78. He Never Forgave Her
Some modern historians believe that this ill-fated early encounter between Anne of Cleves and Henry VIII sealed her fate. According to them, Anne’s lack of enthusiasm for Henry (even in disguise) made the king put up his defenses. If he didn't impress her, he may have decided she didn't impress him either, no matter what. And the rest, as they say, is history.
The Tudors (2007–2010), Showtime Networks
79. Even The Men Who Wiped His Butt Were Powerful
One of the most prestigious positions in Henry VIII's court was as one of his “Grooms of the Stool." These men attended to the king's every whim, including wiping his royal butt after using the bathroom. It sounds awful, but being in such close proximity with the king made the Grooms of the stool remarkably powerful. However, such intimacy with the king was a double-edged sword.
When looking for scapegoats to accuse of adultery with Anne Boleyn, one of the king's Grooms, Sir Henry Norris, got unlucky. Out of nowhere, Henry accused Norris and executed him for treason.
80. His First Wife Met A Gruesome End
Catherine of Aragon got out of her marriage to Henry VIII alive, but she didn't last too long afterward. She passed just a few years later, and her demise was utterly mysterious in its time. While preparing her body for burial, her embalmer noticed the body looked in perfect health—save for her heart, which had turned black. The ghastly and seemingly fatal condition, coupled with Catherine’s premonitions of her own end, led people to some dark rumors about her end…
81. People Thought It Wasn't An Accident
After witnessing her strange condition, those loyal to Catherine and disloyal to Henry and Anne Boleyn started whispering that the Royal Couple 2.0 had poisoned Catherine in a chilling act of self-service, leading the “Dowager” to die poetically of a broken heart. Modern historians, however, believe a much different story.
82. He Destroyed Her Heart
Most experts today believe that rather than foul play, Catherine passed of cancer of the heart; sometimes it can turn the heart black. If nothing else, that would be an incredibly poetic end for a wife of Henry VIII.
83. Catherine Howard's Final Words Cut Deep
One of the most persistent legends about Henry VIII's wives is the final words of Catherine Howard. According to popular folklore, her last words were, "I die a Queen, but I would rather have died the wife of Culpeper". However, no eyewitness accounts support this, instead reporting that her last utterance was a whole lot more heartbreaking.
Instead of that defiant cry, Howard spent her final moments asking for forgiveness for her sins and acknowledging that she deserved to die "a thousand deaths" for betraying the king, who had always treated her so graciously.
84. Anne Boleyn Made A Final Plea At The End
At the end of the day, the most infamous of Henry's spurned wives has to be Anne Boleyn—but her end was even worse than people realize. After four days in the Tower of London, Boleyn bundled up a package and gave it to her guard to deliver to the king. It was a letter, and her very last to Henry. In it, she plead for mercy, writing that “never prince had wife more loyal in all duty, and in all true affection, than you have ever found in Anne Boleyn.” She also made one final heartbreaking request.
85. She Begged For Mercy
In her final letter to King Henry, Boleyn begged him to think of their daughter Elizabeth, and then she humbly asked that Henry, if he went through with it, would still spare the lives of her brother and the other men accused of being her lovers. It’s a gut-wrenching revelation: At her core, until the very end, Boleyn was truly selfless. But it didn’t go her way. The men met the axe the same as her.
Unfortunately, she married Henry VIII, England's murderous king. She never stood a chance.
