One of the most fascinating characters in British history is that of Anne Boleyn and the relationship she had with her husband, King Henry VIII. In a documentary from Public Media Distribution and PBS, Henry and Anne: The Lovers Who Changed History plays out like a movie as we follow Henry VIII and Anne before their meeting and how their love story ended in tragedy.

Narrator and historian Dr. Suzannah Lipscomb goes back in time as she travels to the famous places where Anne Boleyn grew up before she would become the second wife of Henry VIII. We also get a glimpse of the Tower of London, where she would later be beheaded after charges of adultery and treason.

The relationship between Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn would have consequences for years to come, and their daughter would later become Queen Elizabeth I. In this 90 minute documentary, travel to Anne’s home in Hever, Kent and follow her journey to France before she ultimately would end up in Court and meet the infamous King Henry VIII.

Lipscomb provides viewers a fascinating look into the lives of this volatile couple and how their passionate affair would end in disaster. Using documents related to the trials that unfolded, in Henry VIII’s attempts to divorce his first wife in order to marry Anne, to the trial that would seal Anne’s fate, this moving portrait gives us a different look into their world.

With so many myths and legends surrounding this couple, it is difficult to ascertain what is truth from fiction, especially when so few items survive from that time 500 years ago. But Lipscombe looks at the personal documents that have survived, as well as accounts of both Anne and Henry VIII’s personality to describe just who their true selves were when they met and how they changed in the three years they were married.

While the DVD does not have any special features, it is a beautiful and breathtaking look into the history of one of England’s most famous and tragic couples. It will be available for purchase Tuesday and is $24.99.

For anyone who enjoys documentaries and the history behind royalty, this is a DVD that will fascinate those who want to learn more about this time period and the events that would help shape England in later years.

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