King Henry VIIIseparated the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church and established the Reformation in England. He helped England become one of the world's greatest naval powers, but spent his father's fortune on foreign wars. His private life, especially his six marriages, greatly influenced English political history. He was sometimes autocratic and sometimes cruel, but he understood his people and knew how to hold their confidence.
Henry was born at Greenwich Palace on June 28, 1491. The second son and third child of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, he became heir apparent when his older brother, Arthur, died in April 1502. He became king upon the death of his father, on April 22, 1509.
First Marriage
When Arthur died he was married to Catherine of Aragon, the daughter of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. Soon after Arthur's death, King Henry VII signed an agreement with Spain that would allow Prince Henry to marry Catherine. Several years would pass before the agreement was finalized, however, during which time the king sought a papal dispensation that would allow the prince to marry his brother's widow, a practice that was technically forbidden by the Catholic Church.
The arranged
marriage of Henry and Catherine finally took place of
June 11, 1509. The union would ultimately produce five
children, but only Mary (later Queen Mary I), born in
1516, lived to adulthood.
War with France
In 1512, King Henry joined King Ferdinand of Spain, Pope Julius II, and the Venetians in forming a "Holy League" against the King of France. While Spain and the other "allies" delayed action, Henry collected ships and soldiers for an attack on France. Although England enjoyed one major victory at Guinegate, the invasion was unsuccessful, and Henry ultimately made peace with King Louis XII, who, in 1514, married Henry's sister, Mary.
In 1513, while Henry's forces were occupied in France, Scotland invaded England. The invasion was thwarted at Flodden, during which battle King James IV of Scotland was killed.
Break with the Catholic Church and Second Marriage
By the 1530's Catherine was in her forties and had failed to produce a son for Henry. As only the second of the Tudors to rule England, Henry was concerned that the lack of a male heir would compromise the line of succession and potentially lead to the Tudors losing the throne of England.
Wanting a son,
Henry secretly turned his attentions to Anne Boleyn, a
young and pretty maid of honor in the court. As Henry
became more and more enamored by Anne, he charged his
chief minister, Thomas Cardinal Wolsey, with the task to
convincing Pope Clement VII to annulling his marriage to
Catherine. When Wolsey's efforts failed, Henry had him
arrested. Declaring that the pope had no authority in
England, Henry then had the Archbishop of Canterbury,
Thomas Cranmer, declare his marriage to Catherine null
and void. Henry was now free to marry the already
pregnant Anne. The pope responded by excommunicating
Henry.
In 1534, Parliament passed two acts that made England's break with the Roman Catholic Church official. One declared that the pope had no authority in England; the other, called the Act of Supremacy, made the Church of England a separate institution and established the king as its supreme head. By 1536 all ecclesiastical and government officials were required to publicly approve of the break with Rome and take an oath of loyalty to the Church of England. In addition, all Catholic monasteries in England were disbanded, and their lands and revenues were divided amongst the crown and the nobility.
In September 1533, Anne gave birth to Elizabeth, who would later become Queen Elizabeth.
Although Anne Boleyn was still young and pretty, she failed to give Henry the son he desperately wanted. Henry had Anne charged with infidelity, and she was beheaded on May 19, 1536..
Third
Marriage
In May
1536, just days after the execution of Anne, Henry
married Jane Seymour. This marriage would result in Henry
finally gaining a son, but at a cost. Not only did Jane
die soon after the birth of Edward, in October 1537, the
son was feeble and sickly. Although Edward would succeed
his father in 1547, he died in 1553, having not even
reached the official age of majority.
Fourth Marriage
In
late 1539, Henry's chief minister, Thomas Cromwell,
seeking to increase England's presence in continental
Europe, arranged a marriage between Henry and Anne of
Cleves, a German princess. Knowing Henry's penchant for
younger women, Cromwell had a special portrait done by
Hans Holbein, which portrayed Anne as a young, demure,
and quite pretty woman. Once Henry saw the portrait he
was convinced that Cromwell had made an excellent choice,
and a marriage was arranged for early 1540. Unfortunately
for Cromwell, Henry found his new bride to be quite
homely and almost crude, and the marriage was never
consummated. Henry quickly divorced Anne, and Cromwell's
position in the English court seriously compromised.
Fifth and Sixth Marriages
Henry
married Catherine Howard in July 1540. In 1542, Howard
was convicted of misconduct and executed. In 1543, he
married Catherine Parr, who would ultimately outlive him.
King Henry VIII died in London on January 28, 1547. He was succeeded by his only son, who became King Edward VI.
Questions or comments about this page?
Francis Hackett. Henry the Eighth. New
York:Horace Liveright, 1929.
Brittania. www.brittania.com/history/monarchs/mon41.html
Catholic Encyclopedia. www.newadvent.org/cathen/07222a.htm
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