I've felt that Katherine of Aragon was the only one of Henry's wives who really loved him. I've wondered, too, if only Henry had accepted Mary as his heir, and married her to a close Tudor relative, maybe he would've had the dynasty he hoped for.

Too bad Prince Arthur died young, England came so close to having a King Arthur. He might not have lived up to the mythical King Arthur, but may have done great things for the country -- and hopefully not have treated Katherine of Aragon so shabbily.

Anne Boleyn's alleged adulteries were not collaborated, in fact the evidence produced in court against them was so flimsy that the records were subsequently burned. It is the assessment of all of Anne's biographers and modern-day experts that she was innocent of the charges against her. And the idea that she plotted to have Henry overthrown is laughable. Elizabeth was only 2 years old and Anne's position was weak until she had a son. Therefore, Henry's death might very well have meant the overthrow and ruin of Anne and Elizabeth too. As for her education in France, the court's reputation for debauchery has been exaggerated and it didn't actually reach the party more/moralise less phase of epic self-indulgence until the late 1530s and 1540s under Francis I's last mistress, Anne d'Heilly, by which point Anne Boleyn was dead.

Also, I am astonished at what you said about Catherine Howard. Have you just made that up? Catherine never, ever plotted to have her husband assassinated. She wasn't political in anyway; her affair with Sir Thomas Culpepper did take place, but there was no murderous or political dimension to it. What on earth would Catherine have gained from being a widow? And she wasn't that much against her marriage anyway. Bored and repelled she may have been, but she was also a self-indulgent materialist and Henry indulged her every whim. It was only a year into the marriage that she began cheating; initially, I think her love-lust for jewels made the marriage more than bearable. She was bored and sexually frustrated when her affair began. Adultery in a queen was treason, but that's the extent of her crimes.

Also, the theory that Henry had syphilis has been proven incorrect by the biography of him by Dr. J.J. Scarisbrick and the medical history of him by Sir Arthur MacNulty. Henry wasn't treated for any of the signs of syphilis and in the 1530s and 1540s, mercury was ALWAYS given to wealthy patients with syphilis, including Francis I, King of France and Lord Henry Darnley in the 1560s. And he also didn't exhibit any of the signs of syphilis, contrary to popular myth.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4663280.stm

I bet he was sucking millipedes.

I take it you are from California? Perhaps the ghost of Henry was unhappy with your comments.

Katherine was married to his brother Arthur, who was supposed to be king. They hadn't consummated their marriage yet when Arthur fell ill (and Henry was the only one who visited him). Henry's father is now thought to have then had a little fun with Katherine, resulting in pregnancy with Mary. As he had already spent a good deal of her dowry, he decided to marry of his quite young son, Henry, to the widow. Henry tried to get the marriage annulled, but because his father had already pulled that card, the pope said no.

He then married Anne Boleyn, who it was suspected (and later collaberated) had numerous affairs and plotted to take most of the power her husband had. She was also incredibly disrespectful in public- which was not ok at the time, you did not publicly diss the size of the king's equipment and get away with it. She was the worn who wore yellow, much to the king's anger, at the announcement of Katherine's death (isn't that pretty much common knowledge?) In her defense, she was raised in France, where everything was a little more party and a little less respectful. He had her executed after he found her cheating with (and it's estimated now that she only cheated with 1 or 2, but one of those was Elizabeth's father) over 10 ten men. Elizabeth was stripped of her titles under the suspicion that she wasn't even Henry's kid (which she probably wasn't). Anne was beheaded, at her request, by a French swordsman, so it would be quicker and less painful. At this point, Henry was getting syphilis-crazy.

Jane Seymour calmed Henry's anger and convinced him to put Mary and Elizabeth back into the royal succession. She died after giving birth to Edward, who is thought by many to be the only child Henry sired. It's thought by many historians that Henry couldn't have produced healthy children.

Anne of Cleves went basically how you guys said, because she was horribly misrepresented. He refused to consumate with her (to my knowledge, it didn't happen), and then sent her back.

Catherine Howard conspired with a group of political men to have Henry removed from the throne after being married to him for a short time. She, it's true, was very young and very against the marriage, but when you're being a traitor... you're pretty much going to die.

Last, of course, Catherine Parr outlived the gross old man he'd come to be.

Next time, Neatorama, you may want to get your facts (and names- Jane Gray)

(Sorry that took a while, interrupted by earthquake)