Henry VIII

His desire was ultimately his demise.

Five hundred years after his reign, the enigma of Henry VIII continues to fascinate. Henry VIII ascended to the throne as a lithe, handsome seventeen year old and died after an extraordinary 38 year reign, an embittered, obese invalid.

The rest of Europe looked on in amazement as Henry, desperate for a male heir, cast aside the older, but loyal Katherine of Aragon for series of marriages, with wives who are better known for the way their lives ended rather than for how they were lived. The determined temptress Anne Boleyn; the pious yet tragic Jane Seymour; the outcast Anne of Cleves; the young, adulterous Katherine Howard and finally, the devoted care-giver Katherine Parr. This tale of Henry VIII depicts the sexual intrigue, betrayal and rivalry that existed within his Court, in a reign hallmarked by political and religious upheaval, violence and corruption.