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
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Culture
Why many French have come to like “Emily in Paris”
Even if they may not want to admit it
“The Perfect Couple” and the new map of Moneyland
Depictions of the super-rich on screen reflect the times
What should “inclusion” include at the Paralympics?
The games make a virtue of their diversity. But there’s still room to grow
The information wars are about to get worse, Yuval Noah Harari argues
The author of “Sapiens” is back with a timely new book about AI, fact and fiction
Arnold Schoenberg was one of classical music’s most important rebels
But, 150 years after his birth, he is underappreciated
Despots and oligarchs have many means to meddle in American politics
The extent of the foreign-influence industry may surprise you