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1. From where did Weir get the information she used to write "The Six Wives of Henry VIII"?

Weir had access to letters, memoirs, old biographies, and public records from the 14th-15th centuries. During this time, the Renaissance emphasis on learning for both men and women increased the amount of written materials available and in addition, governments in general were consciously working to improve the public records.

2. How was a marriage executed in Tudor England?

In Tudor England, most marriages were arranged, usually for political or monetary reasons. The precontract, which constituted a formal betrothal, dealt mainly with a woman's dowry: the lands, possessions, and/or money she would bring to the union. Once this was settled, only sexual intercourse was required to seal the marriage, although many couples did take vows in the ancient Roman Catholic tradition.

3. Describe the state of women's rights during the Tudor period.

In 14th-15th century England, women were basically considered the property of their husbands. They were expected to obey him in the same way they had been expected to obey their fathers. Women rarely had any input into choosing their husbands and were always at the mercy of a man; even as a widow, women were often subject to the wishes of a father or brother-in-law. Their possessions were never really their own. A woman's primary purpose was to bear children, and it was not uncommon for a woman to be pregnant every year for a decade or more; it was also not uncommon for a woman to die during or soon after childbirth. Even the attire women wore was restrictive; long, heavy skirts, long sleeves even in summer, long hair that had to be bound up after marriage, and suffocating corsets of leather or wood.

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