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The Interweaving of Power and Marriage. Henry VIII's choices of marriage were almost entirely influenced by political factors. Each of his marriages was closely related to England's international status, the succession to the throne, and the Reformation. This has given me a profound understanding of how personal emotions often have to give way to national interests at the pinnacle of royalty and power. The Tragedy of Women. The fates of Henry VIII's six wives were fraught with misfortune; some were divorced, others beheaded, and some died in solitude. Their stories reflect the vulnerable position of women in a male-dominated society at the time, as well as the cruel realities of royal marriages.