BookReportonKingHenry.doc

Last week, I read a book called Henry VIII and his six wives. Just like it’s name,the book gives us a brief introduction on Henry VIII’s each wife and their stories.
It’s the TV show The Tudors first took me into the King’s scandalous life. His oringinal wife was Katherine of Aragon, a princess from Spain, who first came over to England to marry Henry’s brother Arthur and soon became a widow after Arthur’s death. Due to some political causes Katherine married Henry after that and gave him a daughter, Princess Mary. During their 24 years of marriage, Katherine failed to gave Henry another healthy child, especially a son. The King wanted a son so much that he couldn’t wait any longer so he decided to divorce her. With Katherine’s determined objection, she was put in prison. Finally Henry got his divorce while Katherine spent the rest of her life in the Tower of Londen, lonely and miserable.
Henry’s second wife was Anne Boleyn. Actually, he was in love with her for about 7 years before they got married. It took Henry so long to divorce Katherine and Anne was an ambitious girl that she didn’t want to be just a mistress. She kept saying no to the King only to made him want her more and made her the Queen of England as she wished. Their marriage lasted less than 4 years. The King wanted a son, but Anne gave him another daughter, Princess Elizabeth. Henry soon got tired of her and found her such an annoying wild woman with so many talks and thoughts. There are also rumours about Anne having secret lovers. Anyway, the King got no patience for her and sent her along with 5 young men, so called her lovers, one of which, by the way, was her brother, to the Tower of Londen, and they were all beheaded.
Henry got married again only 10 days after Anne’s death. His third wife was Jane Seymour. A quite different girl from Anne, Jane was quiet and carefull. She learnt from the former hostess that never tell a King what to do. Henry really loved her and after a year and half, he finally got a son,or we can say his only son--- Edward the Sixth. Sadly, Jane got seriously ill and soon died after her son was born. People think of Jane as Henry’s true love and she was burried at Windsor.
At that time, children can easily die and prince Edward was not strong so the King wanted another wife and more children. Henry got his fourth marriage with Anne of Cleves. People told Him that Anne was a beautiful young lady so he decided to married her before they first met each other. When this young German princess came to England, the King was furious to know that Anne was not pretty at all and can not speak a single word in English. She was said to have a long nose and looked just like a horse. In order to please the Germans, Henry had no choice but to marry ugly Anne but he needed a divorce soon after the wedding. Poor Anne was only Qween for 6 months.
The King noticed one of the ladies at Queen Anne’s palace very beautiful and fell in love with her immediately. That was Henry’s fifth wife--- Katherine Howard. Henry was 49 at that time and very fat while Katherine was only 19. He was the King but absolutely not charming. No matter how Katherine thought, they got married. About six months later, Katherine started to see another man called Thomas Culpeper secretly at night. How stupid it was that the Queen of England even wrote love letters to her handsome young lover. After hearing of their gossip the King put both of them into prison and cut their head off.
Henry first met Catherine Parr at a party of Hampton Court Palace,, a woman who had had two husbands already. She married this horrible man even if she didn’t love him. In fact, what more can you do if the King who can cut off your head if he wanted ask you to marry him? Catherine managed to stay alive untill King Henry was dead and soon married her old lover Thomas Seymour.
So, that’is all about Henry VIII’s six wives. Henry was not a good husband, he killed two wives beacause they cheated on him but he had got many mistresses himself. It is so unfair and that man is undoubtedly selfish, but if you look it in a different way, you may find him also very pathetic. The power of a King can not ensure him a long live marriage nor a happy family. He can punish anyone he like however it didn’t make him happier. Six different women became his wife only left him three children. He lost his most cherished wife to have a son. Maybe god just can’t let him have both. He betryed his wives and they payed him back. He then cut their head off only to make people be afraid of him rather than love him.
I wonder did he really don’t know how to love or did he think there is no need for him to give love? He gave no respect on others and never forgave mistakes because it’s much easier for him to revenge rather than bear the pain. Was he satisfied with his life when the final moment came? Wouldn’t it be cruel for him to know that his beautiful wife by his sick bed was actually thinKing about someone else? Looks like we need more women to fulfil the King’s empty heart.