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• Henry VIII was a Tudor king who ruled England from 1509 - 1547. He is remembered for his six wives and his cruelty towards them.
• Henry VIII sought to achieve military success and bring greatness to his kingdom.
• One of the most significant events of his reign, which had a long lasting impact, was his decision to break with the Catholic Church and establish the Church of England.

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Henry VIII’s father, Henry VII, was the founder of the Tudor dynasty. He took the throne in 1485.

During Henry VII’s lifetime, two branches of the English royal family fell into conflict with one another. They were fighting over who should take the English throne. This period is known as the Wars of the Roses. Henry VII became king towards the end of the Wars of the Roses.

Henry VII married Elizabeth of York and had a large family with her. Henry VII was succeeded by his son, Henry VIII, and then by his grandchildren, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I. The Tudors ruled from 1485 to 1603.

The future Henry VIII was the second son of Henry VII. This meant that Henry’s older brother Prince Arthur was raised as a future ruler, because it was expected that, as the eldest, he would be king. Prince Henry was brought up in a separate palace, alongside his mother and sisters.

Prince Henry was a very clever child. He was a good musician, enjoyed jousting, and, like many royals, spoke several languages. His learning earned him the praise of one of the most well-known thinkers of the time, Erasmus, who was a Dutch scholar and philosopher. Erasmus found Henry to be very well educated and regal in his behaviour, even though the prince was only nine years old when they met.

In 1502, Henry’s brother Arthur died, followed a year later by their mother, Elizabeth of York. Following their deaths, Henry was made to live with his father. This was difficult for the young Henry. We know that, during these years, the prince rarely appeared in public and was supervised constantly.

Following the death of his father in 1509, Henry VIII became King of England. He had big ambitions. He quickly set about establishing a glittering court with his new wife, Catherine of Aragon, who had previously been married to his older brother, Arthur.

Henry wanted to be like a previous king of England, Henry V, and conquer France.

Henry’s initial invasion of France, in 1512, was a failure. He had been promised support by his father-in-law, Ferdinand II of Aragon. The support never arrived, and many of Henry’s troops became ill while waiting.

A second invasion, in 1513, saw Henry’s army defeat a band of French soldiers at the Battle of the Spurs. They also took the towns of Thérouanne and Tournai. Henry commissioned large paintings of this campaign, which can be seen today at Hampton Court Palace.

Henry’s wars with France continued throughout his reign. He also fought wars against Scotland, which was a traditional enemy of England, and France’s ally. Henry’s successive wars were very expensive, and he became desperate for more money. He fell into debt, and needed to raise more and more taxes.

As well as fighting in France, Henry also wanted to increase England’s reputation in Europe as a peacemaker. The king thought that one way to do this was to try to bring the royal families of Europe together. Alongside his minister, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, he organised peace summits between these royal families. One of the most famous of these summits was the Field of Cloth of Gold.

Like many people during Tudor times, Henry VIII believed that men should rule the country. He wanted a son to reign after his death, but he and his first wife's only surviving child was a daughter, Mary.

In the 1520s, Henry attempted to have his marriage annulled by the Pope. He claimed that marrying his brother’s widow had left him childless, despite the fact that he had a daughter. Henry believed that the Bible verse that inspired his views meant ‘sonless’.

The Pope allowed Henry to put his marriage on trial in England. The Pope sent a representative, Cardinal Campeggio, to help give a judgment on the marriage. After months of deliberations, the Pope refused to grant Henry his annulment.

Henry was disappointed and still wanted a male heir. He was inspired by Protestant books that questioned the power of the Pope, as well as reform-minded men and women at court who had read these books and were supportive of many of their ideas.

Henry he was eager to act. He formally married Anne in January 1533 and then created the Church of England. With the help of his ministers and Parliament, Henry made himself, not the Pope, the head of the English Church.

For more information about why the Pope refused to grant Henry his annulment, and the consequences of this decision, read our guide on the Reformation.

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There is still much debate among historians about how Henry VIII governed the country and the amount of power he allowed his ministers and advisors.

At the start of his reign, Henry would spend his days hunting, jousting and attending parties. He wrote a song about his lifestyle, called Pastyme with Good Companye. He would spend some time on the running of the country after Mass each day.At the start of Henry VIII’s reign, a council advised the young king. Henry then began to rely on key men such as Thomas Wolsey and Thomas Cromwell. They were known as ministers, and they helped Henry with the day-to-day running of the country.

Although he had Wolsey and Cromwell to assist him, Henry still had the final say. When his ministers failed him, they faced real danger. Wolsey died on his way to prison, after failing to get Henry his divorce from Catherine of Aragon. Cromwell was beheaded in 1540, having been declared a traitor. The list of charges brought against Cromwell was long and mostly focused on his support of religious radicals, though Henry’s failed marriage to Anne of Cleves, which was encouraged by Cromwell, could also have played a role. The downfall of both men came about because Henry was prepared to listen to their enemies at court.

As a result of the Reformation, Henry gained more power. Firstly, he became the Supreme Head of the Church of England, which was significant as so many people throughout the country were deeply religious. Secondly, he began to use Parliament to get what he wanted. In 1539, Henry passed an act called the Statute of Proclamations, which allowed him to make changes to how England was run simply by reading out orders instead of passing laws in the traditional way.

Henry VIII is famous for having six wives, three of whom gave birth to heirs to the throne. Henry was cruel to his wives. This inspired the rhyme about their fates: ‘divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived’.

Scroll through the slides to learn more about these queens.

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