On his deathbed, Henry VIII, Keith Michell reflects on a reign that stretched over decades and the pivotal role his six marriages played in shaping England’s history. The bulk of the film unfolds in flashback, as the aging king lies surrounded by family and courtiers who witness his shifting appetites, political gambits, and personal vanities.
Catherine of Aragon, Frances Cuka is the first queen. The young couple celebrate the birth of a son, only to learn he dies, and they mourn together while clinging to the hope of another child. As the years pass, Catherine bears only one living daughter, Mary, and Henry confides to Thomas More that the marriage may be cursed by God because Catherine was previously wed to Henry’s late brother Arthur, a union Catherine insists was not consummated. The tension between divine will and human desire grows heavier as time wears on.
Henry woos Anne Boleyn, Charlotte Rampling a lady at court who refuses to sleep with him unless he marries her. Henry pushes the Vatican for an annulment from Catherine. When the pope balks, he removes Cardinal Wolsey, John Bryans and seizes control of the church, declaring himself head of the new Church of England. The marriage to Anne is sealed, but she too fails to bear a male heir, giving birth to a daughter, Elizabeth. As Henry’s interest shifts, he begins to turn his attention to Jane Seymour, Jane Asher.
Jane Seymour’s influence grows as she helps shape Henry’s religious stance and returns Mary to royal favor, while also supporting a more lenient view toward the pilgrims who had risen up in rebellion. Jane bears the long-desired male heir, Edward, but she dies soon after his birth, leaving Henry bereft and more tyrannical in his grief.
Cromwell’s ascent and fall loom large as Henry’s diplomatic needs push him toward a politically advantageous but morally fraught match with Anne of Cleves, Jenny Bos. Henry is disappointed by the portrait’s reality and, after a reluctant wedding, secures an annulment. Cromwell, a self-made power broker who has earned the envy of the aristocracy, falls from grace and is arrested at the Privy Council.
The king’s eye then turns to Catherine Howard, Lynne Frederick, a young cousin of Anne Boleyn. Catherine is seduced by the king’s splendor, but Archbishop Cranmer, Bernard Hepton, uncovers her prior liaisons and confesses them to Henry after pressing the truth. Catherine is beheaded, and a chastened court braces for the king’s next move.
In his old age, Henry seeks companionship once more and weds Catherine Parr, Barbara Leigh-Hunt, a widow with strong religious views who differs from the king but becomes a steadfast partner. Parr’s warmth helps stabilize the court, and she becomes a loving stepmother to the royal children, Mary, Elizabeth, and Edward.
As the flashbacks draw to a close, Catherine Parr waits at Henry’s bedside with Princess Mary nearby. Cranmer is summoned for Henry’s final confession, and the king dies holding the hand of the woman who outlived him, a moment that seals a tumultuous era in both faith and monarchy.
