Product Description

Seventeen-year-old Henry VIII was 'a youngling, he cares for nothing but girls and hunting.' Over the years, this didn't change much. Henry was considered a demi-god by his subjects, so each woman he chose was someone who had managed to stand out in a crowd of stunning ladies. Looking good was not enough (indeed, many of Henry's lovers were considered unattractive); she had to have something extra special to keep the king's interest. And Henry's women were every bit as intriguing as the man himself. In this book, Henry's mistresses are rescued from obscurity. The sixteenth century was a time of profound changes in religion and society across Europe - and some of Henry's lovers were at the forefront of influencing these events. Kelly Hart gives an excellent insight into the love life of our most popular king, and the twelve women who knew the man behind the mask.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #282184 in Books
• Published on: 2009-03-06
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 272 pages

Review
Author Kelly Hart provides an excellent insight into the love life of one of our most popular kings, and the 12 women who knew the man behind the mask. --Majesty magazine, July 2009

About the Author
Kelly Hart is an historian, author and teacher, specialising in the women of the Tudor period.

Customer Reviews

Better mistress than wife - the love life of Henry VIII
Kelly Hart sets out to rescue Henry's mistresses from obscurity and indeed she does.

We are are aware of the six marriages by the King Henry VIII, but most of his mistreses are forgotten, at least to a wider public. Exceptions must be made to Mary Boleyn through the recent success of the book and movie "The Other Bolyen Sister" and maybe Bessie Blount as the mother of the Duke of Richmond. But even here not much is known about the ladies in question. But there were more, many more.

But they were never "maitresse en titre" like at the French court. Being the King's lover was not a court position, but rather the Kings's personal love. These ladies - some more like a one night stand and other for a few months - entertained the king. Kelly Hart explains very well how the King "functions", felt and acted.

Of course, Kelly Hart can not get around the wives of Henry. First I was a bit sceptical why she was dealing with them as I did not want to read another book about the "six wives", but she concentrated on the aspect why at least three of them were "mistresses" before becoming queen consort. Mistress is to be understood as mistress of the heart not necessarily in sexual terms.

Of course, here Anna Boleyn has an unique position - she would have made history even if she would have remained only the mistress: she was the first royal mistress who was made a peeress in her own rights (Marquess of Pembroke, the male form was used and the title has royal connections as Pembroke was the title of the King's uncle Jasper Tudor) and she exercised real power. She made it from there to the throne. However, Jane Seymour, Katherine Howard and maybe Katherine Parr were "royal sweethearts" before becoming royal spouses, while Katherine of Aragon and Anna of Cleves were "typical royal spouses".

It is an entertaining book. Easy to read, but not shallow. It is not sensational and washing dirty linen in public, but informative and interesting. Maybe Kelly Hart is a bit too Henry friendly. But at least she always supports her points with arguments and is open about it. All in all a book I enjoyed immensely and which fits very well into the "5oo years of Henry VIII theme".

A detailed guide to Henry VIII's women
Kelly Hart's book is a detailed guide to all of the women who played a part in the life and reign of Henry VIII, both his wives and his many mistresses. It was Anne Boleyn who showed women at court, and their families, that it was possible to go from "mistress" to wife and this changed life at court dramatically.

What I love about this book is that it is obvious that Hart has meticulously researched it and hasn't just jumped on the Tudor bandwagon. All of her opinions and views are based on historical evidence and she backs everything up with sources.

We learn about the six wives, the King's definite mistresses - women like Bessie Blount, Mary Boleyn and the "Imperial woman" - but we also learn about the many women that probably were mistresses to the king, women like Etiennette de la Baume, Elizabeth Amadas, Jane Popincourt and many more. Henry's character, as a devoted lover and hopeless romantic, is also explored, as well as the awful way he treated some of his wives.

All in all, it is a fantastic read and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about Henry VIII and the women he loved.

Fascinating women
This is a really interesting book. There's lots of interest in Henry VIII's love life at the moment after The Tudors and The Other Boleyn Girl and I was worried that this would be fictionalised. I was pelased that it is not - it is well-written and well-referenced. It is well-researched, but is written in language that is quite easy for the average person to read and uncovers lots of new information about Henry VIII. The mistresses seem to have been a varied and fascinating lot.