Henry & Anne: The Lovers Who Changed History

Last Updated on July 10, 2023 by ellen

Have you heard the story of Henry and Anne? My Mother has always been fascinated by British royalty, so Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn are two names I’m very familiar with. I’ve always been curious to learn how much of the story was real and how much was embellished. 

Henry & Anne: The Lovers Who Changed History

Historian Dr. Suzannah Lipscomb unfolds the extraordinary story of the tumultuous love affair between Henry VIII & Anne Boleyn, and asks: Was it love that brought them together? And was it love that tore them apart? Using first-hand accounts from the time and visiting the places where Henry and Anne lived and stayed, the series delves into this passionate and volatile relationship—one that would send a queen to her death, amputate England from Europe, and lead to hundreds of years of religious conflict.

Suzannah’s journey takes her from Anne’s childhood home in Hever, Kent to a French palace where Anne spent her formative years. She visits Hampton Court, where Henry built the Great Hall for his new queen, and the Tower of London, where he had Anne beheaded. Suzannah argues against many of the established theories and notions on Henry and Anne, revealing a very different story of their tragic marriage while attempting to answer many of the questions that are still fiercely debated. Was Henry as monstrous as he is often portrayed? And was Anne a cunning, deviant woman who used her feminine wiles to manipulate a king?

In Henry & Anne: The Lovers Who Changed History, I had the chance to look into England’s past and the story of Henry & Anne. It was fascinating to learn more about not only Henry and Anne’s relationship but Henry’s life before he met Anne. I had no idea that he was married before Anne, but Henry VIII took his brother’s widow as his wife, and they were wed for twenty years. As a teenager, Anne was a lady in waiting in France before she came to England and met Henry VIII. She received a European education that made her much different from a traditional wellborn woman in England. She met Henry in her twenties when she returned to England. Henry had married Anne 4 months before he divorced Catherine because she failed to give him a son who could be the heir.

If you’re intrigued by the story so far, I highly recommend that you watch the entire DVD. Henry & Anne: The Lovers Who Changed History is available now on DVD. The run time of the program is approximately 90 minutes and has an SRP of $24.99.

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