Unhappy? Just Change the Law!
Here’s another example of Henry VIII’s extreme behavior when it came to his love life. Catherine Howard was Henry’s fifth wife, wed just 19 days after the annulment of his marriage to Anne of Cleves. Henry was absolutely infatuated with Catherine at first, but his feelings quickly soured when rumors began to go around that Catherine was not chaste when they were married.
It was also whispered that Catherine may have had an affair with another man at court. Once again, instead of just separating from her, Henry decided to take it to the next level. Parliament conveniently passed a new law making it illegal for a queen to have an affair and to keep her romantic history from her royal husband. With this new law, Catherine was declared guilty and beheaded. Catherine admitted her guilt right before her death as a way to protect her family from the king’s future wrath.