Henry VIII and His Six Wives Howard, Duke of Norfolk. Henry and Catherine marry, with Henry lavishing her with many gifts and jewels. Archbishop Thomas Cranmer then discovers that Catherine has had liaisons before her marriage, and presents this knowledge to Henry, who at first refuses to believe the charges. Cranmer secures a confession from Catherine, who also admits of an affair with Thomas Culpeper during her marriage to Henry. Catherine is beheaded. Henry, now elderly, approaches Catherine Parr, a widow from two previous marriages. Catherine is at first reluctant, citing her religious views which differ from Henry's, but Henry admits his need for companionship in
Try Me, Good King: Last Words of the Wives of Henry VIII Try Me, Good King: Last Words of the Wives of Henry VIII Try Me, Good King: Last Words of the Wives of Henry VIII is a song cycle by Libby Larsen based on text taken from the final words and writings of the six wives of Henry VIII. The cycle was commissioned by the Marilyn Horne Foundation and premiered at the Juilliard Theatre in New York City on January 19, 2001, with the soprano Meagan Miller and the pianist Brian Zeger. The text for each movement is taken from the last words and writings of Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn,