4. Public Humiliation and Scandal
King Henry VIII’s treatment of his wives often involved public humiliation, damaging their reputations and exposing them to scorn. His marriage to Anne of Cleves was annulled after six months, and she was thereafter known as the King’s Beloved Sister. Similarly, Catherine Howard, his fifth wife, was executed on charges of adultery and treason, a scandal that tarnished her family’s name (washingtonpost.com).
