Henry VIII
Henry VIII was born on the 28th of June 1491 at the Palace of Placentia in Greenwich, Kent. He entered the world as the third child and second son of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. Of his six or seven siblings, only three survived infancy: his brother Arthur, Prince of Wales, and sisters Margaret and Mary. The young prince received a first-rate education from leading tutors who taught him Latin, French, and some Italian. In November 1501, he played a considerable part in ceremonies surrounding his brother Arthur's marriage to Catherine of Aragon. When Arthur died at age fifteen in 1502, all duties thrust upon the ten-year-old Henry. He became Duke of Cornwall and Prince of Wales by February 1504. His father gave him few responsibilities even after Arthur's death. Young Henry remained strictly supervised and did not appear in public. As a result, he ascended the throne untrained in the exacting art of kingship.
In April 1512, England declared war against France with an initial joint Anglo-Spanish attack that proved a considerable failure. Ferdinand used it simply to further his own ends, and it strained the Anglo-Spanish alliance. On the 30th of June 1513, Henry invaded France personally, and his troops defeated a French army at the Battle of the Spurs. Soon after, English forces took Thérouanne and Tournai, which they kept for five years before returning it to the French. Queen Catherine oversaw the English army that decisively defeated the Scots at the Battle of Flodden on the 9th of September 1513. The Scottish king James IV died among the dead, ending Scotland's brief involvement in the war. Despite these military successes, England's coffers were now empty. Henry had supported Ferdinand and Maximilian financially during the campaign but received little in return. By 1544, the campaign cost £650,000, leaving England facing bankruptcy once again. The 1544 campaign exhausted the surplus inherited from his father by the mid-1520s.
By 1527, Henry convinced himself that Catherine had produced no male heir because their union was blighted in the eyes of God. He believed the Pope lacked authority to grant a dispensation from this impediment found in Leviticus 20:21. In July 1529, Pope Clement VII called the annulment case back to Rome, making clear it would never re-emerge. Cardinal Wolsey bore the blame and was charged with praemunire in October 1529 before dying while awaiting trial in November 1530. Thomas More took over as Lord Chancellor but resigned in May 1532 when he could not support the King's new policy. On the 23rd of May 1533, Archbishop Cranmer declared Henry's marriage to Catherine null and void at Dunstable Priory. Five days later, on the 28th of May 1533, Cranmer declared Henry's marriage to Anne valid. Catherine was formally stripped of her title as queen, becoming princess dowager instead. The Act of Supremacy in 1534 recognized the King's status as head of the church in England.
Anne Boleyn gave birth to a daughter slightly prematurely on the 7th of September 1533 who was christened Elizabeth. After a false pregnancy or miscarriage in 1534, Henry saw her failure to give him a son as betrayal. On the 17th of May 1536, Henry and Anne's marriage was annulled by Archbishop Cranmer at Lambeth Palace. At 8 am on the 19th of May 1536, Anne was executed on Tower Green. Jane Seymour died on the 24th of October 1537 from an infection after giving birth to Prince Edward on the 12th of October 1537. Henry married Anne of Cleves in January 1540 but found himself displeased with her appearance immediately upon meeting her. The marriage dissolved in July 1540 when Anne confirmed it had never been consummated. Catherine Howard faced execution on the 13th of February 1542 for adultery with Thomas Culpeper and Francis Dereham. Catherine Parr became his last wife in July 1543 and helped reconcile Henry with his daughters Mary and Elizabeth.
In 1542, England's remaining monasteries were all dissolved, and their property transferred to the Crown. Abbots and priors lost their seats in the House of Lords, making Lords Spiritual outnumbered by Lords Temporal for the first time. The Crown took possession of monastic lands worth £120,000 a year according to the Valor Ecclesiasticus assessment. Cromwell debased the currency more significantly starting in Ireland in 1540. The English pound halved in value against the Flemish pound between 1540 and 1551 as a result. This created catastrophic effects on the country's economy including very high inflation from 1544 onwards. Henry spent much of his wealth maintaining his court and household while hanging 2,000 tapestries in his palaces. He owned 6,500 handguns and 2,250 pieces of land ordnance that he proudly displayed to foreign ambassadors. War and dynastic ambitions exhausted the surplus inherited from his father by the mid-1520s.
From 1514 to 1529, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey oversaw domestic and foreign policy as Lord Chancellor. Wolsey centralized national government and extended jurisdiction of conciliar courts particularly the Star Chamber. Following Wolsey's downfall, Henry took full control though complex factions continued trying to ruin each other at court. Thomas Cromwell returned to England from the continent in 1514 or 1515 before entering Wolsey's service. By 1531, Cromwell and associates were already responsible for drafting much legislation. The role of King's Council transferred to reformed Privy Council much smaller and more efficient than predecessor. Cromwell made various income streams formal and assigned largely autonomous bodies for their administration. His reforms ground to a halt in 1539 when initiative was lost. He failed to secure passage of enabling act Proclamation by Crown Act 1539. Cromwell was executed on the 28th of July 1540 surrounded by enemies at court including Norfolk who drew on niece Catherine's position.
Late in life, Henry became obese with waist measurement reaching fifty-one inches requiring mechanical devices to move him. He suffered painful pus-filled boils and possibly had gout throughout his final years. A jousting accident on the 24th of January 1536 reopened an injury sustained years earlier that doctors found difficult to treat. The chronic wound festered for remainder of life becoming ulcerated preventing maintenance of previous physical activity level. Henry finally retired from jousting after heavy fall left him unconscious for two hours but continued sponsoring two lavish tournaments annually. His obesity hastened death at age fifty-five on the 28th of January 1547 at Palace of Whitehall. Historian Susan Maclean Kybett ascribes death to scurvy caused by insufficient vitamin C most often due to lack fresh fruit and vegetables in diet. A 2010 study suggests Henry may have been Kell-positive blood type consistent with McLeod syndrome symptoms explaining both physical and mental deterioration. He was interred in vault at St George Chapel Windsor Castle next to Jane Seymour.
Up Next
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When was Henry VIII born and where did he enter the world?
Henry VIII was born on the 28th of June 1491 at the Palace of Placentia in Greenwich, Kent. He entered the world as the third child and second son of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York.
What caused the financial bankruptcy of England during Henry VIII's reign?
War and dynastic ambitions exhausted the surplus inherited from his father by the mid-1520s. The 1544 campaign cost £650,000, leaving England facing bankruptcy once again while creating catastrophic effects including very high inflation from 1544 onwards.
Why did Henry VIII annul his marriage to Anne Boleyn and when did it happen?
Henry saw Anne Boleyn's failure to give him a son as betrayal after a false pregnancy or miscarriage in 1534. On the 17th of May 1536, Henry and Anne's marriage was annulled by Archbishop Cranmer at Lambeth Palace before she was executed on the 19th of May 1536.
How many times was Henry VIII married and who were his wives?
Henry VIII had six marriages starting with Catherine of Aragon and ending with Catherine Parr in July 1543. His other wives included Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, and Catherine Howard.
What health issues contributed to Henry VIII's death on the 28th of January 1547?
Henry VIII became obese with a waist measurement reaching fifty-one inches and suffered painful pus-filled boils and possibly gout throughout his final years. A jousting accident on the 24th of January 1536 reopened an injury that festered for the remainder of his life.