Skip to main content

Secondary sourceBook1905

The Wives of Henry the Eighth and the Parts They Played in History

Martin A. S. Hume · 1905

A 1905 history by Martin Hume examining Henry VIII's six marriages and their political impact, heard here as a modern volunteer audio reading.

A later historian's study of Henry VIII's six marriages and their political significance.

Ask Henry VIII about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Martin A. S. Hume, The Wives of Henry the Eighth and the Parts They Played in History, 1905. LibriVox volunteer audio reading.

About this source

What it is

This is an audio recording of The Wives of Henry the Eighth and the Parts They Played in History, written by historian Martin A. S. Hume in 1905. The audio itself is a modern LibriVox volunteer reading of the text, not a historical recording or the voice of anyone from Henry's time.

Why it matters

Hume's book challenges simple ideas about Henry VIII and his six wives, arguing that their marriages were shaped by political forces rather than just the king's personal desires. It shows how historians have reassessed Henry's reputation and the roles his wives played.

Look closer

  • Why does the author push back against the idea of Henry as simply a king led by his desires?
  • What does it mean that the wives are described as having had political importance, not just personal stories?
  • Since this is a modern reading of an old text, how is it different from hearing an original recording?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Henry VIII on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Henry VIII sources

Meet the AI Henry VIII →
Black-and-white photograph of a painting: a crowned king in ornate robes sits on a throne holding a scepter, with a line of men in dark robes and caps standing to the right, beneath a leaded window.Painting

Secondary source

Henry VIII Presiding at the Barber-Surgeons Act of Union

Hans Holbein (style of) · 1540 (depicted event); painting later

Stipple engraving of a group of five people in Tudor-style dress standing or seated behind a table draped with a curtain. On the left, a heavyset man in a fur-trimmed robe and jeweled cap holds a staff. Behind him, a man peers from the shadows. Three young people sit at the table: a boy in a dark cap and two young women in lace collars and hoods. Signed Hans Holbein Del. and F. Bartolozzi R.A. Sculpt.Painting

Secondary source

Henry VIII and His Three Children with Will Summers

F. Bartolozzi after Hans Holbein the Younger · c. 1800

Hand-coloured woodcut print of a bearded man in a black hat with white feather plume, wearing a fur-trimmed black and gold robe over a pink doublet, holding a gold-hilted dagger. A crowned coat of arms with a Latin motto and a Dutch-language inscription at top are visible against a green backdrop.Painting

Secondary source

Portrait of Henry VIII of England

1547

Scanned black-and-white page of an early printed book in dense black-letter type, headed 'SERENISSIMO INVICTISSIMOQUE ANGLIAE' with a small woodcut decorative initial at left. The text is a Latin dedication, and a handwritten marginal note appears at the bottom left.Document

Primary source

Dedication to Henry VIII in Compendiosa Anatomiae

Thomas Geminus · 1545

Engraved astrological birth chart in an oval frame. Central oval portrait of a man in a feathered cap and high collar, labeled HENRY VIII King of England, Born June 28.10 H.40 m.A.M. 1491. Zodiac signs and planetary symbols with numbers surround the portrait.Artifact

Primary source

Astrological Birth Chart for Henry VIII

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Henry VIII now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions