Who is Henry VIII of England?

Henry VIII of England is King of England from 1509 to 1547.

How did Henry VIII of England die?

Henry VIII of England passed away in 1547.

What is Henry VIII of England known for?

Henry VIII of England is primarily known as a(n) monarch, composer.

Who is Henry VIII of England married to?

Henry VIII of England is connected to: Anne of Cleves.

Henry VIII of England

King of England from 1509 to 1547

Born:June 28, 1491

Died:January 28, 1547

Age at death:55

Manner of death:Natural Causes

Zodiac Sign:Cancer

Born in:Palace of Placentia, United Kingdom

Buried in:United Kingdom

Languages:Italian, French, English, Latin

Monarch Composer

Signature

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Links

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Famous For

Books

Defence of the Seven SacramentsLetter from Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn

Awards

Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece (1506)Knight of the GarterGolden RosePrince of WalesDuke of York

Henry VIII of England

King of England from 1509 to 1547

Biography

Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England and Ireland from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry was born in Greenwich as the second son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. His elder brother, Arthur, Prince of Wales, was heir apparent and married Catherine of Aragon, a Spanish princess. Arthur died in 1502, and Henry was created Prince of Wales in 1504 and acceded to the throne upon his father's death in 1509, marrying Catherine with a papal dispensation. He was described as an attractive, educated, and accomplished king during the early years of his reign. Henry grew dissatisfied with the marriage to Catherine, appealing to Pope Clement VII for an annulment. Clement refused, and Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer declared the marriage void in the eyes of the Church of England in 1533. Clement objected to Cranmer's verdict and excommunicated Henry from the Catholic Church. Henry then passed the Acts of Supremacy, establishing himself as Supreme Head of the Church of England and thereby relieving his realms from obedience to the pope. He dissolved Catholic monasteries and seized their wealth, contributing to the English Reformation. Considered one of the greatest monarchs in English history, Henry grew more tyrannical, egotistical, lustful, and paranoid by the end of his life. He is known for his six marriages, and especially his long effort to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon so that he could remarry in pursuit of a male heir. He ordered the beheadings of two of his wives, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. In his later years, Henry was morbidly obese and immobile, with a gangrenous leg wound contracted from a jousting accident in 1536. He was also said to have suffered from diabetes, oedema, and organ failure. He was buried at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle and was succeeded by his only surviving son, Edward VI.

This biography uses content from the Wikipedia article “Henry VIII of England”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License.

Quotes

“For this book is for me and all kings to read.”

— On William Tyndale's The Obedience of a Christian Man (c. 1528), quoted in John Strype, Ecclesiastical Memorials: Relating Chiefly to Religion, and Its Reformation Under the Reigns of King Henry VIII., King Edward VI., and Queen Mary the First, Volume I (1816), p. 177

“[We are] not only prince and king, but set on such a pinnacle of dignity that we know no superior on earth.”

— Letter to William Benet (September 1530), quoted in J. J. Scarisbrick, Henry VIII (1968; 1971 ed.), p. 350

“I shall never consent to his being judge in that affair [sc. the divorce]. Even if his holiness should do his worst by excommunicating me and so forth, I shall not mind it, for I care not a fig for all his excommunications. Let him follow his own at Rome, I will do here what I think best.”

— Remarks to the papal nuncio (June 1531), quoted in J. J. Scarisbrick, Henry VIII (1968; 1971 ed.), p. 379

Quotes sourced from the Wikiquote article "Henry VIII of England", available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License.

Photos

Henry VIII of England

Henry VIII Groat, minted in Dublin.

Detail of matchlock breech-loading gun, owned by Henry VIII, dated 1537, XII.1. Royal Armouries, <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/?ref=chooser-v1" rel="noreferrer nofollow">CC BY 4.0</a> This gun may well have been the first of its kind to have been made in England. Although it was made in 1537, its breech-loading mechanism (which allows rapid reloading while lying down or firing from a bench) is years ahead of its time. It was commissioned for none other than Henry VIII. The gun is capable of accurate shooting to 100 metres and Henry would likely have used it for target practice. Although he had a personal interest in modernising the English military, it would still be another 300 years until soldiers would have had access to guns like this one too. It was handmade by William Hunt, a gunmaker who became Henry's first 'Keeper of the King's Handguns and Demihawks’. It would have taken hundreds of hours to complete, using many skilled techniques like forging, grinding, filing, reaming, chiselling, gilding, and cutting, carving and polishing wood. This image is part of our <a href="https://royalarmouries.org/objects-and-stories/up-close-online-exhibition" rel="noreferrer nofollow">Up Close</a> online exhibition, which was made possible with funding from The <a href="https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/" rel="noreferrer nofollow">National Lottery Heritage Fund</a>. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to use digital to enable our audiences to explore our collection in new and exciting ways.

Detail of armet, the horned helmet, 1512-1514, IV.22. Royal Armouries, <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/?ref=chooser-v1" rel="noreferrer nofollow">CC BY 4.0</a> Made by one of the 16th's century's leading armourers, Konrad Seusenhofer, the horned helmet is one of the Royal Armouries' most iconic pieces. It was a diplomatic gift given to Henry VIII in 1541 by Maximilian I, who was Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. The horns don't appear to have been part of the original helmet. We don't really know when or why they were added, or who made them. This image is part of our <a href="https://royalarmouries.org/objects-and-stories/up-close-online-exhibition" rel="noreferrer nofollow">Up Close</a> online exhibition, which was made possible with funding from The <a href="https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/" rel="noreferrer nofollow">National Lottery Heritage Fund</a>. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to use digital to enable our audiences to explore our collection in new and exciting ways.

Bedroom of Henry VIII - Hever Castle

Exhibit in the British Library, London, England.

Habit of King Henry VIII in 1520. Le Roi Henry VII.

Identificatie Titel(s): Portret van koning Hendrik VIII van Engeland en Ierland. Henricus dei gra rex anglie (titel op object) Objecttype: prent Objectnummer: RP-P-1892-A-17327 Catalogusreferentie: Van der Stock 33-2(2). Hollstein Dutch 170-2(2) Opschriften / Merken: verzamelaarsmerk, verso, gestempeld: Lugt 2228 Omschrijving: Portret van Hendrik VIII, koning van Engeland en ierland, met een paar handschoenen in zijn handen. Linksboven zijn wapenschild. Vervaardiging Vervaardiger: prentmaker: Cornelis Massijs (vermeld op object) Plaats vervaardiging: Antwerpen Datering: 1548 Fysieke kenmerken: gravure Materiaal: papier Techniek: graveren (drukprocedé) Afmetingen: plaatrand: h 179 mm × b 134 mm Onderwerp Wie: Hendrik VIII (koning van Engeland en Ierland) Verwerving en rechten Verwerving: aankoop aug-1892 Copyright: Publiek domein

Original 1512 charter, granted to Dame Agnes Mellers and Sir Thomas Lovell by Henry VIII, approving the foundation of a free grammar school in Nottingham (later Nottingham High School).