Six Wives with Lucy Worsley

[TheHiphopopotamus]

Anyone else watching this? (Apologies if there's already a thread, I half looked and couldn't see one).

I really like Lucy Worsley but do we really need yet another programme about Henry VIII and his wives? There's so much history in this country and yet we seem to return over and over to the Tudors.

Am I being curmudgeonly or is this bringing anything to the table that we didn't already know?

[moregingerbreadplease]

I love this! It's actually really made me enjoy the Tudors and can't wait for the next episode.. however - echo the PP who mentioned Henry going from handsome to big and bald within the space of 5 mins!

[GourmetChild]

Isn't Lucy the one who said she has been "educated out of reproduction?" I.e. Too educated to have children?

[Alfieisnoisy]

I am loving it. I really like the fact that it's focusing more on the wives with a Henry taking a more background role.

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

I am enjoying this series, but I've watched other programmes about Henry VIII and his wives, and read both fiction and non-fiction dealing with that period too, and I'm not learning anything I didn't already know.

That said, I am enjoying it - I like Lucy Worsley a lot.

[WellErrr]

I love it!

[EvenTheWind]

Given they are doing six wives in three hours, I think it would be hard to do anything but a brief overview!

[BratFarrarsPony]

I heart Lucy............

[HandbagCrab]

I think it's really interesting. I haven't done more than the primary school basics so there's lots I didn't know or have forgotten. I feel it's humanising the wives as well, rather than them being a conveyor belt of son bearers.

How good to have a history programme about women presented by a woman on prime time!

[Sweepingchange]

Agree with saltydog and ¨squoosh

Dh and I cannot stop snorting when she emerges from behind a tapestry in costume clutching a chamber pot. You can almost imagine the conversation in the production meeting that led to that ... wish she had put up more of a fight... they will have Blue Peter-esque battle noises in the background next.

[coldcanary]

I'll watch anything with Lucy Worsely in it but I'm a bit 'another programme about the 6 wives?' As well. We've got such a rich history and we only seem to touch on the more well known aspects of it.
It'll be funny next week watching Daddy Pig as Henry though

[galaxygirl45]

I'm watching it just because I love the story of Henry and his wives. It's incredible to think that people are still talking about him centuries later, and it's probably the best known story in English history. I loved History at school and was desperate to do a degree in Tudor history - it's still on the old bucket list though

[specialsubject]

I have to say that I didn't know that Catherine of Aragon had six pregnancies until I went to hampton court, nor do I remember being taught at school about her son prince henry who died as a baby. If he had lived, henry 8 would not have needed to divorce Catherine in his quest for a son, and much of history would have been different.

[EvenTheWind]

Yy special, same for me with that tragic timeline at H Court.

[LunaLoveg00d]

I'm enjoying it too. I was educated in Scotland and we did endless Mary queen of Scots but nothing in the Tudors.

[Gwenhwyfar]

I'm enjoying it, but agree that it's yet another programme about the same thing and it's also very 'simple' as if aimed at children. I'll continue to watch though.

[SirChenjin]

I love it too - but LW is one of my girl crushes and can do no wrong in my eyes. I was also educated in Scotland and so my knowledge of the Tudors is quite limited - this series is very watchable esp as it's from the wives perspectives as opposed to many other history programmes.

[VodkaJelly]

I am really enjoying it.

[absolutelynotfabulous]

I'm watching it, but I find her style patronising to say the least. However, she DOES sometimes come up with something a little bit different...i liked the bit where she was reading the love letters from Henry to AB, and I hadn't quite realised how long the KA/Henry marriage was. However she didn't seem to analyse the circumstances of the divorce, she didn't dwell on the alleged crimes of AB, and there was no mention at all of Cromwell..boo!

Reminded me of a less horrible Horrible Histories.

[CountFosco]

We were talking about it at work and officemate at work had never heard of Lucy Worsley! Think this might be her first series on BBC1 so that makes sense in a way .

Isn't Lucy the one who said she has been "educated out of reproduction?" I.e. Too educated to have children?

Yes, she did. I'm a bit older and I have to say I knew exactly what she meant (although I have had kids). Britain had high levels of teenage pregnancy in the 1980s and my secondary education really emphasised how bad having children was (quite a few girls at my school had abortions) and how it would ruin your prospects. We are the generation that has delayed having kids as late as possible, lots of my friends had children in their 40s and a significant number don't have kids at all. I don't think I would have had kids if I'd not married DH who was desperate for kids and went PT when our eldest was born and has taken hits to his career for the sake of the family. If he'd been more traditional in his views we wouldn't have had children. It's not really a logical decision for educated women is it, children bugger up your body, your career and your bank balance! Most of us still do it of course.

[SirChenjin]

LW has said (in response to that comment) "Unwittingly, I've become a poster girl for opting out of childbirth, after an interview in which I said I had been educated out of the natural reproductive function. My comments were misinterpreted and sounded darker than I'd intended. It was never my intention to tell women what to do with their lives or be disrespectful to mothers. All I had meant was that while growing up in the 80s, the overriding message from teachers and parents was, "Finish your education", and maybe that early conditioning stuck in a way they had not intended".

I completely get that (although I do have children) - I grew up in the 80s too, and it suddenly became apparent to us that we didn't have to have children like our mothers did and that we could go to university which previously had been something that only the wealthier families could afford. Hell, we could even be PM! Education was the key to success, rather than Youtube or reality TV shows.

[BeyondIBringYouGoodTidings]

I am watching. Agree with upthread that it's a shame it's about the six wives again and not someone lesser known. Also agree that it's great to have a prime time history programme about women presented by a woman though. Hoping the viewing figures are good enough that they justify future programmes about less well known women.

[CountFosco]

Also agree that it's great to have a prime time history programme about women presented by a woman though.

I saw an interview with the controller of either BBC2 or BBC4 a few years ago saying she had made a deliberate choice to have more female and northern 'expert' presenters, especially history and science. I'm in a lovely BBC4 bubble where there are lots and I guess it's no surprise Lucy Worsley is the first to move across to BBC1.

[PrincessPlod]

I love it as it's giving a different insight to each wife.

[Trills]

If this were presented by a man, would he be dressing up and playacting? Perhaps in some nice breeches?