'Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived': so goes the famous mnemonic by which we recall the varied destinies of Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr. The stories of these six consorts of the second Tudor king - their fates the brutal corollary of the stark dynastic imperatives of the royal succession - have assumed mythic status in the annals of English history. Only three of these women would give Henry a child that survived infancy: two girls (Mary and Elizabeth) and one boy (Edward). All three would inherit the crown worn by their mighty father, but the Tudor dynasty would not outlive their deaths. Suzannah Lipscomb's crisply authoritative and insightful accounts of the lives of these six queens are embellished by beautiful images of the principal players in this most compelling of royal dramas.
Dr Suzannah Lipscomb is an historian, broadcaster and award-winning academic. She holds a BA (Hons) First in History and M.St. in Historical Research from Lincoln College, Oxford, and a D.Phil. in History from Balliol College, Oxford. Following posts as Research Curator at Hampton Court Palace, and Lecturer in Early Modern History at the University of East Anglia, she is now Convenor for History and Senior Lecturer in Early Modern History at New College of the Humanities, London, and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Suzannah has presented historical documentaries on BBC4, ITV, Channel 5 and National Geographic Channel, and writes a regular column for History Today. Her other books include 1536: The Year that Changed Henry VIII and The King is Dead! The Last Will and Testament of Henry VIII; and (co-edited) Henry VIII and the Court: Art, Politics and Performance.
