The story of Henry VIII and his six wives has passed from history into
legend - taught in the cradle as a cautionary tale and remembered in
adulthood as an object lesson in the dangers of marrying into royalty.
The true story behind the legend, however, remains obscure to most
people, whose knowledge of the affair begins and ends with the aide
memoire 'Divorced, executed, died, divorced, executed, survived'. David
Loades' masterly book recounts Henry's whole sorry tale in detail from
his first marriage, to his brother's widow Catherine of Aragon, to his
more or less contented old age in the care of the motherly Catherine
Parr.