King Henry VIII

Henry VIII of England was born on the 28th June, 1491, at Greenwich Palace in London. He was the third child and second son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, effectively making him the heir ‘spare’ to the English throne. His father was the first monarch of the newly founded Tudor dynasty, securing the crown in 1485 at the Battle of Bosworth and ending the Wars of the Roses in the process.

Henry was not destined to become king; his elder brother Arthur was heir to the throne and was highly educated from a young age in order to prepare him for kingship. Henry himself was prepared for a career in the church. However, tragedy struck in 1502, and Arthur died unexpectedly, making Henry the new heir at the tender age of 10 years old.

Henry VIII is considered one of the most famous monarchs in English history for his controversial reign, he is well remembered for his six wives and his contribution to the beginnings of the English Renaissance and the English Reformation.

*King Henry VIII (Credit: National Portrait Gallery licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)*

Early Life

Henry was the third child of his father, Henry VII, and he was originally destined for a career in the church. As previously mentioned, his older brother Arthur died in 1502, making Henry the new heir to the throne. As a royal prince, Henry was well-educated, being taught history, theology, languages, and the arts. He was fluent in Latin, and could also speak and read Spanish and French. He had a love for literature and was also a talented musician.

During his younger years, Henry was strong, tall, and athletic, and he was also known to be quite good-looking. To add to his academic and athletic prowess, he was said to have had an energetic character with plenty of charisma, partaking in a range of sports including tennis, hunting, and jousting. These early images of Henry would contrast in his later life when he gained weight and suffered from multiple physical and mental health issues.

*Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales (Credit: Public Domain Image, Wikimedia Commons)*

In 1501, Arthur married Catherine of Aragon, the daughter of the powerful Spanish monarchy. After his death, it was agreed that Henry would become Catherine’s new husband, and they finally married on June 11th, 1509. The marriage didn’t produce a male heir, but the new queen did give birth to a daughter in 1516: Mary Tudor, who would later play her own pivotal role in English history.

Henry’s father died in 1509, and the young prince became king at the age of 17. His coronation took place on June 24th, 1509. Ultimately, the marriage between Henry and Catherine failed, and the following annulment would become a defining moment during Henry’s reign, causing tension between England and the Catholic Church and marking the beginnings of the Reformation.

Six Marriages

Henry VIII is famously known for his six marriages. He was also known to be very promiscuous, taking on many mistresses during his life. While Henry is remembered for other things such as the Reformation, political reforms, and his often tyrannical mindset, his love life has always remained a prominent part of his history.

His chaotic romances led to political turmoil, an unstable succession, and even a break with the Catholic Church. The phrase, “divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived”, is often used to remember the fates of Henry’s six wives.

*The Six Wives of Henry VIII (Credit: Public Domain Image, Richard Burchett/Wikimedia Commons)*

Catherine of Aragon (Divorced)

Catherine was Henry’s first wife, and she was the widow of his older brother Arthur. She was a Spanish princess, and they married in June 1509. While Henry was still a young king, he became obsessed with the continuation of his royal dynasty, but despite several pregnancies Catherine was only able to give Henry a surviving daughter, Mary, who was born in 1516.

Henry soon became frustrated with the lack of a male heir, and he began to seek comfort among other women. He had a brief extra-marital fling with Elizabeth Blount, one of Catherine’s ladies-in-waiting. In 1519, she gave birth to Henry’s only known illegitimate son, Henry Fitzroy.

Anne Boleyn was another of Catherine’s ladies-in-waiting. By the 1520s, Henry had soon set his eyes upon her. He requested the Pope’s approval for an annulment with his current wife, arguing that his marriage to her was invalid because Arthur and Catherine had consummated their own marriage before his death, but Catherine always denied this.

Regardless, the Pope still denied Henry’s request, and in his rage he went ahead with the divorce anyway, breaking away from the Roman Catholic Church and forming the Church of England – this started the beginnings of the Reformation, which would change the religious history of England forever.

The annulment took place in 1533, after 23 years of marriage. Henry did consider Catherine to be a loving and faithful wife, and she is often considered his “first true love”, but his own obsession with the continuation of his family line and her failure to give him a son led him astray. Catherine died in January 1536, not as a queen but as a princess.

Anne Boleyn (Beheaded)

Anne Boleyn was Henry’s second wife, and if not the most famous, she is at least the most studied. Before making his advances on her, Henry first had a brief affair with her sister Mary, but this didn’t last, and he soon set his heart on Anne. However, she rejected his advances, not wanting to become another one of his mistresses. It was at this time that Henry sought an annulment from his first marriage.

Henry is said to have had a real passion for Anne, to the point where he wrote her many love letters, and by 1528 she was emerging more at the royal court. She showed a keen interest in the religious reforms, possibly even giving some ideas to Henry himself, and he soon started showering her with expensive gifts.

However, there was still controversy surrounding the impending annulment of Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon. It has been recorded that Henry and Anne often had blazing rows at court for all to see over this, and she was concerned her lover would return to Catherine’s arms if the marriage wasn’t made invalid. However, this wasn’t to be the case, and the love affair continued with Henry becoming more besotted with her.

By 1532, Anne continued to rise at court, and she was made Marquess of Pembroke in September of the same year. By December 1532, she had finally given in to Henry’s charms and was pregnant, which caused some issues for the king. His marriage with Catherine hadn’t yet been annulled, but he married Anne in secret in January 1533 – the annulment was five months later.

Anne was given a splendid coronation on the 1st June, 1533, where she officially became an anointed queen. By the time September had rolled around, she had given birth to her first child, Elizabeth. This caused some disappointment at court, especially for Henry, but he was determined not to give up on his quest to securing the future of his dynasty, and Anne herself also knew she needed to give him a son.

Anne became pregnant again in 1534 and 1535, but unfortunately both of these were either stillborns or miscarriages. She was very aware at this point of Henry’s mood swings and bad temper, and was worried that the same outcome that had befallen Catherine of Aragon would also happen to her. To make matters worse, Henry had set his eyes upon Jane Seymour, one of Anne’s ladies-in-waiting – the tables had turned on her.

Things soon started to go downhill from here. Some of Henry’s closest aides called for an investigation into the queen, especially those who weren’t her fondest fans, which could possibly lead to charges of treason. Many of Anne’s friends and assistants were arrested and tortured, including her own brother, George Boleyn. Some of these people were probably forced to tell lies about the queen.

Queen Anne herself was arrested on 2nd May, 1536. The charges against her included adultery, incest, and plotting regicide. They were all put on trial and found guilty, even though there was barely any evidence to support the outlandish claims. George Boleyn was beheaded at Tower Hill on May 17th, along with the others that had been condemned with him.

Anne was given a private execution at Tower Green on 19th May, and a French swordsman had even been hired to commit the act. Before her execution, Henry had the marriage annulled, making it invalid – this begs the question, how could Anne have committed any of these crimes if she was never even married to the king? Anne was buried in the chapel at the Tower of London, and many to this day believe that Henry and his allies fabricated the charges against her.

Jane Seymour (Died)

Not a great deal is known about Jane Seymour. She was one of Anne Boleyn’s ladies-in-waiting, but it is thought that Henry first noticed her when he stayed at the Seymour family home in Wiltshire in September 1535, and by 1536 he had developed a keen interest in her, especially since Anne Boleyn hadn’t borne him a son.

Jane is said to have been calm, gentle, and affectionate, and Henry was besotted with her. Very shortly after the death of Anne Boleyn, Henry and Jane were married, and she was pregnant by 1537. Henry considered Jane to be his first proper wife, convinced that she would give him a son, and in October she gave birth to Edward Tudor, Prince of Wales.

The king finally had the son he had been hoping for, and a legitimate male heir to the throne. Before she died, Jane also convinced Henry to reconcile with his daughter Mary – they were both followers of the Roman Catholic Church, suggesting that Jane wasn’t particularly keen on the ongoing English Reformation.

Jane died two weeks after giving birth on October 24th, 1537. Henry was distraught; the one woman who had given him a male heir had now been taken away from him. She was buried at St George’s Chapel in Windsor, and is the only wife of Henry’s to be buried with him.

Anne of Cleves (Divorced)

Henry was very sorrowful over the death of Jane Seymour. However, his aides believed he should perhaps remarry a foreign bride, perhaps for the purposes of political gain and an overseas alliance. Because of England’s split from the Roman Catholic Church, it did leave the country in a somewhat vulnerable position, so an alliance in Europe would have been beneficial.

Henry sent agents to all corners of Europe to search for potential suitors, as well as painters so he could judge appearances himself. Hans Holbein, a famous Tudor artist, was sent to the Duke of Cleves, he had two sisters called Anne and Amelia. Cleves was also supportive of religious reformations, making them the perfect ally. After Holbein had painted the two potential matches, Henry decided on Anne.

Henry and Anne were married in January 1540. However, it wasn’t a match made in heaven, and Henry certainly wasn’t happy. It is claimed that he didn’t find his new wife attractive in any way, and Anne was also from another country, unused to English ways, making life somewhat difficult for her in Henry’s court. Eventually, tensions increased between Cleves and the Holy Roman Empire, and Henry wasn’t interested. He had also found himself drawn towards a young Kathryn Howard.

Henry annulled the marriage, and Anne didn’t object, perhaps not wanting to face the same fates his previous two wives had suffered. She agreed that the marriage wasn’t consummated, and in return she was given the title of “King’s Sister”, as well as residence at Hever Castle, the former home of the Boleyn family. She lived there until her death in 1557, and she is buried at Westminster Abbey.

Kathryn Howard (Beheaded)

Kathryn Howard came from a noble family, her uncle, Thomas Howard, was the Duke of Norfolk, and she was also first cousins with the ill-fated Anne Boleyn. She was 19 when she first caught the king’s eye, serving as one of Anne of Cleve’s ladies-in-waiting. It has also been suggested that the Duke of Norfolk inspired his niece to react to Henry’s affections, perhaps for the purpose of his own political gain with the king.

Henry and Kathryn were married on 28th July, 1540, just two weeks after he had divorced his third wife. Henry was 30 years older than his young bride, and he was quite content with the match. He had gained weight at this point and was also suffering from various physical ailments, but she somewhat reenergized him, and in return he showered her with gifts and affection.

Unfortunately, rumours began to fly around court that Kathryn had been unfaithful. She was very youthful, so perhaps flirtatious encounters with younger men were a possibility, but this was risky, especially when she came from a noble family with known enemies, not to mention the common knowledge that surrounded Henry’s previous wives.

In November 1451, evidence was acquired of the young queen’s misdeeds. Henry did not believe it at first and ordered more investigations into the matter, but more evidence was gathered, with apparent proof that Kathryn was promiscuous before and after her marriage to Henry. She was arrested, charged, and later executed on 13th February, 1542. She is buried near Anne Boleyn in the chapel at the Tower of London.

Catherine Parr (Survived)

Catherine Parr also came from a noble family, and she was married twice before she was betrothed to Henry. Her second husband died in 1543, when she was 31 years old, and it was around this time that Henry had begun to notice her at court. However, she was in love with Thomas Seymour, the brother of Jane Seymour, and her heart desired marriage with him, but when Henry asked for her hand in marriage, she felt obliged to accept.

Henry and Catherine were married on 12th July, 1543. It seemed to be a fitting match, Catherine supported the religious reforms and debated religion with him, and she was affectionate and supportive towards her husband and king. However, in 1546 certain magnates in Henry’s court who were against the Reformation devised a plot to bring Catherine down, accusing her of being in possession of banned books; this was classed as heresy at the time and punishable by death.

Enough evidence was gathered to issue a warrant for Catherine’s arrest, which Henry was aware of, however the warrant was seen by an aide close to the queen, who was immediately informed. Catherine became ill from hearing about her supposed arrest and had a break down. Henry went to see his queen and scolded her for her outspoken views on the Reformation, reminding her that he was king and she had no right to speak on such matters. Catherine defended herself by telling Henry she was just trying to be instructed by him on these matters, and to rid his mind of his mental and physical struggles. The king accepted this and forgave his wife, but he forgot to tell those who had been responsible for the arrest warrant in the first place. The Lord Chancellor came by the next day with soldiers to arrest Catherine, and the king became abusive and violent towards them, immediately sending them away.

Catherine was also very fond of Henry’s children, especially Elizabeth and Edward. She contributed to their education, and even went on to publish some of her own works. Henry died in January 1547, making Catherine the only queen who had escaped a grisly or unfair fate. Shortly afterwards, she secretly married Thomas Seymour and moved to Sudeley Castle in 1548 and fell pregnant, where she later died not long after the child was born. Catherine was buried in the chapel at the castle, where her grave can still be found today.

English Reformation

The English Reformation is a pivotal moment in history, and it was part of the widespread European Reformation that was sweeping through the continent. It involved breaking away from the Roman Catholic Church and cutting ties with the Pope, thus establishing the Protestant Church of England, which recognised the reigning monarch as its head. Additionally, it enabled the dissolution of the monasteries, abolished Mass, refrained the use of more decorative elements, and encouraged the use of English during sermons and in Bibles.

However, while many people agreed with the reforms, there was some pushback. Wealthy nobles enjoyed the changes, benefiting from the pay-outs of stripped churches, while many of the common people went along with it for fear of being arrested. Objections arose from devoted Catholics, which also led to a number of uprisings in and around England, and there were certain radical sects of the Protestant movement who went on to form even stronger beliefs.

The Reformation begins with Catherine of Aragon, the Spanish princess and widow of Henry’s older brother Arthur, who died before he could be crowned king. Henry became heir, and his father wanted to maintain goodwill with Spain. He went on to gain special permission from the Pope for Henry and Catherine to be married and Henry was eventually crowned. It was a happy marriage to begin with, but soon things turned sour.

*Catherine of Aragon, Denounced Before Henry VIII and His Council (Credit: Public Domain Image, Laslett John Pott/Wikimedia Commons)*

Catherine of Aragon was pregnant six times, but only one child survived: Mary Tudor. Henry was desperate for a male heir, and his wife could not give him one, so he turned his attention elsewhere. Divorce was prohibited according to the rules of the Catholic Church, and Henry knew this, so he began to scheme on how he could get around it. He wrote a letter to Pope Clement VII claiming the marriage was invalid, but this was dismissed. The Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V of Spain, happened to be Catherine’s nephew, as well as being a powerful ruler in Europe. It has been suggested that the Pope didn’t want to fall out of favour with him, which could have contributed to his refusal to the divorce.

Cardinal Wolsey, Archbishop of York, and one of Henry’s closest advisors, had helped the king come up with the idea to separate from Rome and establish England’s own church with the monarch as its head, meaning that Henry could then grant his own annulment. In the early days of the Reformation, Henry did not have much of a desire to really change the church, he just wanted to control it without interference from Rome. Regardless of the break, he continued to practice traditional Catholic beliefs.

Wolsey would eventually be deposed and fall out of favour with Henry, and he died in 1530. Wolsey was first replaced by Sir Thomas More, who would also fall out of favour with the king. He refused to accept Henry as head of the church, leading to his subsequent execution in 1535. He was replaced by Thomas Cromwell, who was given an immense amount of power to begin the reforms.

*Thomas Cromwell (Credit: Public Domain Image, Hans Holbein the Younger/Wikimedia Commons)*

Cromwell was a key character during the Reformation for his radical ways of dealing with the church. He recruited priests for his cause and also set up a network of spies to keep him informed. In 1536, he issued The Injunctions – this was a set of recommendations given out to the church that rejected the majority of Catholicism and encouraged more Protestant practices, such as clearer understandings of the Seven Deadly Sins and the Ten Commandments, removing saintly relics, and avoiding pilgrimages.

Cromwell’s next move was to shut down the Catholic monasteries. He achieved this either through force or by paying off corrupt monks. The monastery estates were redistributed to the royal coffers, this caused some civil unrest but any uprisings were either put down or disbanded, with rebel leaders punished for their actions. By 1539, a bill was passed in Parliament decreeing that any remaining monasteries in the country be closed, with refusal to do so resulting in execution. The state gained a massive £1.3million as a result of the Dissolution of the Monasteries, a massive sum of money for the time period.

Henry was excommunicated by the Pope, but he did not seem phased by this. In his eyes, he would answer only to God and not Rome. Around 800 monasteries were closed and destroyed during the Reformation, which had a knock-on effect for local communities – for hundreds of years, these had been places people would go to for prayer, guidance, and medicine, among other things.

Cromwell was the architect of the English Reformation, and he was an extremely influential individual during the Tudor period – he was a competent politician and a proud statesman, and he was instrumental in strengthening the royal administration during Henry VIII’s time on the throne. However, he was a man with enemies, and he was eventually arrested for heresy and treason and executed in 1540. It’s very unlikely that he was guilty of the crimes he was accused of.

Domestic Policies

During his reign, Henry wanted to increase the efficiency of the government, bring in more money, improve law and order, and decrease the powers that the nobility possessed. Many of the laws during Henry’s reign gave him remarkable power over the government, ushering in religious, social, and economic changes.

Henry spent a great deal of time focusing on strengthening the monarchy during his time on the throne. The 1534 Act of Succession made Henry’s daughter Mary Tudor illegitimate, instead making Elizabeth heir presumptive to the throne of England, but this changed when the 1536 Second Act of Succession was passed, removing both Mary and Elizabeth. There was no heir until the birth of Henry’s son Edward in 1537, however, Henry changed his mind in his final years, and the 1543 Third Act of Succession returned his daughters to the line of succession behind their younger brother.

The 1534 Act of Supremacy recognised Henry and his heirs as the Supreme Head of the Church of England, removing the Pope and the powers in Rome. This act also recognised the Archbishop of Canterbury as the highest clergyman in the realm – these changes are still in place to this day. This law was repealed when Mary eventually took the crown, but Elizabeth soon reverted it back when she became queen in 1559.

The Treasons Act of 1534 was pushed through by Thomas Cromwell, forbidding people from speaking out or criticising Henry’s policies; anyone who did so would be arrested, imprisoned, and executed.

Henry also aimed to strengthen his ties with Europe, marrying his children off on the continent. He wanted to ensure that his dynasty was recognised, but this move also increased the prospects of foreign trade, which would bring more money into Henry’s realm.

Tensions with Scotland and France

In 1513, Henry initiated a war with France named the War of the League of Cambrai. Scotland was a long-time ally of France, and remained by their side during this period. The English and the Scots came head to head at the Battle of Flodden Field in 1513, resulting in an English victory and the death of James IV of Scotland, along with many other notable Scottish magnates. Henry’s victory weakened Scotland and gave way to political instability in the north.

The English Reformation also caused some issues, as Scotland remained a Catholic nation during this tumultuous time period. James V of Scotland had also married a French princess, further strengthening the alliance between the two countries, who opposed the religious and political changes that were taking place in England.

While there were attempts to forge a peace treaty between England and Scotland, nothing really came to fruition. Religious differences between the two nations and Scotland’s desire to remain independent contributed to this, despite several battles and efforts at diplomacy. Henry’s reign had a significant impact on the relationship between England and Scotland.

There were also many military campaigns in France, but many of these didn’t result in any significant territorial gains for England. These two nations have a history of conflict, and despite attempts at negotiation and diplomacy, tensions did not improve during Henry’s time on the throne. Henry’s establishment of the Church of England also didn’t improve the relationship between England and France.

Henry had a complex reign which saw significant changes in England, but his actions regarding foreign policy and relations would prove to have repercussions for years to come.

*Henry VIII (Credit: Wellcome Images/Wikimedia Commons licensed under CC BY 4.0)*

Death and Legacy

Henry died in 1547, and he was succeeded by his son Edward VI. Henry was buried in St George’s Chapel, Windsor, with his third wife, Jane Seymour – the woman who had given him a male heir to continue his precious dynasty. During the later years of his life, Henry had gained a significant amount of weight, he also suffered from muscle weakness, leg ulcers, and possibly diabetes and hyperthyroidism.

Earlier in his life, he was involved in a jousting accident that caused him some severe injuries. He suffered a serious wound on his leg, which went on to pain him for the remainder of his days, and he also supposedly suffered a head injury. Some experts have suggested that this brain trauma could have contributed to his violent and unstable temperament.

Henry VIII is a complex individual in British history, and it’s no surprise he is regarded as one of the most famous rulers that ever graced the English throne. He is often admired for his contribution to the creation of the Church of England and his modernization of the nation, but criticised for his tyranny and personal demeanour. There is no definitive amount for the number of people that were executed during Henry’s reign, but some historians believe the number is well over 50,000.

Henry continues to be the subject of hundreds of books, plays, and films, showing the impact he still has in history and modern culture, and he will surely remain a king that will never be forgotten.