Why King Henry VII Is Irrelevant

Now I know the title might shock you. I am not about to say that Henry VIII didn’t matter to history at all, but in some ways he is irrelevant. Henry fought to divorce his first wife Catherine when at the time it was not allowed; this began Henry VIII’s irrelevance. I want to focus on the musical which is based on Henry VIII’s wives called Six— as we fight for women’s voices to be heard in history, the discussion of Henry VIII is irrelevant. This musical will be appearing in the Bord Gais Energy Theatre in April for a five day run.   

The question I want you to keep in mind throughout this article is why do we feel the need to centre men in women’s stories? If you have been single for any length of time, I’m sure you’ve heard the age-old questions at any family event: do you have a boyfriend? Or even possibly the most patronizing remarks: ‘you have to love yourself before you love anyone else,’ ‘you’re too picky,’ or ‘how is someone like you still single?’ It got me thinking why we, as women, must explain why we are single. Why does a man have to be the main topic of conversation?  

Six the Musical 

The example I am examining is Six the Musical, written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. This musical is about Henry VIII’s wives, Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, Catherine Parr. In the musical they battle about how badly they were treated. Each woman has a song, and it gives great insight into each of their times with Henry. As the show progresses, we begin to see that these women are much more than their fates and their husband.  

No Way 

The song ‘No Way’ belongs to Catherine of Aragon. Aragon has hints of Beyonce in this song: it is an anthem for any man who tried to push you around. But it also shows the vulnerable side to her as she pleads with Henry to show her what she has done wrong to have him want to annul the marriage and court Anne Boleyn: ‘If you can just explain a single thing/ I've done to cause you pain.’ She also mentions in the song that Henry believed that because she was married to his brother, she could not conceive a child. This was untrue as she had six children, but only a daughter (later Mary I) survived.  

Don’t Lose Ur Head 

Boleyn’s song ‘Don’t Lose Ur Head’ has hints of Lily Allen, and really shows the Queen’s attitude and madness. Funnily enough, Boleyn is most known for 1. Being adulterous and 2. Having her head chopped off. Although her song is fun and carefree and makes out that Boleyn just did these random acts and was shocked by the outcomes—‘Sorry, not sorry/ 'bout what I said’— she is taken more seriously and viewed as sly and calculating.  

Heart of Stone 

‘Heart of Stone’ is one of the only ballads in the show, with strong hints of influence from Adele and Sia. Jane Seymour die after giving birth to her child (Edward VI). She is the only one out of six wives to produce an heir: without my son your love could disappear.’ This song and even though this show and article is about Henry being unimportant to the wives’ lives, one can see the true beauty of love and strength required to be committed to him: ‘you're the only one I've ever loved, I mean those words truthfully’. Jane knew the risks she took in loving him and that is compelling.  

Get Down 

‘Get Down’ is Anne of Cleves’ song. odelled on Rhianna and Nicki Minaj, this song is the most hip-hop influenced. Henry picked her to be his wife but when he saw her, his feelings changed: ‘You, you said that I tricked ya, 'Cause I, I didn't look like my profile picture’. He divorces her after six months. Cleves just sings about her wealth and all the material things she has. She also takes a stab at Henry proving she is better than him: ‘'Cause I'm the queen of the castle’. 

All You Wanna Do 

Katherine Howard sings ‘All You Wanna Do’, inspired by Arianna Grande and Britney Spears. Her song is quirky and flirty and names multiple different men she was involved with. There is a darker meaning to this songpop and fun style of the song, she realises that every man she falls forIt isn’t until the end of this song that the audience might think ‘I have been laughing all this time, I shouldn’t be’, ‘I thought this time was different, why did I think he'd be different?’ 

I Don’t Need Your Love 

Catherine Parr sings ‘I Don’t Need Your Love’, with tones of Alicia Keys and Emeli Sande. This song shows the powerfulness of Parr: she was in love with someone else when Henry asked for her hand. This song also shows how powerful Henry was at the time; ‘If Henry says, "It's you", then it's you’; she had to accept his proposal. Parr knows she cannot stand up to the King. Parr is the only wife who recognizes that she is not only a wife of Henry VIII but that she did other things. Why is it that we reference this woman as the ‘wife of Henry VIII’ and not Catherine Parr, a woman who d things and only happened to be married to Henry VIII? Parr sings that she will always, no matter what she does, be one of six, always be connected to Henry, because unfortunately, where would a woman be without a man? ‘'Cause in history, I'm fixed as one of six, and without him, I disappear’.  

This musical may not be historically accurate, but it teaches a little about the history of these amazing women. It also shows that a man does not need to be the main character in a woman’s story. Theses six women lives, and stories push women to take control of the narrative and write their own stories. This is shown in the musical which will performed in the Bord Gais; a musical showing these women’s amazing stories.