Exhibition: Six Lives: The Stories of Henry VIII's Queens

NPG L246. Katherine of Aragon (c. 1520) by unknown artist © National Portrait Gallery, London. On loan to NPG by permission of the Archbishop of Canterbury and Church Commissioners.

The National Portrait Gallery examines the lives of Henry VIII's queens as individual women rather than mere accoutrements to a powerful king. Accompanying wonderful portraiture are artifacts that belonged to them.

Hiroshi Sugimato's photographic portraits of waxwork figures at Madame Tussauds,(1999) are a ghosty collective. They confront their errant husband, standings legs akimbo in the Holbein Workshop's powerful full-length portrait some distance away.

A room depicts how the wives have been portrayed in cinema, stage, and TV but is more fitting as a conclusion. Costumes on a rostrum are displayed ranging from opera to the contemporary musical Six. Around the walls are costume designs including from the stellar 1970 BBC production of The Six Wives of Henry VIII.

A melodramatic German silent film clip of Anna Boleyn is riveting.

Victorian paintings depict scenes in the lives of Catherine Howard, Anne Boleyn, and best of all Katherine of Aragon. Henry Andrews painting of the 1831 production by The Royal Shakespeare Company of Shakespeare's Henty VIII at Covent Garden Theatre vividly captures her trial scene.

There is even a photograph of the 1997 Post Office presentation pack of stamps depicting the six queens.

Superb Holbein prints from the Royal Collection provide portraits of Tudor courtiers. A wonderful tapestry, owned by Henry VIII, 1510-20, depicts the Biblical Queen Esther.

Katherine of Aragon was the daughter of Europe's great power couple, Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile. She was so much more than the devout, downtrodden, discarded wife, the 'divorced' of the popular mantra, 'divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived'.

In a picture of the young Katherine,1496, she holds a red rosebud, indicative of her English descent as great grand-daughter of Katherine of Lancaster.

A fascinating miniature by the Horenbout workshop,1526, shows her auburn hair and blue eyes. She wears a Spanish cap rather than the English Hood. Her jewellery includes a Franciscan style Tau cross, later gifted to her daughter, Princess Mary and an IHS initialled brooch - the first three Greek letters of Jesus, Saviour of Mankind.

Katherine had been briefly married to Prince Arthur who died aged fifteen and after a dispensation, married his brother Henry.

A regal portrait,1520, portrays her in a bejewelled English hood and red velvet, gold and black slashed sleeved gown. Her attire is mirrored in a matching painting of the king.

A splendid English walnut and oak writing box is richly embellished with the royal pairs' heraldic badges and Christian and classical imagery

Letters from Katherine are featured, including one she signs as Katharina, reporting the death of James IV of Scotland to Henry, away in France, whilst she led an army to defeat the Scots.

Her inability to provide a male heir ( ed: She gave birth to six children but only one daughter survived) caused Henry to seek to annul his marriage. Unsuccessful in this, he caused the notorious break with Rome and made himself Head of the English church because of his obsession with Anne Boleyn, one of Katherine's Ladies in Waiting.

Katherine was treated despicably after her divorce and was not allowed to see her only surviving child, Princess Mary. They were sent to separate residences, away from court.

She continued to call herself Queen and not the decreed Princess Dowager until her death.

A book on Christian Marriage by Erasmus has a frontispiece dedicated to Katherine.

A miniature gold whistle pendant with cosmetics implements is believed to be an early gift from Henry to Anne Boleyn. Such gifts would be worn at court masques.

A Sarum Book of Hours has an inscription by Anne, but her signature has been erased.

As with Katherine after he disposed of her - this time by the block on charges of adultery - all traces of her name were removed. She was replaced by one of her ladies in waiting -Jane Seymour.

Providing the long-awaited heir, Prince Edward, Jane died in childbirth. Henry considered her his true Queen and she brought Princess Mary back to court alongside Boleyn's daughter Elizabeth.

Holbein's wonderful chalk drawing of Jane is stunning. His workshop's oil painting of her shows her wearing Katherine's IHS brooch, denoting her Catholic sympathies.

Despite his grief at Jane's death, he was persuaded by Cromwell to marry Anne of Cleves.

Her miniature by Holbein captivated Henry. However, he reluctantly married her and rapidly sought a divorce. Known as the King's Sister, she lived comfortably, acquiring her own property and jewels.

A ceremonial bedhead for their marriage and her efficient account book are fascinating.

Youthful Katherine Howard, the Duke of Norfolk's niece, was Maid of Honour to Anne of Cleves and his fifth wife. Henry was besotted and showered her with jewels until he discovered her past liaisons and her relationship with Thomas Culpepper at court. Beheaded at the tower like her cousin, Ann Boleyn, she asked for the block to be brought to her cell so she could practice laying her head on it.

Little is left of her brief time as consort. However, a striking miniature by Holbein is now believed to be of her.

Henry's final wife, Katherine Parr, was his first's god-daughter and named after the Queen. She signed herself KP after her royal signature. Twice widowed she survived Henry.

She encouraged portraiture of her stepchildren and ensured their place in the Act of Succession. Catholic Mary, surprisingly inscribed a copy of Cranmer's book on prayer for her, as 'your most humble daughter and servant.'

A stunning full-length portrait concludes this superb exhibition.

Six Lives, a lavishly illustrated and informative catalogue is priced £30.

The exhibition runs until 8 September 2024

Admission £21. Weekend mornings £1 entry. Under 25s - £5 Friday -Sunday. 60 + half price Mondays.

See details of related events: https.www.npg.org.uk