The Tudors

Last month, I watched The Tudors on Netflix Instant Play and was really enjoyed it.I have always had an avid interest in anything British, especially if related to the monarchy, and since this is the story of Henry VIII, I really wanted to see it. If you are up on your history then I am sure you will know Henry VIII was king during the Reformation after he broke away from the Catholic Church in Rome and created the Church of England. While he is famous for reforming the church, he is more famous for beheading many people close to him, and for having six wives (two of whom he had beheaded).

After breaking away from the papacy, he had the marriage to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon and mother to Mary I, annulled so that he could marry his second wife Anne Boleyn and because he was frustrated that Catherine never gave him a male heir.

Henry and Anne's had a marriage full of passion, but he became irritated by her because she was outspoken and opinionated, not a quiet and obedient wife like Catherine had been. He was also upset that she only had a daughter and miscarried three children. Once he tired of A

nne, he conveniently decided to believe some nasty gossip about her (such as she was having affairs with other men, including her brother, and that she was a heretic) and had her beheaded. There is no evidence that Anne ever betrayed Henry or that she was a heretic.

He then married his third wife, Jane Seymour (not the actress) a mere eleven days after Anne's death. He loved Jane and was content with her, but she died shortly after giving birth to their son and heir, Edward VI.

He then agreed to marry Anne of Cleves for political reasons and based only on a portrait of her. Once he met her he did not like at all. Some say she was not beautiful, but according to portraits of her they are not sure why Henry did not like her. Anyway, the marriage was never consummated and was later annulled. Henry gave her the honorary title of sister and she became a friend to Henry and his children.

His fifth wife, Catherine Howard, was a young girl who loved another (Thomas Culpepper, male courtier and friend of Henry) and she had an affair with him. Once the truth came out she was ordered to the tower and later beheaded.

Henry's last wife, Catherine Parr, married him later in life. She took care of him when his old jousting wound acted up and was a mother figure to all of his children. Catherine Parr outlived Henry and later remarried.

The series was really well written. It spanned Henry's life from his first marriage until his death. It went into detail about his wives and children, but also spent a considerable amount of time discussing the reformation and how it affected England and neighboring countries. Not to mention his many friendships, the longest of which was with his friend Charles Brandon, who Henry gave the title the Duke of Suffolk too. It was interesting to watch their friendship change and evolve throughout the series.

I would recommend the series because for the most part it is histrorically accurate. They did take a few liberties to make things more dramatic for telelvision or to fit things in better, but for the most part they stayed true to the story. I looked up a lot of things to see if the show followed history and was suprised by how close some of the scenes were to what is known about what happened. Whowever wrote it, definitely did there homework, but still kept the viewer on the edge of their seat. Not to mention the casting was great. Each actor/actress did a great job portraying these historical figures.

Have you watched The Tudors? If so, what did you like or not like about it? If not, would it be something that you would be interested in watching?