Henry VIII’s wives get their revenge
New tales resurrect the Tudor queens for modern audiences
![Production of Six](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20240713_CUP507.jpg)
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”
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