Marriage & Monarchy

Perhaps you’ve heard that the most eligible bachelor in the world is getting married? Prince William’s romantic life has long been the center of attention for those intrigued by the most interesting and storied monarchy in history. Of course, his father's love life was the center of attention before that. I wish Prince William and Kate Middleton the best and hope they fare better than his forebears. Throughout history, the romantic lives of British monarchs (and heirs to the throne) have been the stuff of legend. Marriage troubles existed long before Diana, Princess of Wales and HRH the Prince of Wales split up.

Henry VIII and his Six Wives-

Perhaps the most famous marital troubles belong to Henry VIII. Obsessed with having a son, Henry tried to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, his wife of nearly twenty years at the time. When the Pope refused (thanks to Catherine’s powerful allies), Henry began the Reformation in England so that he could be Head of the Church. Once he was, he divorced Catherine and married his mistress, Anne Boleyn. Anne, though from a good family, was not regal and was argumentative and disrespectful to Henry. He put up with it in the hopes that he would be blessed with a son, but this was not to be. Anne produced a healthy baby girl, but all subsequent pregnancies ended in still births and miscarriages, similar to what Catherine had experienced. Anne was accused of witchcraft and Henry VIII took the convenient opportunity to have her beheaded.

Henry’s quest for a son did not end with Anne. He married Jane Seymour just two weeks after Anne’s death. Jane finally gave Henry the son he so craved, but at a steep price. She died of puerperal fever just a few days after giving birth. Henry’s go-to-guy, Thomas Cromwell, recommended he marry the foreign princess Anne of Cleves just two years later. He told the king that he needed to secure another son, but really, Thomas wanted to advance his Protestant ideals. The King married Anne of Cleves, but she was not to his liking. He made rude comments about her appearance and body. It is likely she wasn’t too pleased with him either. By this time, the once handsome king was obese with a smelly leg ulcer. He quickly had their marriage annulled and Anne of Cleves did not argue. Her reward was a life of financial security and the title of the king’s “sister.” However, poor Thomas Cromwell lost his head over the whole affair.

Before he had even gotten rid of Anne of Cleves, Henry’s eye had fallen on the very young and attractive Katherine Howard. He married her and was besotted with her, but she had a past. That past eventually caught up with her when some of her old friends came looking for work in the royal household. Not only that, but she began an affair with the king’s gentleman of the Privy Chamber Thomas Culpepper. He was tortured and killed and she was beheaded like her cousin, Anne Boleyn. Henry VIII was married one last time; his last wife, Catherine Parr, was lucky and kept her head. When Henry died, he was buried next to Jane Seymour, the only queen Henry felt had done her duty. Ironically, it was Anne Boleyn’s daughter Elizabeth who would rule during what became known as the “Golden Age.”

George IV and Caroline-

George IV is known to history for his role as Regent during his father’s (Mad King George III) periods of illness. Before the regency, the Prince of Wales (as he was known at the time) was a gambler and a spendthrift. Needless to say, he had enormous debts. In an attempt to get him to marry, his father offered to increase his salary upon marriage. He accepted the proposal. The unlucky lady, chosen by his father, was Caroline of Brunswick. The Prince of Wales found his bride to be unclean and uncouth. He found it necessary to be drunk at their wedding ceremony. After the birth of their only child, they were legally separated. They remained so for the rest of their lives. When he was crowned George IV, he refused to admit Caroline to the ceremony, despite her un-queenly attempts to gain entry.

William III & Mary II-

The only royal couple to rule England jointly, William & Mary didn’t live under fairytale conditions either. William had an acknowledged mistress, Elizabeth Villiers. Not only that, but rumors of William’s homosexual affairs with male courtiers were widespread during their reign. These included the young, handsome page Arnold Joost Van Keppel, who rose rapidly to the position of Earl.

Edward VIII-

The story of King Edward VIII is much more recent. As playboy prince, David (as he was known to his family) made his father wonder if he’d ever settle down. Eventually, his heart did fall for just one woman- the most inappropriate for a future King of England. She bore no title and came from no aristocratic family. Wallis Simpson was an American divorcee who was still married to her second husband when she began seeing David. When George V died and Edward succeeded him, Wallis filed for divorce from Ernest Simpson. Edward VIII announced his intent to parliament to wed Wallis. He was given the choice to choose her or the crown. He chose her. On December 10, 1936 Edward abdicated his throne to marry the woman he loved. The crown passed to his brother George VI. He made Edward the Duke of Windsor. Therefore, Wallis was the Duchess of Windsor; she was never granted the title of Her Royal Highness, a snub David would never forgive.

Despite a long history of monarchial marital mayhem, William and Kate have an excellent chance of making it as a couple. For one, they have known each other for more than eight years. Additionally, they chose each other and were not forced to wed one another. Though Kate is a commoner, she is not a divorcee, so that is not an issue here either. Besides, that tradition became moot after the Prince of Wales married the Duchess of Cornwall in April, 2005. Finally, William and Kate have a good chance of sticking it out because William knows all too well what happens when two opposites are thrown together into a world of international limelight and duty. He knows to help Kate prepare for her role. He also knows to respect the boundaries of marriage. Good luck to the Happy Couple.

Learn more about other royals with bad marriages.