Part 3, How Many Wives Will He Have?: Chapter 16 Summary and Analysis

The author begins this chapter with a discussion of the marriage possibilities facing Henry following the death of Katherine Howard. There were factions in the country that wanted him to remarry Anne of Cleves, but he made it quite clear that that would never happen. There was also the possibility of his finding a new consort at court, but that seemed unlikely. There were very few possibilities in Europe, and for a while, the king seemed content to let the question rest, especially since he was also interested in alliances with either France (possibly through the marriage of Mary to the French heir) or Scotland (through the marriage of Edward to the infant Mary, Queen of Scots). Plans for this latter marriage went as far as being...