Henry VIII’s wives get their revenge
New tales resurrect the Tudor queens for modern audiences
Hilary Mantel knew that some stories “compel retelling”. One such tale—imagined in her acclaimed trilogy of “Wolf Hall” novels—is that of Henry VIII, the cultured Renaissance king turned wife-murdering monster. The tale of the English monarch and his six spouses has been retold countless times by novelists, biographers and film-makers. Why is this tribe of Tudors so enthralling?
This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Heads will roll”
From the July 13th 2024 edition
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