Those with an interest in the life & times of Henry VIII will, no doubt, know that next Tuesday, 28 January marks the anniversary of his death - the 478th to be exact - & the beginning of a new phase in English history as the young King Edward pressed fast forward on the journey to becoming a Protestant nation.
But this isn't the only important January date in the saga of the Tudor dynasty. Next Wednesday, 29 January happens to be the 489th anniversary of the funeral of Catherine of Aragon, following her death on 7 January 1536.
Why is the anniversary of a funeral important? Because, as fate would have it, the very same day, her long time rival, & successor as Henry`s wife, miscarried the boy child that would have saved her from the executioner's sword.
After years of battling the establishment to secure his divorce, Henry had quickly tired of Anne once she finally became his wife. The fact that, like Catherine, she had only provided him with a daughter, & not the long promised son, greatly compounded his regret in marrying her.
Yet, whilst Catherine lived, it was unthinkable that Henry could set Anne aside. Many people believed his second marriage was unlawful & that he was still, in fact, married to Catherine - setting Anne aside would have been tantamount to admitting he had been wrong to marry her.
Delivering a son would have kept Anne safe - her miscarriage, the same day as Catherine was laid to rest was seen by many as vindication of Catherine's position & a sign of God`s judgement. For Henry, it was the final straw that, ultimately, triggered Anne`s downfall.
With Catherine gone, there was no longer any obstacle to removing Anne & opening the way for a new marriage - ultimately to the meek & submissive Jane Seymour, who did indeed deliver the longed for prince. That same Edward who would go on to lead the charge to a Protestant nation
The story of Henry's great matter is, for many of us, one of the most memorable events in British history. It was as marvellous in its time as it seems today. Yet, the choices & decisions that were made - & the motivations behind them - have many parallels in our modern world.
In his own time, Winston Churchill exhorted us to 'study history' because, he claimed, 'In history lies all the secrets of statecraft'.
For anyone wishing to develop their 'statecraft', join us on Monday 27 or Tuesday 28th January when we will use the occasion of these anniversaries to take a closer look at the lives of all Henry's long suffering wives - & ask ourselves, what their fate can teach us about keeping our own heads in modern business.
