Henry VIII

Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until he died in 1547. He was born in Greenwich as the second son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. After the Pope refused to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, Henry made big changes. He separated England and Ireland from the Roman Catholic Church and made himself the Supreme Head of the Church of England. This started the English Reformation.

Henry married a total of six times. Two of his marriages were called off, and two of his wives were executed. He had many important rulers working for him, such as Thomas Wolsey, Thomas More, Thomas Cromwell, and Thomas Cranmer. Some of them were banished or executed when they lost his favor.

Henry was known for being an attractive, educated, and accomplished king. He wrote books and made music. As he got older, he became very overweight and his health got worse. He wanted a son very much, and finally had one with his third wife, Jane Seymour. After Henry died, his son became Edward VI. Later, his daughters became queens as Mary I and Elizabeth I.

Early years

Henry was born on 28 June 1491 at the Palace of Placentia in Greenwich, Kent. He was the third child and second son of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. Among his siblings, only his brother Arthur, Prince of Wales and sisters Margaret and Mary survived.

As a child, Henry received a strong education and learned to speak Latin and French well. Though he was not expected to become king, he was given many important titles and honors by his father, preparing him for future responsibilities.

Early reign

Henry VII passed away in April 1509, and his 17-year-old son Henry became king. Shortly after his father's burial on May 10, Henry decided to marry Catherine of Aragon. He said it was his father's last wish, though this may not have been true. His wedding to Catherine was simple and took place on June 11, 1509, at a church in Greenwich.

Two days after becoming king, Henry arrested two unpopular advisors from his father's rule, Richard Empson and Edmund Dudley. They were charged with treason and executed in 1510. Henry also treated other possible rivals for the throne more gently than his father had.

Catherine and Henry had several children, but many did not survive. Their first child was a stillborn girl in 1510, followed by a son who died just seven weeks later in 1511. They had more children who were born too early to survive, until Catherine finally gave birth to a daughter, Mary, in February 1516.

During their marriage, Henry had relationships with other women. One known mistress was Elizabeth Blount, who gave birth to Henry's son, Henry FitzRoy, in June 1519. FitzRoy was given the title Duke of Richmond and later married, though he died without children in 1536.

France and the Habsburgs

In 1510, France was winning a war against Venice, and Henry VIII worked to keep peace between England and France. He made agreements with both France and Spain, trying to protect England’s interests.

Later, Henry led England into battles against France. In 1513, his troops won at the Battle of the Spurs and captured towns like Thérouanne and Tournai. During this time, Scotland tried to attack England but was defeated at the Battle of Flodden. Henry later signed a peace treaty with France, marrying his sister Mary to the French king to keep the peace for eight years.

When new rulers took power in France and the Holy Roman Empire, Henry tried to keep peace through treaties. He met with Francis I of France in a grand meeting called the Field of the Cloth of Gold. However, wars between France and the Empire continued, and Henry later joined with the Empire against France, though he did not gain much from these battles.

Marriages

Main article: Wives of Henry VIII

Annulment from Catherine

During his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, Henry had a relationship with one of her ladies-in-waiting, Mary Boleyn. There was some talk that they might have had children together, but this was never proven. As Henry grew older and still had no son, he became interested in Mary’s sister, Anne Boleyn. Anne was different from other women and did not want to be just a friend to the king. Henry wanted to end his marriage to Catherine and marry Anne instead.

Henry believed that because he was the son of a king’s daughter, and Catherine was the widow of his brother, their marriage was not allowed. He asked the Pope for permission to end the marriage, but the Pope said no. This made Henry very unhappy.

Marriage to Anne Boleyn

In secret, Henry and Anne married in 1533. Soon after, Catherine’s title as queen was taken away, and Anne became queen. They had a daughter named Elizabeth. But Henry wanted a son, and Anne did not give him one. Henry grew unhappy with Anne and began to look for ways to end their marriage.

Marriage to Jane Seymour; domestic and foreign affairs

After Anne was gone, Henry married Jane Seymour the next day. Jane gave birth to a son, Edward, but she died soon after from an illness. Henry was very sad about losing Jane but began looking for another wife.

Marriage to Anne of Cleves

Henry agreed to marry a woman named Anne of Cleves because his advisors thought it would help with other countries. But when Henry met Anne, he did not like her and wanted to end the marriage. The marriage was ended, and Anne was treated well after that.

Marriage to Catherine Howard (and fall of Thomas Cromwell)

Henry then married a young woman named Catherine Howard. But Catherine had relationships with other men before and during her marriage to Henry. When this was discovered, Catherine was removed from her position as queen.

Marriage to Catherine Parr

Henry’s last wife was Catherine Parr. She helped Henry get along better with his daughters, Mary and Elizabeth. Together, they made sure that Mary and Elizabeth could become queens after Edward if needed.

Shrines destroyed and monasteries dissolved

Main article: Dissolution of the monasteries

In 1538, King Henry VIII began tearing down old religious places that some people still believed in. This led to the breaking apart of the famous shrine of St. Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. Because of these actions, a leader of the church called him out of the church group. By 1540, Henry had all shrines to holy people removed. In 1542, he closed down all the remaining monasteries in England and took their lands for the Crown. Leaders from these places lost their special seats in an important government group, called the House of Lords. From then on, regular leaders outnumbered the church leaders in this group.

Second invasion of France and the "Rough Wooing" of Scotland

Main article: Rough Wooing

In the late 1530s, the friendship between the rulers of France and the Holy Roman Empire turned into renewed fighting. King Henry VIII of England made a secret agreement with the Emperor and decided to join the Italian War on his side. Henry planned to invade France in 1543. Before that, he wanted to make sure Scotland, led by his young nephew James V, would not cause trouble.

The Scots were defeated at the Battle of Solway Moss in November 1542, and James died a few weeks later. Henry hoped to bring England and Scotland closer by planning to marry his son Edward to the young Scottish queen, Mary. The Scottish leader Lord Arran agreed to this idea in the Treaty of Greenwich in July 1543, but the Scottish parliament refused, leading to eight years of fighting between the two countries, called “the Rough Wooing.” Peace treaties were signed, but problems in Scotland kept happening until Henry died.

Henry finally invaded France in June 1544. One group tried to capture Montreuil but did not succeed. Another group, led by Henry himself, captured Boulogne after a long siege. However, Henry did not attack Paris as his ally wanted. The leader of France tried to attack England in 1545 but was stopped near the Isle of Wight. In 1546, France and England agreed to a peace treaty. Henry kept Boulogne for eight years before returning it to France. The war had cost a lot of money, and England was struggling financially.

Physical decline and death

Late in life, Henry became very heavy, with a waist measurement of 54 inches (140 cm), and needed help moving around. He suffered from painful, pus-filled sores and possibly had a condition called gout. These health problems started after he was hurt during a jousting competition on 24 January 1536. The injury caused a wound that never fully healed and affected his mood and behavior.

Historians do not believe Henry had a certain illness, and some think his health issues were due to a lack of certain vitamins in his diet. Henry passed away at the age of 55 on 28 January 1547 at the Palace of Whitehall. He was buried at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, next to his wife Jane Seymour.

Wives, mistresses, and children

See also: Wives of Henry VIII and Mistresses of Henry VIII

Henry VIII had many relationships during his time as king. He married six women, but not all of these marriages lasted. Some ended because the church said they were not valid, and others ended in sad ways. Each of these women played a part in the history of England, and Henry had children with some of them.

Succession

See also: Third Succession Act

All of Henry VIII's surviving children became kings and queens after he died.

Edward VI
r. 1547–1553

Mary I
r. 1553–1558

Elizabeth I
r. 1558–1603

After Henry VIII died, his only living son, Edward VI, became king. Because Edward was just nine years old, he couldn’t rule by himself right away. His father’s will set up a group of 16 leaders to help him until he turned 18. They chose Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford, the brother of Edward’s mother, to be in charge during this time.

If Edward didn’t have any children, the throne would go to Mary, Henry’s daughter, and then to Elizabeth, Henry’s other daughter. If neither of them had heirs, the crown would go to descendants of Henry’s sister, Mary, the Greys.

The plan didn’t include the family of Henry’s sister Margaret Tudor, the Stuarts, who ruled Scotland. But later, James VI of Scotland, who was Margaret’s great-grandson, became king of England and Ireland in 1603.

Later, Edward VI decided not to follow his father’s will and chose Jane Grey to be next in line.

Public image

Henry tried hard to look like a very smart and talented person. He loved music, playing instruments like the lute and organ, and he even wrote poems. He was also very good at sports, especially jousting and hunting. He built many important buildings, like King's College Chapel in Cambridge and Hampton Court Palace.

Henry was very tall and strong, and he used his sports skills to show off his power. He wore fancy clothes and held big tournaments to impress visitors from other countries. Even after he stopped jousting because he fell and hurt himself, he kept showing off with big events.

Government

Tudor kings, including Henry VIII, believed they ruled with God’s support alone. The king had special powers called the royal prerogative. These included making treaties, declaring war, controlling the money system, forgiving crimes, and deciding when Parliament met. However, Henry had to work with nobles and Parliament, especially when he wanted to change his marriage and break from the Catholic Church.

Henry used the royal court to keep control. He had important advisors and sometimes made quick changes to who was favored. From 1514 to 1529, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey helped Henry manage the country. After Wolsey lost favor, Henry took more direct control. Later, Thomas Cromwell became a key advisor, working to organize the government better.

Finances

Henry inherited a lot of money from his father but spent it heavily. He built palaces, hung many tapestries, and showed off his weapons. Wars and managing the economy caused financial problems. Henry took money from church lands, which helped but also hurt the economy.

Reformation

Henry started changes that moved England away from the Catholic Church. He wanted to end his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, but the Pope refused. This led Henry to declare himself the head of the Church of England. He passed laws that cut ties with the Pope and made himself the leader of the church in England.

Military

Henry improved England’s defenses and navy. He built forts along the coast and created a stronger navy with more ships and better weapons. These changes helped protect England and showed Henry’s power.

Ireland

In Ireland, Henry faced challenges with local leaders. He tried to balance diplomacy with military action. After conflicts, Henry claimed Ireland as a kingdom under his rule, though these efforts faced difficulties and slow progress.

Historiography

People have always had strong feelings about King Henry VIII, whether they liked him or not. Historians have tried to understand how much of what happened during his time was really his own doing. Some think he was a great leader guiding England through tough times. Others believe he was more of a follower, with his advisors doing most of the work.

Different historians see Henry in many ways. Some think he was wise and fair, while others believe he was harsh and unpredictable. Even today, there is no agreement on how much control Henry had over the big changes in his reign.

Style and arms

Henry VIII used a special title to show his power. At first, he called himself "Henry the Eighth, by the Grace of God, King of England, France and Lord of Ireland." Later, after writing a book defending some beliefs, the Pope gave him a new title: "Defender of the Faith." Even when the Pope took this title away, Henry's government said it still belonged to him, and it is still used by British kings and queens today.

Henry also had a special motto, "Coeur Loyal," meaning "true heart," which he put on his clothes. His symbols included the Tudor rose and a special design called the Beaufort portcullis. His coat of arms showed three flowers for France and three lions for England. Later, Henry changed his title again to say he was also the leader of the Church of England and, later, of the Church of Ireland too. This happened after he became the king of Ireland as well, not just its lord.

Genealogical tables