TWO DYNASTIES, THE SAME FATE

The Bible had explicitly warned it: “If a man shall take his brother’s wife, it shall be an uncleaned thing and they shall be childless”. And despite this, two members of two famous English aristocratic dynasties (Henry VIII from the Tudors and George V from the Windsor) disobeyed. The former married his brother’s widow for power interests; the latter married his brother’s fiancé almost under his grandmother Queen Victoria’s imposition.

After his brother’s death, Henry VIII married his brother’s widow, Catherine of Aragon. They will be the parents of the Catholic “Bloody Mary”. Soon Henry claims his divorce from Catherine since she does not conceive the so desired male heir to his throne. Evidently, the Bible’s words have been accomplished.

The Windsor monarchy was also a victim of such omen. After the unexpected death of the potential heir to the English Crown, Prince Albert Victor, his brother George would become future George V. In addition to this, he had to accept his recently-dead brother’s fiancé (Mary of Teck) as his wife. The fate had a surprise ready for them: the potential heir to the throne after George V’s death, his eldest son Edward VIII, acted as a monarch just from January to December of 1936, year in which he abdicated leaving so the charge to his stammerer brother George VI. Once again, the Bible had read these Kings and Queens’ palmlines: the “uncleaned” marriage of George V and Mary of Teck was not childless but one of his predecessors decided  to leave his royal duties in favour of his enjoyment and a peculiar French love of doubtful reputation who had been refused by his family.