Tuesday 7 April 2009

Coeur Loyal?

Dr David Starkey's new series about Henry VIII looks gloriously as if it is going to be about Henry VIII, rather than about his wives, who have come to be treated as if they were in themselves the point, or even terribly interesting in at least the middle four cases.

This is in the spirit of Diana, of course. And perhaps of Michelle Obama as things unfold. Though not of the WAGs: they really are the point. But in fact, even Henry VIII's first divorce was replete with theological and political issues that are ignored almost completely outside academia, and sometimes inside it.

That Perkin Warbeck first turned up in Ireland is an interesting insight into the importance of Ireland in the history of these islands as a whole, contrary to what is usually asserted or assumed right across any spectrum that you care to name. A whole series on that would be very worthwhile indeed.

And I don't know how this had never occurred to me before, but how closely related was Henry to Catherine of Aragon? His mother, Elizabeth of York, was descended from the Royal Lines of Portugal and Castille. And thus, via the old Moorish Kings of Seville, from Muhammad. Not the tar brush's only touching of the present Royal Family, which, though not descended from Henry VIII, is descended from Elizabeth of York through her daughter Margaret's Scottish marriage. The rest, as they say, is history.

There is more than one series in that, too. The Mooorish lines must have extended all over the courts of Europe. And not only the Moorish lines, of course. As Rabbi Lionel Blue (I once annoyed one of this blog's most partisan and parvenu readers by going to his birthday party instead of watching some interview with Tony Blair) told me a few years ago, the earliest written Spanish is in Hebrew characters.

16 comments:

  1. "Though not of the WAGs: they really are the point"

    Priceless.

    "But in fact, even Henry VIII's first divorce was replete with theological and political issues that are ignored almost completely outside academia, and sometimes inside it"

    To appeal to girls.

    ReplyDelete
  2. "That Perkin Warbeck first turned up in Ireland is an interesting insight into the importance of Ireland in the history of these islands as a whole, contrary to what is usually asserted or assumed right across any spectrum that you care to name. A whole series on that would be very worthwhile indeed."

    I can see you presenting that. Seriously, I can.

    ReplyDelete
  3. "As Rabbi Lionel Blue (I once annoyed one of this blog's most partisan and parvenu readers by going to his birthday party instead of watching some interview with Tony Blair) told me a few years ago"

    I think I know who that partisan parvenu is. I am laughing as I type this, thinking of the look on his face. "Did you watch the Dear Leader?" "No, I was at Rabbi Lionel Blue's birthday party."

    Never mind, luv. Your grandchildren will move in such circles.

    ReplyDelete
  4. If their grandparents haven't destroyed them, P.

    Chris, you are very kind. I am available...

    Anonymous, not sure about your second comment. But WAGs are why we still have football in this country, and yes, that is to appeal to the sex that spends eighty per cent of all money spent. "Girls", if you will.

    And yes, it is difficult to avoid the sense that the concentration of Henry VIII's wives rather than on Henry VIII himself is at least partly in the same vein.

    You'd have thought that his two remarkable daughters would have been interest enough for the ludicrous "women are historically invisible" lobby, though. Wouldn't you?

    ReplyDelete
  5. David R U Nutz7 April 2009 at 17:15

    David procreating?

    Talk about doomed mortals. Being raised by an eccentric looney. Definately a case for the social services.

    But he will have to find Miss Right. Question is how will she be able to get out of her strait-jacket?

    ReplyDelete
  6. I suspect you've missed the point. The "luv" in question was the partisan parvenu. Like you.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Correct.

    I am not surprised that he missed evn a basic literary device like that, looking at his comment.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Well, quite. Even his great-great-great-grandchildren would seem unlikely to befriend contributors to Thought For The Day on Visiting Fellowships at Durham. If he and his kind have not destroyed such things anyway by then, of course.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Never mind, luv.

    Oh, I'm enjoying this. He honestly doesn't understand that I'm addressing him.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Is he the partisan parvenu?

    ReplyDelete
  11. I suspect so.

    Now, I mean it, back on-topic.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Perkin Warbeck was a Fleming.

    ReplyDelete
  13. He had looks and ambition but almost no education.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Indeed.

    But these days, it is possible to cover up the latter failing with pieces of paper. Perhaps it always has been. Not the same thing at all, I'm afraid.

    ReplyDelete