Divorced, Beheaded, Died: An Audience with King Henry VIII
Saturday 10th September
King Henry VIII’s Royal Progress arrives at Grimsthorpe Castle!
‘The year is 1544 and King Henry, the Eighth of that name, is engaged upon Royal Progress about his Realm; and has halted here to afford his Loyal Subjects the opportunity to have ‘audience’ with their Sovereign Lord and King.
The King, recently married to his new, and sixth, wife, Queen Catherine Parr, is in poor health; his leg continues to cause him considerable pain and he is often in a poor humour!
In the course of the ‘audience’, His Majesty will recount the events of his long reign; telling of his wives and his children, and His Majesty will invite his Loyal Subjects to Petition him or question him on ANY related subject : a lively Q&A is assured !’
You might know that Charles Brandon, a life-long friend of Henry VIII, bought the wardship of Katherine Willoughby de Eresby, heiress of Grimsthorpe, from the King, intending to marry her to his own son.
When Brandon’s third wife wife Mary (sister of Henry VIII) died, Brandon married Katherine himself. He was 48 and Katherine was 14 years old.
The Duke and Duchess of Suffolk lived at Grimsthorpe from about 1540 and hosted Henry VIII here for three days in 1541, on his progress to York, so we are very excited to welcome him back!
This is an outdoor event, and rather than picnic blankets, we recommend that you bring your own chair to sit theatre style.
Food and drink will be available.
Gates open at 4pm and the show starts at 5.30pm.
