This episode follows the emotional and physical struggles of Katherine of Aragon as she strove to give Henry the male heir he so desired. As Henry's eye wandered over the women at court, Anne Boleyn, not wishing to be cast aside as her sister Mary had been, repeatedly rejected the king's advances and insisted on marriage. Henry set about trying to arrange an annulment, but Katherine was defiant and passionately defended her position.
Lucy watches as two queens, Katherine of Aragon and then Anne Boleyn fall from power. As Henry breaks with the Roman Church to marry Anne, Lucy sees him grow tired of Anne and fall for Jane Seymour. Anne's fate is sealed: she is executed and Henry immediately marries Jane. But Jane dies as soon as she gives birth to a son.
Lucy reveals new stories of Henry's last three wives: the ugly one, the young one and the final one. Anne of Cleves, the one who was called ugly; young Catherine Howard, revealing her tragic abusive childhood and finally the far from saintly nurse, Katherine Parr.
Nicholas Agnew
Henry Norris
Paola Bontempi
Catherine of Aragon
Claire Cooper
Anne Boleyn
Alison Garner
Margaret Scrope
Crispin Letts
Archbishop Cranmer