Research Paper On King Henry Viii

Henry VIII Performance

King Henry VIII is one of the most famous kings in British history. Henry was a man of great power and used his efficacy to influence England and enhance it’s potential as a country. King Henry’s rule was turbulent and effective. His rule focused on proficiency which allowed England to transform into the country that it is today. To help achieve this, King Henry adopted the idea of vigorous decision making. King Henry’s advanced accomplishments with the Church and England made him notorious in history as a turmultuous and celebrated leader.

King Henry VIII Background

King Henry VIII was born at Greenwich on June 28th 1491, he was the second son of Henry VII, from the House of Tudor, and Elizabeth of York. Henry became

heir to the throne upon the death of his older brother, Prince Arthur in 1502 and succeeded in 1509 (Holbein, Hans). Henry was an extremely intelligent, witty and athletic young man. He was described as being a very handsome and loved jousting and hunting. Henry received an excellent education and was fluent in Latin, French, and Italian. Henry’s privileged youth enabled him to become extremely accomplished with many instruments and a composer of music. Henry’s scholarly interests included writing books and composing music, he was a lavish patron of the arts (Holbein, Hans).
King Henry’s Beginnings
Henry VIII became the King of England at the young age of 18 (1509).

Upon his fathers death, Henry inherited a strong united England. The monarch’s finances were in surplus and the nobility was willing to work for him effectively (Jokinen, Anniina). Henry, in the beginning of his reign, had little interest in the day-to-day business of government and appointed Thomas Wolsey, a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, as his “right hand man.” King Henry named Wolsey Lord Chancellor in 1515 (Carley, James).

King Henry VIII was brought up a strong and devout Catholic. His interests in foreign policy matured as he did. Henry focused his efforts on Western Europe, which was in a state of shifting alliances. This power shift centered around the Kings of Spain, France, and the Holy Roman Emperor (Holbein, Hans). Henry married Spanish Catherine of Aragon in 1509, she was his late brothers’ widow. The union of Henry and Catherine helped solidify the Tudor dynasty alliance with Spain. King Henry sent 10,000 troops to fight with Spain against France in 1512. The mission was a disaster and many English lives were lost with nothing accomplished. England invaded and defeated France in 1513, at the Battle of Spurs, and defeated the Scots at the Battle of Flodden the same year. There were negligible benefits from both battles, and Henry determined making peace with France would be more beneficial. As part of the peace provision, Henry’s sister, Mary, age 18,

was betroved to Louis XII, age 52. The English navy flourished under Henry VIII from five to 60 ships, and he became known as the “Father of the English Navy.”
English Reformation
Catherine and Henry, were married for 24 years and had a daughter, Mary. Catherine was unable to produce a male heir for the King, which ultimately resulted in his desire to obtain a divorce. The Pope and the Catholic Church would not grant King Henry VIII a divorce or a “Papal Dispensation” which ignited King Henry’s breaking away from the Roman Catholic Church, also known as the English Reformation. King Henry was made the Supreme Head of the Church of England by Parliment in 1534, and in one Act of Supremacy, England became a Protestant country (Lipscomb S.). King Henry’s break with the Catholic church, marked the fall of Thomas Wolsley. His failure to get a an annulment for King Henry marked the end of his royal favor. Wolsley was swiftly arrested and charged with treason. King Henry appointed Thomas Cromwell to be his chief minister (Jokinen, Anniina). Cromwell helped King Henry make changes to the church-state relationship by disbanding 800 monasteries and having their land and treasures given to the crown ( ).
Marriages
Henry declared supremacy and formed the Church of England, he was motivated to make dangerous decisions.

Henry was a strong and ruthless ruler, forcing changes to the Church-State relationship which excluded the Catholic papacy and strengthened England’s political position while acquiring wealth (Carley, James). The Church of England granted King Henry the annulment he requested from Catherine, which allowed him to marry Anne Boleyn, his second wife. Anne and Henry produced a daughter Elizabeth, however, Anne was unable to produce a male heir. To get out of his marriage to Anne, Henry contrived an elaborate story of adultery and incest which ended in an annulment of their marriage. King Henry ultimately had Anne arrested and beheaded (Kybett M.). Within a day of Anne’s execution King Henry VIII married his third wife Jane Seymour. Jane was able to give Henry a son, Edward (1537), however she died in childbirth, Henry was devastated (Green, Robert). King Henry called his advisor Cromwell to find him a new wife. King Henry’s fourth marriage was to Anne of Cleves, and it was a disaster. Anne was chosen for Henry to solidify the alliance between England and Germany. They quickly divorced after a few months and Henry blamed Cromwell for the mismatched relationship (Jokinen, Anniina). Within weeks Henry married his fifth wife, Catherine Howard, 30 years his junior. This marriage was very short lived, Catherine had multiple relationships with courtiers and King Henry had her

executed for adultery and treason in 1542. Henry’s sixth and final marriage was to Catherine Parr, who was more of a nurse to Henry than a wife (Jokinen Anniina).
Final Years
King Henry VIII of England died on his fifty sixth birthday January 28, 1547. He was buried next to his beloved third wife and mother of his son, Jane Seymour, at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. King Henry’s ruled England for 35 years. He was involved in religious and political changes which continue to influence England today. Henry’s break with the Catholic Church has had enormous consequences for England and set the country on a Protestant path. He infamously married six women to fulfill political alliances and to produce a male heir for the throne of England. Following his death, King Henry VIII was succeeded by his son, Edward VI who was nine years old at the time (Jokinen, Anniina). King Henry VIII is often referred to as a tyrant, a despot, neglectful father and a wife-killer, however despite his faults, at the time of his death Henry left England on the cusp of being a world class superpower.