'And then she died of the plague' is probably better than 'and then she got beheaded'

[dangermousie]

I kept idly toying with the idea of watching The Tudors, for years, off and on.

But I believe I just might have to because I found out they did the story between Charles Brandon and Mary Tudor, Henry's sister (well, they renamed her Margaret even though the real Margaret was Mary's older sis and married to King of Scotland, but it's showtime...).

Ever since I was a much much younger Mousie and read the huge turn-of-the-20th-century bestseller When Knighthood Was in Flower - about Mary and Charles - I have had the world's hugest soft spot for that story. I am actually rather surprised it isn't more popular/well-known/subject of fiction. King's favorite sister, recently Queen of France, marrying the man she wanted against her brother's wishes, is what I'd normally consider a pretty good subject for a romantic tale. But I suppose "and then she died shortly after and he remarried" lacks the true R&J gloss.

But anyway, I've had a huge soft spot for the story for years and years and years and finding out Tudors did address it makes me want to check it out. Someone made a pretty nifty MV about it:

I have to say, I am pretty entertained by all the Tudors MVs, especially the Henry/Anne ones. None of them end with the whole 'he beheaded her' bit.

Comments

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

I always figured his remarriage was more political/convenient than anything else. Regardlessshe seems to have been happy with him throughout their marriage and there aren't stories (that I've encountered, at least) of him running around on her/flaunting mistresses. I always figured their story doesn't get more press because people prefer to think that every Tudor of the era woman before Elizabeth was downtrodden and oppressed by Henry VIII, and a woman who got what she wanted against his wishes (even if she was probably literally the only woman ever actually in a position to do so in that way) doesn't fit with the popular view of the times.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yes, a man of that time period needed a wife to manage household/properies/make connections. Especially since I think Mary left him with 3 kids to raise.

He had to have really liked Mary to risk marrying her against Henry's express wishes. It was pretty surprising Henry relented and didn't have him beheaded -- it seems to have been Henry's cure for all ills :)

Re: your explanation for lack of popularity. It makes sense. I always find it horribly reductionist though, when people think that. There were plenty of powerful, strong, clever women at the time. Yes, they couldn't take on Henry, but then no men could either.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

I figure Mary is probably the only person Henry actually really loved, based on how things went down, what she got away with, and his usual reactions to people who got between him and his plans.

People really only like to think there's one way history can be viewed, and it's very often "one awesome woman very hundred years until the 1900s" or something along those lines, and the women that do get idolized have their own flaws/contributions to less positive things ignored, such as Elizabeth's contribution to the slave trade.

I actually read a rather romanticized and not-amazing-but-still-nice-entertainment book about Mary and Charles around this time last year. (It was my car reading while travelling for Thanksgiving.) The Secret Bride by Diane Haeger, I think.

[walkwithheroes.livejournal.com]

especially the Henry/Anne ones. None of them end with the whole 'he beheaded her' bit.

I've never watched the show, but I've noticed that fans of it are huge fans of Henry/Anne. So much so, that at one point there were angry posts on message boards about the way Henry treated her toward the end of their marriage. I don't know if the viewers didn't know the history before watching the show or. . .what, but it was kind of amusing to read some of the things written about Henry/Anne and his "great love for her" apparently he "never loved anyone more than Anne."

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the book rec :)

I find reductionist views of history verrrrry frustrating.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Bwahahahaha. Yes, I saw ship wars in youtube comments (some were insisting Henry would prefer Anne to a son. Whaaaaat?)

[ambergold.livejournal.com]

whoa. must say, that looks/sounds pretty compelling. I tried The Tudors when it first started airing but so.much.sex and so few likable characters. Any idea when this storyline begins/ends?

[ambergold.livejournal.com]

also I love Burn Notice girl <3

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I do too, even if I keep thinking, "why are you cheating on Michael, Fiona?" :P

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Don't know when it starts but she dies in ep9 of first series so it ends by then (historically they were married for ages and had a ton of kids by the time she died, but the show is not big on accuracy - they married her to the wrong king and gave her the wrong name, so this is nothing).

[ulkis.livejournal.com]

They do, but they kind of sap out all the romance out of it. I don't quite clearly remember, but he already cheats on her like two episodes after they're married and he's definitely sleeping with another woman an episode or two after she dies. (Which I know he remarries not long after I don't think, but they married and the romance was pretty much gone.)

However - I still recommend watching at least the first two seasons. They do a good/entertaining job showing Anne's downfall in the second season.

[ambergold.livejournal.com]

hehehe. indeed :)

[ambergold.livejournal.com]

mmk, good to know. hmm.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I watched clips from this show on youtube and oh my, so trashy. I am now morbidly curious about their planned Borgia series.