His portraits are amongst the most commonly seen images and thousands of books have been written about him. Henry would never have become so notorious had his older brother Arthur lived long enough to succeed to the throne after the death of their father Henry VII in 1509.
Defender of the Faith
Henry was born in 1491, as the youngest son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York as such he had not received any significant training to become. He had been given an extensive education and demonstrated abundant academic and linguistic abilities. Henry would prove that he could intervene in administrative affairs once he was king yet preferred ministers to do all the hard work. He was not as hard-working as his father had been but usually had the advantage of been a popular monarch.
Henry VIII inherited the throne when the English monarchy was in a strong position. His father had astutely and methodically restored prosperity and stability after the considerable chaos caused by the Wars of the Roses and he had intended to leave Arthur in charge of a strong country.
Henry VII had made the monarchy stronger at the expense of the nobility and he also had a good eye for sound dynastic marriages with his daughter Margaret marrying James IV of Scotland, and Arthur marrying Catherine of Aragon. Arthur's marriage was designed to strengthen the alliance with Spain. However when Arthur died suddenly in 1502 Prince Henry became heir to the throne and the prospective second husband of Catherine of Aragon.
When Henry VIII became king in 1509 he quickly married Catherine of Aragon as well as executing his father's two most effective and therefore unpopular ministers. He started to splash the cash and wasted the royal reserves on lavish living not to mention wars against France and Scotland. These wars achieved little except the victory at Falloden Moor in which James IV was killed.
In the early years of his reign he had a happy marriage that produced the Princess Mary whilst leaving mundane government chores to his highly capable minister Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. Ironically Henry was given the title Defender of the Faith by the Vatican in recognition of his criticisms of Martin Luther.
Henry VIII was a Reluctant Reformer
However everything changed drastically once Henry decided that his first marriage was in fact cursed and that he wanted to marry Anne Boleyn in order to gain that all important male heir. Cardinal Wolsey's plans to get his master an annulment were ruined after the sack of Rome in 1527 left the Pope in the custody of Henry's all powerful nephew Charles V.
When Wolsey failed it increased the opportunity for religious reform in England and Wales pushed forward by Thomas Cromwell and Thomas Cranmer. Henry was never an adherent of Protestant doctrines yet pushed through profound changes. Basically his inability to get a divorce granted by the Pope led to the creation of the Church of England, marriage to Anne Boleyn and the birth of his second daughter Elizabeth. With the political nous of Thomas Cromwell Henry forced through his constitutional and religious ruthlessly suppressing opposition such as the Pilgrimage of Grace.
In 1537 his third wife finally gave birth to a son, the future Edward VI but died soon afterwards. His fourth marriage to Anne of Cleaves was short-lived but led to the fall of Thomas Cromwell. Catherine Howard was his fifth wife until she was executed for adultery. His last wife was Catherine Parr who outlived him.
Sources
Crystal D (1998) Chambers’ Biographical Encyclopedia, 2nd edition, Edinburgh
Lenman B, (2004) Chambers Dictionary of World History, Edinburgh
Roberts R M (1996) Penguin History of Europe, Penguin, London
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