Secrets of the Six Wives

Lucy serves at an archery tournament at court. Anne of Cleves and the German ambassador watch as Henry VIII flirts with a young woman who has recently arrived, Catherine Howard.

Catherine Howard is interrogated by Arch Bishop Cramner. She confesses to adultery but when he makes an accusation about her sexual past, she discloses that she was a child.

Henry VIII surprises his new bride-to-be who he has never met before, Anne of Cleves, disguised as Robin Hood. She doesn't recognize him and the blind date is a disaster.

Worsley presents the last three wives: Anne of Cleves, called “ugly”; young Catherine Howard, whose tragic childhood was abusive; and finally, the far from saintly nurse, Katherine Parr.

Lucy Worsley listens as Anne Boleyn gives her last confession to Archbishop Cramner before her execution; Anne is defiant and yet dignified as she protests her innocence.

Lucy serves Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII at dinner. The royal couple argues when Anne asks Henry to be faithful to her while she is in confinement. Henry refuses.

Henry breaks with the Roman Church to marry Anne, but as Worsley notes, he grows tired of her and falls for Jane Seymour. Anne’s fate is sealed; she is executed and Henry immediately marries Jane, who dies soon after she gives birth to a son.

Lucy listens in as Anne Boleyn flirts with a courtier at a masked ball. Soon the whole court is gossiping about it and Anne's fate is sealed.

Catherine of Aragon is a fearsome regent while Henry VIII is away fighting. When she is told her army have defeated the Scottish rebellion, she makes it known who is in charge.

Henry VIII is receiving gifts at court when he is captivated by a present from Anne Boleyn. Henry asks Anne to explain the significance of the miniature golden, bejeweled ship.

Young King Henry VIII and his men, disguised as robbers, burst into the private chambers of Catherine of Aragon, surprising her and her ladies in waiting.

Travel with historian Lucy Worsley back to the Tudor court to witness some of the most dramatic moments in the lives of Henry VIII’s six wives, each of whom found a method of exerting influence. The programs combine drama with historical comment.