Tudor dolls
Welcome back, dear History lovers!
Time to continue our exciting trip through Tudor times!
When we last saw our characters (http://community.livejournal.com/6wives/108749.html#cutid1), poor Anne Boleyn had just lost her head. =(
And there was Henry, King of England, leader of his own religion, free as a bird and in want of a male heir.
What was a guy to do? Get a third wife, that's what!
So, 11 days after Anne's death, he married her former lady-in-waiting, Jane Seymour, who quickly became pregnant.
Would it finally be a boy? Or would Fate trick Henry out of his dreams once again?
Apparently, third time's the charm!
Jane gave birth to a baby boy named Edward, but soon happiness gave way to mourning.
Less than 2 weeks after having her son, Jane died of postnatal complications. =(
(Extra photo just to show scale of my children's dolls.)
For 3 years Henry remained a widower, but, eventually, he returned to his marrying ways.
Surprisingly as it may seem given his past record of one divorce and one beheading, princesses weren't exactly knocking down his door at the time and it was a while until he settled his sights on a portrait of a certain Anne of Cleves and decided she was to be wife number 4.
Arrangements were made but, once she arrived in England and he saw her in person, he decided she wasn't to his liking after all and got the marriage annulled.
However, unlike his previous botched marriages, he did give her a nice tittle and income and allowed her to keep her head. Lucky girl!
But maybe it was just Henry being grateful, because being married to Anne, although for a short time, ended up settling him with his 5th wife.
Catherine Howard was a beautiful young girl who was serving as lady-in-waiting for Anne of Cleves (am I the only one seeing a pattern of ladies-in-waiting here?) when she caught Henry's eye and, soon after the annulment, became his queen.
History has it that she ruled over Henry's heart for a while, but, nevertheless, she too had a spectacular fall from grace.
Once again, Henry VIII had a wife accused of treason due to infidelity and sentenced her to death.
(It is commonly accepted that, unlike her cousin, Anne Boleyn (beheading ran in the family, so it seems...), she was indeed unfaithful to Henry.)
And poor Kitty Howard had a date with the executioner... =(
I hope you enjoyed it!
I apologize if these wives' dolls aren't as good as the ones in the previous post, but these were made in a much earlier stage of my learning and I have made no newer versions.
Stay tuned for the 3rd and final part with the 6th wife and a bit on the descendants!