The Princess With Two Heads

How a defiant Danish princess avoided marriage to the notorious Henry VIII and dodged the executioner’s axe

“Divorced, Beheaded, Died. Divorced, Beheaded, Survived.”

Most students of history are familiar with Henry VIII of England and his notorious six wives. Although his last wife, Catharine Parr, survived Henry, she didn’t fare much better than the other unfortunate wives. Catherine endured marriage to Henry when he was obese and had to nurse his festering sores and boils. Indeed, she did not live long after Henry’s death, dying in childbirth less than a year later.

There was one woman who escaped the horrible fate suffered by these six wives: Christina of Denmark. When Henry sought a fourth wife after the early demise of Jane Seymour, the only wife who produced a son, he sent his ambassadors to various kingdoms to find eligible bachelorettes. As the old saying goes, there must be a heir and a spare, so Henry needed another wife to accomplish this goal. By now, Henry had broken away from the Roman Catholic Church, so he focused his search on kingdoms where the Reformation had gained followers. He cast his sights on Denmark. Christina of Denmark was the daughter of King Christian II of Denmark and Norway and his wife, Isabella of Austria. Isabella was the niece of Henry’s first wife, Catherine of Aragon, through her mother, Juana of Castile.