This course looks in depth at eight queen consorts: the wives of Edward IV, Henry VII, and Henry VIII. Five of these women were mothers, five were stepmothers, some ‘failed to produce’ male heirs, and some others died whilst trying. This understanding of a Queen’s purpose impacted on how they were viewed both then and now. ‘Failure to produce’ is a phrase which reduces the worth of women, who were so much more than their reproductive capabilities, or indeed those of their husbands. ‘Mothers and Others’ looks at the lives of these eight women, alongside their fight for their children and themselves.

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Henry VIII has loomed large in the history of his siblings, Arthur, Margaret, Mary, and those who were lost too soon. But what if Henry were to take a back seat, momentarily, and let his brother and sisters take the spotlight?  Join me to delve into the lives of those who grew up with the infamous monarch and led lives both separate and intertwined with his.

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