Who is Henry VIII?
Henry VIII was an English monarch from 1509 until his death in 1547. During his reign, Henry VIII triggered the Protestant Reformation in England, with long lasting repercussions for England and Europe in general. He also contributed a number of other things to British history. However, he is better known for his marital habits; the six wives of Henry VIII are a topic of great interest for his biographers. At the time of Henry’s birth, he had an older brother, Arthur, who was destined to become King. It was assumed that Henry would go into the church, and he was provided with an excellent education. Contemporaries of Henry VIII describe him as an accomplished, intelligent, highly athletic man who was also a skilled musician. His brother married Catherine of Aragon, in an attempt to improve relations between England and Spain. In 1502, Arthur died, placing Henry next in line for the throne. Henry ended up marrying Catherine of Aragon, after a papal dispensation was acquired. The two wer
Henry VIII (28 June 1491 28 January 1547) was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of France, from 21 April 1509 until his death. Henry was the second monarch of the House of Tudor, succeeding his father, Henry VII. Henry VIII was a significant figure in the history of the English monarchy. Although in the first parts of his reign he energetically suppressed the Reformation of the Anglican Church, which had been building steam since John Wycliffe of the fourteenth century, he is more often known for his ecclesiastical struggles with Rome. These struggles ultimately led to him separating the Anglican Church from Roman authority, the Dissolution of the Monasteries, and establishing the English monarch as the Supreme Head of the Church of England.
