Affairs That Cost 2 Women Their Lives & How the Other 4 Survived

Henry VIII had six wives. One wife for 24 years, then five more in the next 11. He was pursuing the next woman while still married to the current one every single time — and he was running an entire country while doing it. So much for "I'm too busy."

In this episode of Affairs Through the Ages, I'm walking through every wife, every affair, and the pattern that never changed. From the annulment that broke England away from the Catholic Church to the teenager who was beheaded at 18, this story is wild. But what really got me is the women — in a world where they had no legal rights, no property, and no ability to say no to a king, they still found a way to play the game. And some of them played it brilliantly.

I also dig into what was actually going on with Henry — the jousting accident that may have caused a traumatic brain injury, the 32-inch waist that became a 52-inch waist, and how unchecked power turned a golden prince into a tyrant.

In This Episode:

1. Who Henry was before the monster and what changed
2. His mistresses before the six wives (and why they matter)
3. All six wives: the affairs, the strategies, and what each one reveals about Henry
4. The annulment that created the Church of England
5. Why "if he wanted to, he would" has been true for 500 years

Research for this episode draws on biographical and historical sources including Britannica, Historic Royal Palaces, History.com, Royal Museums Greenwich, and published works by Tracy Borman, Elizabeth Norton, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, David Starkey, and Alison Weir. All commentary and analysis is my own.

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