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Good morning, today we are concluding the Secrets of the Six Wives series. In the previous episode, Henry VIII had executed one wife and buried the third wife. Today, we are going to finish up the series with the final three wives: Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, and Catherine Parr. Catherine of Aragon failed to give him a son and he deserted her after twenty-four years of marriage to Anne Boleyn. Anne failed to adjust to life as Henry VIII’s wife and so was dispatched. Jane Seymour succeeded where Catherine and Anne failed by giving Henry VIII a son but she died twelve days later. Henry VIII is in mourning after the death of Jane Seymour. Jane Seymour was the perfect wife because she gave him a son. The run time for this documentary is 55:29.
This concluding episode starts with Henry VIII playing one of his tricks. Only this time the king is forty-eight years old and the trick he is playing on is a woman he has never met. This woman would be destined to be his fourth queen: Anne of Cleves. What would happen as a result of this trick would force Anne of Cleves to go down in history as Henry VIII’s ugly wife. So why was Henry pushed into this marriage? Henry VIII was pushed into marriage this time around. His advisors wanted to have more allies around England. So, they went far and wide for a suitable marriage candidate. However, Henry’s reputation on the continent was not that good and potential brides turned him down. One candidate said that “if she had two heads, she would be happy to marry Henry.” It took two years for Henry to find wife number four. A noblewoman named Anne of Cleves would be settled on and although English history would remember her as Henry’s ugly wife, Anne was a clever woman who survived Henry VIII. As Anne made her way to England, she took the time to learn about Henry. She wanted to get up to speed with court etiquette. However, the courtiers failed to teach her about Henry’s tricks. So when he burst in on her dressed as a knave, she reacted very badly. This turned Henry off from marrying her, however as excuses not to marry vanished, he had to surrender to the yoke of marriage. He would call her ugly, despite what contemporaries had to say of Anne. This would be one of the shortest of Henry’s marriages as he turned his wandering eye to a young noblewoman named Catherine Howard. Catherine was a new arrival at court and the King was smitten with her. Just six months after she arrived, Anne was sent to live at Richmond Palace. Anne of Cleves held out for a settlement when the marriage ended: she would be known as the King’s Sister and was given two palaces and an entourage of servants. Anne would become one of the richest women in England and would outlive Henry VIII and his other wives. She was a canny woman, who was a survivor. However, Henry’s fifth queen was not all as she seemed. She was a young woman with a past. Henry was unaware of the past and believed her to be the perfect queen. She had a secret lover while married to the King. So why did she continue with the affair? Was she a willing participant or was she a victim? When she met her lover one week, the court noticed and gossip started swirling. A letter was left for the King to find in the Royal Chapel. This letter highlighted some scandalous details about Catherine’s past. What would Henry do about this letter? What about Catherine Parr? How would she survive King Henry VIII? Tune into the rest of this episode to find out more. After finishing this series would this be a docudrama I would in the classroom? Yes, it would be something I would show in the classroom. The reenactments are excellent and Lucy provides excellent narration both in modern and period clothing. The period clothing is excellently done as well. If you do not have time to show this in the classroom setting, then you can mine the series, especially the reenactments for clips to show as part of a lecture. The downside of Lucy’s series is that it does not go to four episodes as David Starkey’s did. He covered Catherine of Aragon in the first episode, Anne Boleyn in the second episode, Jane Seymour and Anne of Cleves in the third episode, and concluded with Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr. It would have been nice to see the last four wives split up in this way.
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Good morning, we are working on our explorations of Women in history by looking at the relationship between two sisters Anne and Mary Boleyn. Anne Boleyn is often vilified as the other woman. Mary is known as a fool and a whore. Anne is remembered in history and Mary is a fleeting thought. What does this say about their relationship? The run time for this documentary is 43:12.
The pair is notorious. Little is known about their lives. Even their portraits are disputed. It is not even certain when they were born. The Boleyns were important, but they were still a modest family. Mary is often assumed to be the oldest and even evidence is that is not clear. Much of their childhood was spent in Kent and Hever Castle. Thomas Boleyn, their father was a rising star at court. He insisted on education for his daughters. Anne was smarter and more forward. She was sent to Europe and she was sent to the Court of the Archduchess Margaret of Austria. This court was considered a finishing school for kids. Margaret of Austria’s court was known as flamboyant and the archduchess was a kind woman. Margaret grew fond of the young Anne. Unfortunately, Mary was left behind. However, her turn was to come. When Henry VIII’s sister married the French King, Mary Boleyn went to France. Unfortunately, the French king died and was replaced by Francis. Anne would eventually join up with Mary in the French court. The French Queen Claude kept Anne on. Queen Claude was an educated woman. Anne would remain in France for seven years. Mary soon caught the attention of the French King. Eventually, Mary was sent back to England. She was to get married and Henry VIII attended the wedding. They soon began an affair after the marriage. Eventually, Anne was sent back to England because tensions between France and England were rising. Anne would join Mary at court. Mary was Henry VIII’s mistress and Anne was in the background. Eventually, Anne caught Henry VIII’s attention. He becomes obsessed with Anne. Anne refused to become Henry VIII’s mistress and retreated to Hever Castle for two years. Was this an attempt to make Henry VIII back off? However, Henry would not be refused and he made it clear that he wanted to marry Anne. He was going to divorce his wife Catherine and was going to marry Anne. Anne had the choice to become a nun or marry Henry. Henry’s plans were nearly derailed when Anne became sick with the sweating sickness. Anne survived, but Mary’s husband died leaving Mary a widow to care for two small children. Anne intervened to make sure Mary got help and a pension. Anne would take Mary’s son on as a ward. Mary would eventually get away from court. The Boleyn family had other concerns: the divorce proceedings were going slow. Henry was furious that he was not given a divorce and blamed Worsley for his failure in securing the annulment. Worsley also was spreading rumors that Henry would cast Anne aside to help secure the divorce. Anne was furious and Worsley left London. He would die before he faced charges of treason. Anne found a new ally in Thomas Cromwell and he had ideas as to how to secure the divorce. Catherine was sent away from court and Henry married Anne in secret. Anne was already pregnant. The Boleyns were now the most prominent family in England. Would this supremacy last? Anne was crowned Queen. Henry VIII arranged days of celebrations for the coronation. She was a woman who had grabbed the king. He was genuinely in love with her. However, the public hated Anne. When Mary returned to court, she bore the brunt of public hatred. Her second time at court was an unhappy one. However, everything was for naught when Anne gave him a daughter. Fissures started to appear in the marriage: Anne could not adjust to life as a queen. She and Henry quarreled frequently. To learn more about Anne, Mary, and Henry VIII continue to watch the rest of this episode. I was not going to do this documentary because I was worried about being Tudor-heavy in this blog. However, since it does fit in with Women’s history month I thought I would take the chance and do it. This would be more appropriate for research purposes. Welcome to March and 31 days of Time Team. Time Team is searching for Henry VIII in this episode.
This Time the Time Team is exploring Henry VIII’s lost jousting grounds. Henry VIII had inherited Greenwich Palace from his father and he made it a place for jousting. The jousting grounds and the buildings around them have disappeared. Time Team has three days to find them. Nobody had excavated these sites and nobody knows what they looked like. Will the Time Team succeed in their quest? Henry VIII looms large over history. He was a man who loved tournaments, jousting, and spending money. Unfortunately, this dig will prove to be a challenge. Geophysics did not work on the site. There were no Tudor-Era maps of the site. Mick Astin points out that it is back to basics: they will have to dig a trench. The site manager warns that the Tudor layer could be as much as six feet down. The Time Team wastes no time in putting in the trench. There are less than a handful of images of Greenwich Palace, the Tiltyard, and the Armory. Stuart Ainsworth looks over the remaining images to determine what they should be looking for. Tony is skeptical that they will find something remaining from the Tudor period. The Time Team keeps digging in the armory site. In the meantime, another team digs their first trench. This area was the location of the tilting yard. This was where the knights prepared for jousting. Tony again is skeptical about finding evidence of the tiltyard. However, an expert in Tudor Jousting creates an image of what a Tudor tilting yard looks like. It was an elaborate set of the building where the knights would change into their armor, where people would fight, and where people would party. There was a series of great halls linked together by galleries. The team is finding evidence of rubble. Henry VIII was born in Greenwich and held a fondness for the palace. When he was a young king, he was a sportsman and was proud to show off his skills. He used Greenwich Palace to try to win over the French. He wanted to secure an alliance. After three hours of digging at the armory site, Phil may have found something. He calls Mick over. It may have been a set of loos. The armory will prove to be elusive. The tiltyard may be easier to find. The geophysics look at the site and have some good results. There may have been a tower on the site. However, it may be an air-raid shelter. The only way to find out is to dig a third trench. Stuart continues to work to discover where the armory is. Slowly new documents are being discovered about the site. He goes over what he finds with Mick. They will look more towards the river to discover the armory. The tiltyard trenches are turning up Tudor evidence. Buckles, glass, and pieces of pottery are being found. There is also no air raid shelter in the third trench. There is evidence of walls. Is this evidence of a Tudor Structure? The Time Team will have to continue their investigation. Tony gets fitted for Tudor Armor. An armor-making expert measures Tony up and discusses how armor was an investment for the Tudor knight. Tony is measured up and the armor maker gets to work. To continue to learn more about the Tudors, watch this episode. This episode is cool because it shows Henry VIII as the sportsman and shatters the story of the fat overweight king. Henry VIII was a sporting king. This would be a good episode for both history and independent study students to watch. The series concludes with Anne Boleyn's execution. Borman explores the documents that lead up to that event and hope that Henry VIII would grant her a reprieve.
Anne believed that there would be a reprieve from Henry VIII. She was up all night the day before her execution. Her mood swung wildly between composure and hysteria. She cheerfully welcomes death, the constable of the tower noted. The four men who were found guilty of adultery with the Queen were executed on Tower Hill. Anne would be executed within the tower walls. A scaffold was built. Cromwell wanted Anne executed quickly so Henry VIII would not change his mind. Henry VIII wanted to get rid of Anne. Cromwell persuaded Cramner, the Archbishop of Canterbury to write off the marriage between Anne and Henry VIII. Elizabeth was made a bastard. Cramner had his doubts about Anne's guilt and spent a sleepless night before her execution. He knows her better than anyone. She would have told him if she was guilty. He believes her innocent and that Henry would save her. However, Alexander Alice, a friend of Cramner came to him in order to tell him a chilling nightmare. Alice saw Anne's execution in his dream. Cramner now knows that Anne is going to be executed. He goes to Anne for her final confession and communion. She confirms her innocence with him, and if she was lying it meant she would have condemned her soul. The people in the meantime are starting to mutter against the execution. Are they coming to the side of Anne Boleyn's side? Cromwell is growing nervous. He had the people cleared out of the tower. Anne prepares for her execution. She dresses with a red kirtle and black dress. Henry VIII dictates that Anne Boleyn be executed by the sword, rather than by burning or executed by the axe. It was the first time that a Queen of England was executed. A precedent was being set with this execution. To continue to learn more about the day of Anne Boleyn's execution, continue to watch the documentary. I would use this documentary for research into Tudors and would show clips from it to a class as part of a lecture. For use in the classroom: just highlight, copy and paste into a word document or a google document for use in the classroom. You can easily format these questions to your specifications. All questions should fit onto one page after formatting. You can find the link for the YouTube video here. The Fall of Anne Boleyn Episode 3 Questions
The Fall of Anne Boleyn Episode 3 Answers
Tracy Borman explores the arrest of Anne Boleyn and looks at original documents to explore her trial, was the trial going to end in the court proclaiming her innocence? Does she stand the chance of a fair hearing? Can Anne save herself? Or did one man's determination to remove Anne from Henry VIII's life cause the court to swing the other way?
It is May 15: Anne Boleyn's trial will begin in the Tower of London. The Tower of London will hold the most infamous trial in all of history. The atmosphere is electric and the public looks forward to seeing what she has to stay for themselves. Cromwell and Anne were at loggerheads over their influence with the King and Cromwell decided that Anne must go. Cromwell personally selected the judge and jury for the trial. The future queen Jane Seymour was sent out to the country before the trial. It would have caused gossip for the court if she was there. However, at the start of the Trial, Jane was brought back to London and was kept in Chelsea. Anne's trial began. She was escorted to the court by four ladies, placed there by Cromwell, so they could spy on her. She seated in front of judge and jury. She looks in control. However, Cromwell would make sure that the King would get the verdict he wanted. The only records that survive from the trial are for the prosecution and nothing from the defense. Anne was accused of 20 acts of adultery. She is sure of her innocence. Anne is the picture of innocence and the crowd senses. She uses her mind. However Cromwell pushes the incest issue, twisting the closeness of the siblings to show how depraved Anne was. It seems Cromwell might have pushed things too far, and the crowd was turning to support Anne Boleyn. She put up a robust defense. Would Anne Boleyn be found innocent? Could Anne Boleyn be found innocent? In the meantime, another trial was being held in Westminster. It was of the men who were accused of committing adultery with Anne Boleyn. Only one confessed guilty and the rest of the men confessed not guilty. Their trial would determine Anne's fate. To continue to learn more about the trial, keep watching. I would use this documentary for research into Tudors and would show clips from it to a class as part of a lecture. For use in the classroom: just highlight, copy and paste into a word document or a google document for use in the classroom. You can easily format these questions to your specifications. All questions should fit onto one page after formatting. You can find the link for the YouTube video here. The Fall of Anne Boleyn Episode 2 Questions:
The Fall of Anne Boleyn Episode 2 Answers:
Tracy Borman traces the fall of Anne Boleyn over the course of three days. She begins with Anne's arrest and the events that lead up to arrest and questioning. She looks at original Tudor documents and walks in Anne's footsteps.
May 19th is the day when a bouquet of roses is left on the grave on Anne Boleyn. This memento is left in honor of Anne Boleyn. It took 7 days for the fall of Anne Boleyn. It was the first time in history that an English Queen was arrested and executed. May 2, 1546 - A plan is being hatched in Whitehall. Henry VIII sent a message to the Palace of Placentia, where Anne Boleyn was residing. Anne Boleyn was watching tennis...alone. The day before she had been watching a joust when Henry VIII suddenly left the joust, leaving the people confused. He had received some shocking news. So it would have been unusual for Anne to watch tennis alone. Anne soon received the message from the king: She was to report to the Privy Council. Anne Boleyn reported to the Privy Council. It suddenly becomes clear that Henry VIII is trying to get rid of her. When she arrives to the Privy Council and was greeted by her uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, the constable of the Tower, among others. They read out the charges: adultery with two men of the court. Anne had the presence of mind to immediately protest her innocence. Anne returns to her apartments under guard. She tries to follow her normal routine, but nothing is no longer normal. Her people are acting strangely. The kings waiter no longer appears before her. She wonders what happens next and what brought the charges. Her downfall began three months before this date, when Anne was expecting a child. Anne had a metal planned for when her son would be born. The prototype of the medal still survives. Anne miscarried the baby and it seemed it was a baby boy. It was a blow to both Henry and Anne. This caused Henry to turn against Anne and look for someone younger to give him a boy. To continue to learn more, continue to watch the documentary. I would use this documentary for research into Tudors and would show clips from it to a class as part of a lecture. For use in the classroom: just highlight, copy and paste into a word document or a google document for use in the classroom. You can easily format these questions to your specifications. All questions should fit onto one page after formatting. You can find the link for the YouTube video here. The Fall of Anne Boleyn Episode 1 Questions:
The Fall of Anne Boleyn Episode 1 Answers:
Episode 3 - Monarch to Monster
The series concludes with a look at the medical history of Henry VIII and how it may or may not have impacted his mental state. Rebellions take place in the north due to changes in religion and Henry VIII does not react well to that. Henry VIII soon becomes the large man history knows him as. His advisor Thomas Cromwell has to start looking over his shoulder as an arranged marriage does not bring Henry VIII joy or a spare heir. The medical side of things with Henry VIII, is very interesting and could be a three part documentary too, this particular episode tackles the ulcer on his leg as well as the possibility that he suffered from diabetes. Diabetes could account for the madness. It also discusses what was used to move Henry around the palace. There is another documentary that tried to tackle the medical issues, and this is a documentary that Lucy Worsley took part in. This is a bonus documentary that you can check out and the link is here. If you need some research into Henry VIII for a class lecture, I recommend you use this documentary just for the fact it offers another perspective on Henry VIII, more so than the typical "Henry VIII was a madman." I created several questions to go with this documentary. Just copy and paste them into a word document to distribute in the classroom just in case you decide to use this series in the classroom. Since there's a lot available out there on Henry VIII, I want the student to have a chance to reflect on what they learned about Henry VIII. You can format anyway you want. For use in the classroom: just highlight, copy and paste into a word document or a google document for use in the classroom. You can easily format these questions to your specifications. Link to the YouTube video is here. Questions
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Episode 2 - Bloodlust and Boleyn's
Henry VIII meets Anne Boleyn and falls head over heals in love with Anne Boleyn, a new arrival from France to the English court. She is not a classical English beauty, but is intelligent and witty. Henry VIII is charmed by her. She is determined to keep Henry at arm's length, was this a ploy to become queen or was it simply a matter of not having a choice? Their love story causes much upheaval for England as Henry VIII decides to divorce Catherine to marry Anne in order to get a son. A son is the only person who can succeed to the English throne. England's religious are thrown into turmoil as Henry VIII breaks with the Catholic Church. Now, courtiers who thought themselves friends of the King must constantly look over their shoulders. The historians exploring Henry VIII as a Monarch go to an interesting source to learn about the relationship between Anne and Henry. Things with Anne do not go according to plan as she only produces a daughter. This time the solution Henry VIII comes up with entails getting rid of an unwanted wife...permanently. Henry VIII starts his slide into madness and will become the Monster history makes him out to be. If you need some research into Henry VIII for a class lecture, I recommend you use this documentary just for the fact it offers another perspective on Henry VIII, more so than the typical "Henry VIII was a madman." I created several questions to go with this documentary. Just copy and paste them into a word document to distribute in the classroom just in case you decide to use this series in the classroom. Since there's a lot available out there on Henry VIII, I want the student to have a chance to reflect on what they learned about Henry VIII. You can format anyway you want. For use in the classroom: just highlight, copy and paste into a word document or a google document for use in the classroom. You can easily format these questions to your specifications. Link to the YouTube video is here. Questions
Answers
King Henry VIII - this king has had more documentaries and TV shows about him than.... I would say the current queen but that's not true. It's fascinating to see the endless angles the various historians take on this most famous English King and we will still be talking about him in 3030.
A new documentary was released on Henry VIII in 2020 called Henry VIII - Man, Monarch, Monster. The first episode covers Henry VIII as a man and how his childhood impacted the way he ruled. The historians cover how his mother influenced him growing up, that he grew up in a female environment and how is mother's death changed his life. He wasn't meant to be king, but then his brother Arthur died. His childhood changed and he started to learn what would make him a king and how to govern according to the rules and traditions of England. Henry VIII's first acts as king was to have some of his father's oldest advisors arrested, which signaled a new start for the English and they called the start of the reign as a new dawn in England. It was fascinating to learn that they waited 48 hours before proclaiming Henry VIII King. Nowadays, that would be unheard of if a political leader died. Everyone was thrilled with the new King. His second act was to marry Catherine of Aragon and together they would oversee a new England. The historians go over old documents in order to get into the mind of Henry VIII. If you need some research into Henry VIII for a class lecture, I recommend you use this documentary just for the fact it offers another perspective on Henry VIII, more so than the typical "Henry VIII was a madman." I created several questions to go with this documentary. Just copy and paste them into a word document to distribute in the classroom just in case you decide to use this series in the classroom. Since there's a lot available out there on Henry VIII, I want the student to have a chance to reflect on what they learned about Henry VIII. You can format anyway you want. For use in the classroom: just highlight, copy and paste into a word document or a google document for use in the classroom. You can easily format these questions to your specifications. Link to the YouTube Video. Episode 1 - Rise of the Tyrant
Episode 1 - Rise of the Tyrant Answers
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The purpose of this blog is to share information on what can be used in a classroom, private school, or home school setting as well as serve as a portfolio of my personal and professional work. The reviews are my opinions and should be treated as such. I just want to provide a tool for teachers to select documentaries for their classrooms. |
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