00:32:07,800 The fear of death is not as bad as this, my lord. 440 00:32:20,520 --> 00:32:24,200 Henry Manox had been her music teacher. 441 00:32:24,200 --> 00:32:25,800 And her cousin, Francis Dereham, 442 00:32:25,800 --> 00:32:29,040 he'd been one of those men with access to the key 443 00:32:29,040 --> 00:32:31,200 to the Maidens' Chamber. 444 00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:35,360 These two men had taken advantage of Catherine, 445 00:32:35,360 --> 00:32:38,440 and that's why it's so unfair that historians have called her 446 00:32:38,440 --> 00:32:43,360 a goodtime girl. Today, we'd call her an abused child. 447 00:32:46,640 --> 00:32:51,080 Henry Manox and Francis Dereham were arrested and sent 448 00:32:51,080 --> 00:32:52,920 to the Tower of London. 449 00:32:54,240 --> 00:32:57,440 They were interrogated by the Archbishop's men. 450 00:32:59,880 --> 00:33:04,680 And quite possibly, under torture, Catherine's cousin Francis Dereham 451 00:33:04,680 --> 00:33:07,400 admitted that he had had sex with her, 452 00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:11,040 he'd lain with her several times. 453 00:33:11,040 --> 00:33:14,200 This was a detail that was corroborated by ladies 454 00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:17,240 from Catherine's grandmother's household. 455 00:33:17,240 --> 00:33:20,480 What Cranmer and the King's advisers wanted to know next was, 456 00:33:20,480 --> 00:33:25,760 had the affair continued, even after Catherine had become Queen? 457 00:33:25,760 --> 00:33:29,440 No, said Francis Dereham, absolutely not. 458 00:33:29,440 --> 00:33:32,480 But that was only because she'd dumped him. 459 00:33:32,480 --> 00:33:36,760 He'd been replaced in Catherine's affections by somebody else - 460 00:33:36,760 --> 00:33:37,960 Thomas Culpeper. 461 00:33:40,440 --> 00:33:44,600 Culpeper, the serial seducer, had pressurised this vulnerable 462 00:33:44,600 --> 00:33:47,800 and abused girl into committing adultery. 463 00:33:47,800 --> 00:33:50,960 He denied the affair, but he wasn't believed. 464 00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:54,200 Catherine's love letter to him was found. 465 00:33:54,200 --> 00:33:56,000 This sealed their fate. 466 00:34:10,640 --> 00:34:12,720 Henry was devastated. 467 00:34:12,720 --> 00:34:16,600 But, as always, he gave his orders, and then he slipped away. 468 00:34:16,600 --> 00:34:19,840 Kings don't have to have difficult conversations. 469 00:34:19,840 --> 00:34:23,280 He left Hampton Court, said he was going hunting, 470 00:34:23,280 --> 00:34:25,280 and Catherine never saw him again. 471 00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:31,160 For several days she was left alone at the Palace. 472 00:34:31,160 --> 00:34:35,240 The King's absence must have told her that something was wrong. 473 00:34:36,280 --> 00:34:39,560 So cheerful and sociable in normal times, 474 00:34:39,560 --> 00:34:42,120 Catherine wasn't in the mood for merry-making. 475 00:34:43,680 --> 00:34:47,080 When musicians came to the Palace to play for the Queen 476 00:34:47,080 --> 00:34:50,520 they were sent away again. The exact words of the order, 477 00:34:50,520 --> 00:34:53,040 and this is really poignant, were, 478 00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:56,000 "Now is not the time for dancing." 479 00:35:01,760 --> 00:35:04,280 Finally, Catherine was arrested. 480 00:35:13,800 --> 00:35:17,120 Meanwhile, Thomas Culpeper and Francis Dereham 481 00:35:17,120 --> 00:35:20,720 were tried for treason and found guilty. 482 00:35:20,720 --> 00:35:23,960 Somehow Catherine's music teacher Henry Manox managed 483 00:35:23,960 --> 00:35:27,560 to get away with it, but the other two were less lucky. 484 00:35:27,560 --> 00:35:30,520 Francis Dereham was hung, drawn and quartered, 485 00:35:30,520 --> 00:35:33,880 and Thomas Culpeper, as his social superior, 486 00:35:33,880 --> 00:35:37,000 was given the rather more elegant death of beheading. 487 00:35:39,400 --> 00:35:43,520 The heads of the men who'd abused Catherine ended up on spikes 488 00:35:43,520 --> 00:35:46,160 on London Bridge. 489 00:35:46,160 --> 00:35:49,760 When the teenage Queen was taken to the Tower of London, 490 00:35:49,760 --> 00:35:52,320 she would have seen their rotting heads. 491 00:35:59,640 --> 00:36:02,960 It's the 12th of February, 1542. 492 00:36:04,640 --> 00:36:07,800 Catherine has also been convicted of treason, 493 00:36:07,800 --> 00:36:10,320 and is sentenced to die by beheading. 494 00:36:38,520 --> 00:36:41,640 It is a much more ordinary thing than I had imagined. 495 00:36:53,240 --> 00:36:54,360 No, my lady. 496 00:36:54,360 --> 00:36:56,400 Please, move away from me. 497 00:37:26,440 --> 00:37:28,560 I shall surrender myself to God. 498 00:37:54,520 --> 00:37:58,000 The next day, Catherine was brought to the scaffold 499 00:37:58,000 --> 00:38:00,520 erected on this spot. 500 00:38:00,520 --> 00:38:03,760 Her last words were extremely penitent. 501 00:38:03,760 --> 00:38:07,880 She spoke about her just and worthy punishment. 502 00:38:07,880 --> 00:38:12,440 She said that she'd offended God heinously ever since her youth, 503 00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:16,600 and she prayed for the preservation of her husband the King. 504 00:38:16,600 --> 00:38:20,200 Then she knelt down exactly as she'd practised, 505 00:38:20,200 --> 00:38:24,600 and her head was removed with a single blow of the axe. 506 00:38:51,600 --> 00:38:55,240 After the breakdown of his fifth marriage, it took Henry a whole year 507 00:38:55,240 --> 00:38:59,280 to recover. The Spanish ambassador reported that, 508 00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:02,800 "He certainly shows more sorrow at her loss 509 00:39:02,800 --> 00:39:05,960 "than at the loss of his previous wives." 510 00:39:05,960 --> 00:39:10,400 Henry was now old and ill and tired. 511 00:39:10,400 --> 00:39:13,160 Why not just remain a widower? 512 00:39:13,160 --> 00:39:15,280 But it simply didn't suit him. 513 00:39:15,280 --> 00:39:18,040 He craved female company. 514 00:39:18,040 --> 00:39:20,840 It was time for yet another new wife. 515 00:39:24,960 --> 00:39:28,960 Henry's sixth Queen would be Kathryn Parr. 516 00:39:28,960 --> 00:39:33,680 She may have a reputation for being the dullest of them all, 517 00:39:33,680 --> 00:39:37,000 but the real woman is altogether more intriguing. 518 00:39:38,360 --> 00:39:41,640 Kathryn had already got through two husbands. 519 00:39:41,640 --> 00:39:46,000 She was twice a widow, but she was a very merry one. 520 00:39:46,000 --> 00:39:47,920 She was witty, and pretty. 521 00:39:47,920 --> 00:39:50,320 She loved music and dancing. 522 00:39:50,320 --> 00:39:54,120 Although she came from a northern family, she'd grown up in London - 523 00:39:54,120 --> 00:39:57,320 her family's townhouse was here in Blackfriars. 524 00:39:58,320 --> 00:40:00,280 Kathryn was already involved 525 00:40:00,280 --> 00:40:03,000 with one of the court's most eligible bachelors, 526 00:40:03,000 --> 00:40:05,920 Jane Seymour's older brother, Thomas. 527 00:40:05,920 --> 00:40:09,520 But when Henry's eye fell on her, she couldn't say no. 528 00:40:12,040 --> 00:40:17,440 Henry was now 52, pretty old for Tudor times. 529 00:40:17,440 --> 00:40:19,440 He had his heir, Edward, 530 00:40:19,440 --> 00:40:22,680 and he may still have been holding out hope for a second son. 531 00:40:24,360 --> 00:40:26,880 But his health was deteriorating. 532 00:40:26,880 --> 00:40:31,400 He could no longer walk without help because of the ulcers on his legs. 533 00:40:31,400 --> 00:40:35,480 So the 30-year-old Kathryn would be more companion than lover, 534 00:40:35,480 --> 00:40:37,400 and a mother figure to his children. 535 00:40:39,600 --> 00:40:43,440 Henry must have been attracted to her warm personality, 536 00:40:43,440 --> 00:40:46,520 her sense of humour, maybe her intelligence. 537 00:40:46,520 --> 00:40:49,400 She was definitely the most intellectually curious 538 00:40:49,400 --> 00:40:50,880 of all of his wives. 539 00:40:50,880 --> 00:40:55,080 She was one of those people who just can't stop reading books. 540 00:40:55,080 --> 00:40:59,400 Their marriage was a small affair, there were only 20 people present, 541 00:40:59,400 --> 00:41:02,480 but they included Henry's daughters Mary and Elizabeth. 542 00:41:02,480 --> 00:41:07,560 It took place in July 1543, here at Hampton Court. 543 00:41:11,400 --> 00:41:14,240 What was Kathryn herself thinking? 544 00:41:15,400 --> 00:41:19,680 Well, we do know that she had hoped to marry somebody else. 545 00:41:19,680 --> 00:41:23,240 But also, she had a very highly developed sense of duty. 546 00:41:24,600 --> 00:41:27,160 And her duty was to God. 547 00:41:27,160 --> 00:41:30,080 She had her own reasons for marrying the King. 548 00:41:39,880 --> 00:41:42,680 It's wedding night number six for Henry, 549 00:41:42,680 --> 00:41:46,200 and he's waiting for his new Queen to arrive. 550 00:41:46,200 --> 00:41:49,240 My Lord. Oh, sweet lady. 551 00:41:49,240 --> 00:41:51,520 There you are. Always, my Lord. 552 00:42:06,080 --> 00:42:07,480 Gently, sister. 553 00:42:13,720 --> 00:42:15,080 Leave us. 554 00:42:20,520 --> 00:42:21,680 Thank you. 555 00:42:27,520 --> 00:42:31,240 It's just over a year after Catherine Howard's execution, 556 00:42:31,240 --> 00:42:34,040 and Henry is delighted with his new bride. 557 00:42:36,480 --> 00:42:39,480 Kathryn Parr was a model queen. 558 00:42:39,480 --> 00:42:42,280 Henry trusted her to rule in his absence, 559 00:42:42,280 --> 00:42:45,720 as he had done with his first Catherine, of Aragon. 560 00:42:45,720 --> 00:42:49,520 Today Kathryn Parr has rather a dowdy, nursey image. 561 00:42:49,520 --> 00:42:52,640 This isn't fair - she was actually rather glamorous. 562 00:42:52,640 --> 00:42:57,040 As soon as she got married she spent a lot of money on sumptuous clothes 563 00:42:57,040 --> 00:42:58,240 in bright colours. 564 00:42:58,240 --> 00:43:01,160 She bought satin for her nightgowns. 565 00:43:01,160 --> 00:43:04,680 Kathryn Parr's stepdaughter, the Princess Elizabeth, 566 00:43:04,680 --> 00:43:08,880 spent a lot of time watching and learning from her about 567 00:43:08,880 --> 00:43:13,560 how to be a queen. Yes, in matters of image, but also intellectually, 568 00:43:13,560 --> 00:43:16,920 Kathryn Parr was a real role model. 569 00:43:16,920 --> 00:43:20,760 There was only one problem with this picture of a happy family - 570 00:43:20,760 --> 00:43:22,800 Kathryn's religious views. 571 00:43:26,280 --> 00:43:30,520 England was still settling in to a new religious order as a result 572 00:43:30,520 --> 00:43:32,560 of Henry's split from Rome. 573 00:43:35,240 --> 00:43:39,280 He'd made himself head of his new church in England, but in his own 574 00:43:39,280 --> 00:43:44,200 personal religious beliefs, Henry was surprisingly old school. 575 00:43:44,200 --> 00:43:45,560 It's funny, isn't it? 576 00:43:45,560 --> 00:43:49,880 Because we think of him as having broken with Rome, but in his heart, 577 00:43:49,880 --> 00:43:52,480 Henry remained a Catholic. 578 00:43:52,480 --> 00:43:55,920 But there was a revolutionary new religion in England, 579 00:43:55,920 --> 00:43:59,920 it was growing in popularity, it would end up as Protestantism. 580 00:43:59,920 --> 00:44:03,360 And Henry's new wife Kathryn Parr was a believer. 581 00:44:03,360 --> 00:44:07,280 Now, Protestants thought that the Bible ought to be published 582 00:44:07,280 --> 00:44:10,360 in English, not Latin, that preaching ought to be 583 00:44:10,360 --> 00:44:13,640 done in English so that people could understand it. 584 00:44:13,640 --> 00:44:16,920 Not surprisingly, this was proving pretty popular 585 00:44:16,920 --> 00:44:18,360 with Henry's subjects. 586 00:44:19,760 --> 00:44:21,320 But not with Henry. 587 00:44:21,320 --> 00:44:24,440 He was quite horrified by the thought of people having 588 00:44:24,440 --> 00:44:29,280 direct access to the Bible. He complained about this in Parliament. 589 00:44:29,280 --> 00:44:33,360 He said that this most precious jewel, the word of God, 590 00:44:33,360 --> 00:44:39,000 was now being disputed, rhymed, sung and jangled 591 00:44:39,000 --> 00:44:41,720 in taverns and alehouses. 592 00:44:41,720 --> 00:44:45,200 And one person who was doing more jangling than anyone else 593 00:44:45,200 --> 00:44:47,400 was Henry's own wife, Kathryn Parr. 594 00:44:52,040 --> 00:44:55,320 Kathryn was an out and out evangelist. 595 00:44:55,320 --> 00:44:58,880 She believed that God had chosen her to marry Henry, 596 00:44:58,880 --> 00:45:02,640 just so she could spread the good news about the new religion. 597 00:45:02,640 --> 00:45:06,960 She even published a book - it was called Prayers Or Meditations. 598 00:45:06,960 --> 00:45:08,760 This was unprecedented - 599 00:45:08,760 --> 00:45:12,560 it was the first book to be published in English by a woman, 600 00:45:12,560 --> 00:45:15,280 let alone queen, and it was a bestseller. 601 00:45:17,240 --> 00:45:20,200 Now, Henry wasn't particularly bothered that she'd done this. 602 00:45:20,200 --> 00:45:23,160 He thought that it was a nice little hobby for her to have, 603 00:45:23,160 --> 00:45:24,680 that it was woman's work. 604 00:45:25,760 --> 00:45:29,280 But it did raise eyebrows in conservative circles 605 00:45:29,280 --> 00:45:30,760 close to the King. 606 00:45:30,760 --> 00:45:34,040 What Kathryn had done was, technically, illegal - 607 00:45:34,040 --> 00:45:37,680 women weren't supposed to preach the Word of God. 608 00:45:37,680 --> 00:45:41,360 And it would turn out that Kathryn wasn't the only female in the family 609 00:45:41,360 --> 00:45:44,920 with these potentially subversive religious views. 610 00:45:49,440 --> 00:45:52,920 The 12-year-old Princess Elizabeth is intelligent, 611 00:45:52,920 --> 00:45:56,240 devout and fluent in five languages. 612 00:45:58,280 --> 00:46:02,240 To Elizabeth it seems perfectly natural that she should start 613 00:46:02,240 --> 00:46:06,080 translating religious works, just like her stepmother does. 614 00:46:06,080 --> 00:46:09,000 It's New Year's Day 1546, 615 00:46:09,000 --> 00:46:12,000 and Elizabeth has decided to give her father 616 00:46:12,000 --> 00:46:13,960 a home-made New Year's gift. 617 00:46:13,960 --> 00:46:16,440 It's a translation that she's done herself. 618 00:46:19,960 --> 00:46:21,960 A gift from Elizabeth, 619 00:46:21,960 --> 00:46:24,600 made by her own fair hand. 620 00:46:24,600 --> 00:46:26,360 Happy New Year, Your Majesty. 621 00:46:26,360 --> 00:46:28,200 And what a precious gift it is. 622 00:46:30,320 --> 00:46:31,440 Oh! 623 00:46:45,080 --> 00:46:47,240 Do you recognise it, my Lord? 624 00:46:47,240 --> 00:46:48,920 The Queen's book, sire. 625 00:46:48,920 --> 00:46:50,360 Prayers Or Meditations. 626 00:46:57,480 --> 00:46:59,600 You seem unhappy, sire. 627 00:46:59,600 --> 00:47:02,360 And you cannot possibly guess why that might be? 628 00:47:05,320 --> 00:47:08,480 This is heresy. 629 00:47:08,480 --> 00:47:11,080 The Word of God defiled. 630 00:47:11,080 --> 00:47:14,760 It is a gift, made with love by your daughter. 631 00:47:14,760 --> 00:47:16,080 MY daughter. 632 00:47:19,680 --> 00:47:22,240 Were you aware that Elizabeth had committed herself to this, 633 00:47:22,240 --> 00:47:23,400 in spite of my beliefs? 634 00:47:23,400 --> 00:47:24,680 Sire, if I may say so, 635 00:47:24,680 --> 00:47:27,800 I see no reason why a difference of opinion on this matter 636 00:47:27,800 --> 00:47:29,800 should cause such upset between us. 637 00:47:29,800 --> 00:47:31,800 You see no reason? 638 00:47:31,800 --> 00:47:34,600 To deliberately provoke and insult me, 639 00:47:34,600 --> 00:47:37,000 and impose your faith on my child? 640 00:47:40,160 --> 00:47:41,440 The fault is mine, Father. 641 00:47:42,560 --> 00:47:44,280 Forgive me if I have offended you. 642 00:47:45,840 --> 00:47:49,200 I am thankful for your efforts, child. 643 00:47:50,320 --> 00:47:53,240 Of course, YOU are forgiven. 644 00:48:05,360 --> 00:48:08,000 So Kathryn is spreading the new religion 645 00:48:08,000 --> 00:48:10,840 through her impressionable stepdaughter. 646 00:48:10,840 --> 00:48:14,160 But on top of that, her work is also being read 647 00:48:14,160 --> 00:48:16,200 throughout the royal household, 648 00:48:16,200 --> 00:48:17,280 by her friends... 649 00:48:18,800 --> 00:48:20,560 ..and her enemies. 650 00:48:27,640 --> 00:48:31,280 There was a faction at court plotting against Kathryn. 651 00:48:31,280 --> 00:48:35,160 They were conservatives, supporters of the old religion. 652 00:48:35,160 --> 00:48:38,120 They were worried about her reforming tendencies, 653 00:48:38,120 --> 00:48:41,160 and her growing influence on the elderly King. 654 00:48:42,960 --> 00:48:45,960 They whispered in Henry's ear and exploited 655 00:48:45,960 --> 00:48:48,360 his impatience with his wife. 656 00:48:48,360 --> 00:48:51,440 The Queen was getting too powerful, they warned. 657 00:48:51,440 --> 00:48:54,120 She was a Protestant, a heretic. 658 00:48:54,120 --> 00:48:55,920 She must be burnt at the stake. 659 00:48:57,040 --> 00:48:59,360 But Kathryn was one step ahead of them. 660 00:49:08,560 --> 00:49:10,600 Take these and destroy them as soon as possible. 661 00:49:10,600 --> 00:49:11,880 My lady, that's sacrilege. 662 00:49:11,880 --> 00:49:14,080 Would you rather be destroyed yourself? 663 00:49:14,080 --> 00:49:17,440 Please, let us not suffer the pain of death for our convictions. 664 00:49:17,440 --> 00:49:20,360 As ever, place your trust in God. 665 00:49:20,360 --> 00:49:21,560 KNOCK AT DOOR 666 00:49:28,200 --> 00:49:29,720 Do not let fear consume you. 667 00:49:29,720 --> 00:49:31,080 Go about your business as usual, 668 00:49:31,080 --> 00:49:34,040 but speak not a single word of this to anybody. 669 00:49:35,880 --> 00:49:38,160 Take comfort in the Lord. 670 00:49:38,160 --> 00:49:39,240 It shall pass. 671 00:49:49,600 --> 00:49:52,680 Kathryn knows how much danger she's in, 672 00:49:52,680 --> 00:49:54,160 but she doesn't panic. 673 00:49:54,160 --> 00:49:57,280 She and her ladies have acted quickly and decisively - 674 00:49:57,280 --> 00:50:00,200 they've destroyed their heretical books. 675 00:50:00,200 --> 00:50:03,160 But now Kathryn needs to save herself. 676 00:50:03,160 --> 00:50:05,600 She needs to confront the King. 677 00:50:05,600 --> 00:50:09,040 She's heard that the King's been persuaded to sign a warrant 678 00:50:09,040 --> 00:50:10,720 for her arrest. 679 00:50:13,760 --> 00:50:16,720 It seems such a time since we sat together like this. 680 00:50:18,520 --> 00:50:20,680 I have missed your company. 681 00:50:20,680 --> 00:50:23,240 There has been much to cloud the mood of late. 682 00:50:24,720 --> 00:50:28,080 Please speak freely, sire, I have nothing to hide from you. 683 00:50:29,600 --> 00:50:32,040 You're fully aware of my concerns. 684 00:50:32,040 --> 00:50:34,680 I feel no need to go over them again. 685 00:50:34,680 --> 00:50:39,960 Indeed, perhaps it is the fact that you possess no inclination 686 00:50:39,960 --> 00:50:43,920 to hide your opinions from me that has become the problem. 687 00:50:43,920 --> 00:50:47,680 You wish for a queen who will remain impassive and obedient 688 00:50:47,680 --> 00:50:50,960 at all times? I shall forever be obedient, my Lord, 689 00:50:50,960 --> 00:50:53,120 but I cannot be impassive. 690 00:50:53,120 --> 00:50:57,240 It is this which allows me to serve you to the best of my capabilities. 691 00:50:57,240 --> 00:51:01,160 To vigorously defend and protect our marriage 692 00:51:01,160 --> 00:51:03,080 by attending to your every need... 693 00:51:04,560 --> 00:51:06,040 ..is my greatest joy. 694 00:51:08,200 --> 00:51:09,880 That is not in question. 695 00:51:11,680 --> 00:51:12,880 The problem... 696 00:51:13,880 --> 00:51:17,200 ..is the articulation of your new-found belief, 697 00:51:17,200 --> 00:51:19,240 and its contradiction with mine. 698 00:51:22,360 --> 00:51:24,240 Do not forget your place, madam. 699 00:51:25,280 --> 00:51:30,280 If I engage in debate, 700 00:51:30,280 --> 00:51:35,200 it is only so that I may benefit from your clear instruction, 701 00:51:35,200 --> 00:51:38,680 not because I look to defy or contradict you. 702 00:51:41,600 --> 00:51:45,680 Forgive me, my lord, your happiness is above everything else. 703 00:51:47,200 --> 00:51:48,240 Please. 704 00:51:50,280 --> 00:51:51,680 Keep your faith with me. 705 00:52:04,840 --> 00:52:06,600 What is it? 706 00:52:06,600 --> 00:52:10,520 Your Majesty, I have here a warrant for the arrest of Queen Kathryn. 707 00:52:12,040 --> 00:52:14,040 On what charge? 708 00:52:14,040 --> 00:52:15,480 Heresy, my lord. 709 00:52:31,320 --> 00:52:33,200 You may leave now. 710 00:52:34,320 --> 00:52:37,040 Your Majesty, my instructions are... 711 00:52:37,040 --> 00:52:42,160 Your instructions come from your King, and I instruct you to leave. 712 00:52:42,160 --> 00:52:43,320 Now. 713 00:52:46,240 --> 00:52:47,840 Get away from here! 714 00:53:06,920 --> 00:53:12,640 So Kathryn has succeeded where all Henry's previous wives have failed. 715 00:53:12,640 --> 00:53:16,280 She's been to the brink of disaster, but somehow, 716 00:53:16,280 --> 00:53:19,800 she's managed to soothe his suspicions. 717 00:53:19,800 --> 00:53:23,040 This is partly Kathryn's own cleverness and good sense, 718 00:53:23,040 --> 00:53:27,600 but it's also because Henry's old now, and frail. 719 00:53:27,600 --> 00:53:30,600 Kathryn suits him pretty well. 720 00:53:30,600 --> 00:53:33,840 And in his own funny way, he loves her. 721 00:53:33,840 --> 00:53:38,720 He doesn't have the energy now to go hunting for yet another wife. 722 00:53:51,600 --> 00:53:54,920 Harmony is restored to the royal household, 723 00:53:54,920 --> 00:53:57,800 and Kathryn wisely keeps her faith to herself. 724 00:54:00,040 --> 00:54:02,560 But Henry's health is rapidly declining. 725 00:54:04,400 --> 00:54:07,480 He's spending more and more time apart from Kathryn 726 00:54:07,480 --> 00:54:11,960 and his children, closeted away with only his most trusted advisers. 727 00:54:13,480 --> 00:54:17,480 It's almost as if he's ashamed of his impending mortality. 728 00:54:21,920 --> 00:54:28,120 Henry VIII died in the small hours of the 28th of January, 1547, 729 00:54:28,120 --> 00:54:31,040 and his nine-year-old son, Edward, was crowned king. 730 00:54:33,040 --> 00:54:37,240 Kathryn was charged with bringing up the young Princess Elizabeth, 731 00:54:37,240 --> 00:54:40,840 and four months later Kathryn married Thomas Seymour, 732 00:54:40,840 --> 00:54:44,040 the man she'd been in love with before she became Queen. 733 00:54:46,720 --> 00:54:48,920 Finally, at the age of 36, 734 00:54:48,920 --> 00:54:51,960 everything came together for Kathryn Parr. 735 00:54:51,960 --> 00:54:53,280 She got pregnant. 736 00:54:53,280 --> 00:54:56,920 She had the life she wanted, she had the man she wanted. 737 00:54:56,920 --> 00:55:00,080 But then, like so many Tudor women, 738 00:55:00,080 --> 00:55:03,240 it was childbirth that got her in the end. 739 00:55:03,240 --> 00:55:07,560 Her daughter was born, and a week later Kathryn died. 740 00:55:24,800 --> 00:55:28,280 But that's not the end of the story. 741 00:55:28,280 --> 00:55:32,520 After all the efforts that Henry's six wives made to give him a son, 742 00:55:32,520 --> 00:55:35,680 young King Edward would only rule for six years, 743 00:55:35,680 --> 00:55:37,600 and he too died. 744 00:55:37,600 --> 00:55:40,320 And so Henry's daughters became Queen - 745 00:55:40,320 --> 00:55:45,120 Mary, born to Catherine of Aragon, and Elizabeth, born to Anne Boleyn. 746 00:55:45,120 --> 00:55:50,040 Queen Elizabeth I would rule England for 44 years, 747 00:55:50,040 --> 00:55:53,760 and you've got to agree that she was our greatest monarch ever. 748 00:55:56,000 --> 00:56:00,480 Isn't it ironic that despite the infidelities, 749 00:56:00,480 --> 00:56:05,000 and despite the miscarriages, and the divorces, and the beheadings, 750 00:56:05,000 --> 00:56:09,160 despite all that drama that the six queens endured 751 00:56:09,160 --> 00:56:11,760 to try to give Henry a male heir, 752 00:56:11,760 --> 00:56:15,840 that, in the end, the Tudor dynasty was secured by a woman?