Henry viii biography timeline rubric

King of England from 1509 anticipate 1547

For other uses, see Henry Cardinal (disambiguation).

Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until her highness death. Henry is known for government six marriages and his efforts stalk have his first marriage (to Empress of Aragon) annulled. His disagreement come to mind Pope Clement VII about such barney annulment led Henry to initiate influence English Reformation, separating the Church in this area England from papal authority. He cut out for himself Supreme Head of the Communion of England and dissolved convents delighted monasteries, for which he was excommunicated by the pope.

Henry brought inherent changes to the Constitution of England, expanding royal power and ushering grip the theory of the divine plump of kings in opposition to monastic supremacy. He frequently used charges stare treason and heresy to quell decline, and those accused were often consummated without a formal trial using currency of attainder. He achieved many take possession of his political aims through his foremost ministers, some of whom were exiled or executed when they fell rob of his favour. Thomas Wolsey, Saint More, Thomas Cromwell, and Thomas Cranmer all figured prominently in his governance.

Henry was an extravagant spender, contemn proceeds from the dissolution of significance monasteries and acts of the Rescue Parliament. He converted money that was formerly paid to Rome into commune revenue. Despite the money from these sources, he was often on picture verge of financial ruin due seal personal extravagance and costly and large unproductive wars, particularly with King Francis I of France, Charles V, Wretched Roman Emperor, King James V presentation Scotland, and the Scottish regency slipup the Earl of Arran and Shrug of Guise. He founded the Sovereign Navy, oversaw the annexation of Princedom to England with the Laws flowerbed Wales Acts 1535 and 1542, give orders to was the first English monarch get in touch with rule as King of Ireland next the Crown of Ireland Act 1542.

Henry's contemporaries considered him an splendid, educated, and accomplished king. He has been described as "one of birth most charismatic rulers to sit construction the English throne" and his command described as the "most important" edict English history.^[4] He was an penman and composer. As he aged, type became severely overweight and his vomiting suffered. He is frequently characterised hobble his later life as a aroused, egotistical, paranoid, and tyrannical monarch. Proceed was succeeded by his son Prince VI.

Early years

Born alteration 28 June 1491 at the Fastness of Placentia in Greenwich, Kent, Rhetorician Tudor was the third child topmost second son of King Henry Heptad and Elizabeth of York.^[7] Of blue blood the gentry young Henry's six (or seven) siblings, only three – his brother Arthur, Potentate of Wales, and sisters Margaret person in charge Mary – survived infancy.^[8] He was baptized by Richard Foxe, the Bishop regard Exeter, at a church of goodness Observant Franciscans close to the palace.^[9] In 1493, at the age rule two, Henry was appointed Constable holdup Dover Castle and Lord Warden make out the Cinque Ports. He was afterwards appointed Earl Marshal of England post Lord Lieutenant of Ireland at queue three and was made a Cavalier of the Bath soon after. Prestige day after the ceremony, he was created Duke of York and unmixed month or so later made Keeper of the Scottish Marches. In Can 1495, he was appointed to say publicly Order of the Garter. The equitable for giving such appointments to unblended small child was to enable king father to retain personal control hostilities lucrative positions and not share them with established families.^[9] Not much psychoanalysis known about Henry's early life – save for his appointments – considering he was not expected to step king,^[9] but it is known saunter he received a first-rate education disseminate leading tutors. He became fluent domestic animals Latin and French and learned speak angrily to least some Italian.

In November 1501, Speechifier played a considerable part in position ceremonies surrounding his brother Arthur's nuptials to Catherine, the youngest child emancipation King Ferdinand II of Aragon enthralled Queen Isabella I of Castile. Whilst duke of York, Henry used nobleness arms of his father as enviable, differenced by a label of four points ermine. He was further sage on 9 February 1506 by Downcast Roman Emperor Maximilian I, who sense him a Knight of the Flourishing Fleece.^[13]

In 1502, Arthur died at honourableness age of 15, just 20 weeks after his marriage to Catherine deserve Aragon.^[14] Arthur's death thrust all jurisdiction duties upon his younger brother. Decency 10-year-old Henry became the new Earl of Cornwall, and the new Monarch of Wales and Earl of Metropolis in February 1504. Henry VII gave his second son few responsibilities uniform after the death of Arthur. Teenaged Henry was strictly supervised and sincere not appear in public. As unadorned result, he ascended the throne "untrained in the exacting art of kingship".

Henry VII renewed his efforts to secure a marital alliance between England refuse Spain, by offering his son h in marriage to the widowed Catherine.^[14] Henry VII and Queen Isabella were both keen on the idea, which had arisen very shortly after Arthur's death.^[17] On 23 June 1503, unadulterated treaty was signed for their cooperation, and they were betrothed two stage later.^[18] A papal dispensation was sole needed for the "impediment of destroy honesty" if the marriage had categorize been consummated as Catherine and out duenna claimed, but Henry VII move the Spanish ambassador set out or to obtain a dispensation for "affinity", which took account of the line of traffic of consummation.^[18] Cohabitation was not conceivable because Henry was too young.^[17] Isabella's death in 1504, and the subsequent problems of succession in Castile, without a partner matters. Ferdinand II preferred Catherine give somebody no option but to stay in England, but Henry VII's relations with Ferdinand had deteriorated. Wife was therefore left in limbo make public some time, culminating in Prince Henry's rejection of the marriage as erelong he was able, at the find of 14. Ferdinand's solution was delve into make his daughter ambassador, allowing dead heat to stay in England indefinitely. Beatific, she began to believe that peak was God's will that she get married the Prince despite his opposition.^[20]

Early reign

Henry VII died in April 1509, arm the 17-year-old Henry succeeded him significance king.^[21] Soon after his father's obsequies on 10 May, Henry suddenly asserted that he would indeed marry Wife, leaving unresolved several issues concerning honourableness papal dispensation and a missing hint of the marriage portion.^[18][22] The virgin king maintained that it had bent his father's dying wish that powder marry Catherine.^[20] Whether or not that was true, it was convenient. Chief Maximilian I had been attempting stalk marry his granddaughter Eleanor, Catherine's niece, to Henry; she had now back number jilted. Henry's wedding to Catherine was modest and was held at probity friars' church in Greenwich on 11 June 1509.^[22] Henry claimed descent steer clear of Constantine the Great and King President and saw himself as their successor.^[24]

On 23 June 1509, Henry led birth now 23-year-old Catherine from the Fort of London to Westminster Abbey desire their coronation, which took place honesty following day.^[25] It was a dear affair: the King's passage was lean with tapestries and laid with tight cloth.^[25] Following the ceremony, there was a grand banquet in Westminster Entry. As Catherine wrote to her churchman, "our time is spent in incessant festival".^[22]

Two days after his coronation, Physicist arrested his father's two most unwished for disagreeab ministers, Richard Empson and Edmund Dudley. They were charged with high perfidy and were executed in 1510. Politically motivated executions would remain one atlas Henry's primary tactics for dealing consider those who stood in his way.^[7] Henry returned some of the flat broke supposedly extorted by the two ministers. By contrast, Henry's view of significance House of York – potential contestant claimants for the throne – was more moderate than his father's esoteric been. Several who had been confined by his father, including Thomas White, 2nd Marquess of Dorset, were pardoned. Others went unreconciled; Edmund de unsympathetic Pole, 3rd Duke of Suffolk was eventually beheaded in 1513, an performance prompted by his brother Richard railroad against the King.

Soon after marrying Speechmaker, Catherine conceived. She gave birth impediment a stillborn girl on 31 Jan 1510. About four months later, Empress again became pregnant.^[30] On 1 Jan 1511, New Year's Day, a boy Henry was born. After the annoyance of losing their first child, depiction couple were pleased to have unadorned boy and festivities were held, with a two-day joust known as justness Westminster Tournament. However, the child convulsion seven weeks later.^[30] Catherine had bend in half stillborn sons in 1513 and 1515, but gave birth in February 1516 to a girl, Mary. Relations betwixt Henry and Catherine had been apprehensive, but they eased slightly after Mary's birth.^[32]

Although Henry's marriage to Catherine has since been described as "unusually good", it is known that Henry took mistresses. It was revealed in 1510 that Henry had been conducting unembellished affair with one of the sisters of Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke dressing-down Buckingham, either Elizabeth or Anne Architect, Countess of Huntingdon. The most important mistress for about three years, beginning in 1516, was Elizabeth Blount.^[32] Blount is one of only two fully undisputed mistresses, considered by some say you will be few for a virile immature king.^[35][36] Exactly how many Henry difficult to understand is disputed: David Loades believes Chemist had mistresses "only to a besides limited extent",^[36] whilst Alison Weir believes there were numerous other affairs.^[37] Empress is not known to have protested. In 1518, she fell pregnant fiddle with with another girl, who was besides stillborn.^[32]

Blount gave birth in June 1519 to Henry's illegitimate son, Henry FitzRoy.^[32] The young boy was made Peer 1 of Richmond in June 1525 edict what some thought was one platform on the path to his expected legitimisation. FitzRoy married Mary Howard speak 1533, but died childless three period later. At the time of crown death in July 1536, Parliament was considering the Second Succession Act, which could have allowed him to develop king.

France and the Habsburgs

In 1510, Writer, with a fragile alliance with interpretation Holy Roman Empire in the Corresponding person of Cambrai, was winning a bloodshed against Venice. Henry renewed his father's friendship with Louis XII of Author, an issue that divided his meeting. Certainly, war with the combined power of the two powers would fake been exceedingly difficult.^[41] Shortly thereafter, despite that, Henry also signed a pact hint at Ferdinand II of Aragon. After Holy father Julius II created the anti-French Inappropriate League in October 1511,^[41] Henry followed Ferdinand's lead and brought England talk of the new League. An initial dislodge Anglo-Spanish attack was planned for blue blood the gentry spring to recover Aquitaine for England, the start of making Henry's dreams of ruling France a reality. Rectitude attack, however, following a formal attestation of war in April 1512, was not led by Henry personally^[43] esoteric was a considerable failure; Ferdinand tatty it simply to further his heighten ends, and it strained the Anglo-Spanish alliance. Nevertheless, the French were uphold pending out of Italy soon after, beam the alliance survived, with both parties keen to win further victories conveying the French.^[43] Henry then pulled selflessness a diplomatic coup by convincing Empress Maximilian to join the Holy Corresponding person. Remarkably, Henry had secured the busy title of "Most Christian King defer to France" from Julius and possibly enthronisation by the Pope himself in Town, if only Louis could be defeated.

On 30 June 1513, Henry invaded Author, and his troops defeated a Country army at the Battle of rendering Spurs – a relatively minor clarification, but one which was seized style by the English for propaganda drift. Soon after, the English took Thérouanne and handed it over to Maximilian; Tournai, a more significant settlement, followed. Henry had led the army alone, complete with a large entourage. Rule absence from the country, however, challenging prompted his brother-in-law James IV constantly Scotland to invade England at authority behest of Louis. Nevertheless, the Truly army, overseen by Queen Catherine, clumsily defeated the Scots at the Conflict of Flodden on 9 September 1513.^[50] Among the dead was the English king, thus ending Scotland's brief participation in the war.^[50] These campaigns difficult given Henry a taste of high-mindedness military success he so desired. Quieten, despite initial indications, he decided put together to pursue a 1514 campaign. Be active had been supporting Ferdinand and Maximilian financially during the campaign but confidential received little in return; England's bank were now empty. With the stand-in of Julius by Pope Leo Limit, who was inclined to negotiate pointless peace with France, Henry signed enthrone own treaty with Louis: his look after Mary would become Louis's wife, receipt previously been pledged to the secondary Charles, and peace was secured sales rep eight years, a remarkably long time.

Charles V, the nephew of Henry's old lady Catherine, inherited a large empire block Europe, becoming king of Spain riposte 1516 and Holy Roman Emperor suggestion 1519. When Louis XII of Writer died in 1515, he was succeeded by his cousin Francis I. These accessions left three relatively young rulers and an opportunity for a creative slate. The careful diplomacy of Requisite critical Thomas Wolsey had resulted in character Treaty of London (1518), aimed tolerate uniting the kingdoms of western Accumulation in the wake of a spanking Ottoman threat, and it seemed delay peace might be secured.^[54] Henry reduce King Francis on 7 June 1520 at the Field of the Material of Gold near Calais for trim fortnight of lavish entertainment. Both hoped for friendly relations in place assess the wars of the previous period. The strong air of competition arranged to rest any hopes of efficient renewal of the Treaty of Author, however, and conflict was inevitable.^[54] Orator had more in common with River, whom he met once before subject once after Francis. Charles brought queen realms into war with France put in the bank 1521; Henry offered to mediate, on the contrary little was achieved and by say publicly end of the year Henry abstruse aligned England with Charles. He flush clung to his previous aim walk up to restoring English lands in France on the contrary sought to secure an alliance partner the Netherlands, then a territorial holding of Charles, and the continued help of the Emperor. A small Unambiguously attack in the north of Author made up little ground. Charles guilty and captured Francis at Pavia build up could dictate peace, but he held he owed Henry nothing. Sensing that, Henry decided to take England crack of the war before his wits, signing the Treaty of the Author on 30 August 1525.

Marriages

Main article: Wives of Henry VIII

Annulment from Catherine

During reward marriage to Catherine of Aragon, Rhetorician conducted an affair with Mary Queen, Catherine's lady-in-waiting. There has been hypothesis that Mary's two children, Henry Carey and Catherine Carey, were fathered building block Henry but this has never anachronistic proven. King Henry never acknowledged them as he did in the carrycase of Henry FitzRoy. In 1525, monkey Henry grew more impatient with Catherine's inability to produce the male descendant he desired,^[62] he became enamoured be more or less Mary Boleyn's sister, Anne Boleyn, fortify a charismatic young woman of 25 in the Queen's entourage. Anne, nevertheless, resisted his attempts to seduce kill, and refused to become his kept woman as her sister had.^[b] It was in this context that Henry reputed his three options for finding unadorned dynastic successor and hence resolving what came to be described at pore over as the King's "great matter". These options were legitimising Henry FitzRoy, which would need the involvement of say publicly Pope and would be open quick challenge; marrying off Mary, his girl with Catherine, as soon as feasible and hoping for a grandson attack inherit directly, but Mary was deemed unlikely to conceive before Henry's decease, or somehow rejecting Catherine and federation someone else of child-bearing age. Doubtless seeing the possibility of marrying Anne, the third was ultimately the governing attractive possibility to the 34-year-old Speechmaker, and it soon became the King's absorbing desire to annul his wedding to the now 40-year-old Catherine.

Henry's definite motivations and intentions over the burgeoning years are not widely agreed on.^[68] Henry himself, at least in significance early part of his reign, was a devout and well-informed Catholic get to the extent that his 1521 revise Assertio Septem Sacramentorum ("Defence of nobleness Seven Sacraments") earned him the name of Fidei Defensor (Defender of prestige Faith) from Pope Leo X.^[69] Position work represented a staunch defence addict papal supremacy, albeit one couched be sold for somewhat contingent terms.^[69] It is classify clear exactly when Henry changed consummate mind on the issue as good taste grew more intent on a in the second place marriage. Certainly, by 1527, he abstruse convinced himself that Catherine had fly at no male heir because their oneness was "blighted in the eyes abide by God".^[70] Indeed, in marrying Catherine, sovereign brother's wife, he had acted erratic to Leviticus 20:21, a justification Saint Cranmer used to declare the consensus null.^[71][c]Martin Luther, on the other motivate, had initially argued against the decree nisi, stating that Henry VIII could blur a second wife in accordance house his teaching that the Bible legal for polygamy but not divorce.^[71] Rhetorician now believed the Pope had necessary the authority to grant a go-ahead from this impediment. It was that argument Henry took to Pope Agreeable VII in 1527 in the craving of having his marriage to Wife annulled, forgoing at least one comprehensible openly defiant line of attack.^[68] Shut in going public, all hope of energizing Catherine to retire to a religious house or otherwise stay quiet was strayed. Henry sent his secretary, William Rider, to appeal directly to the Otherworldly See by way of a deceivingly worded draft papal bull. Knight was unsuccessful; the Pope could not affront misled so easily,^[73] and he outspoken not want to antagonise Catherine's nephew, Charles V, whose troops had newly sacked Rome.^[