Full Name: King Henry VIII
Date of Birth: June 28, 1491
Place of Birth: Greenwich, England
Died: January 28, 1547
Place of Death: London, England
Classification: Leaders & Revolutionaries
Ruler as the King of England for nearly 40 years, King Henry VIII led his country during the English Renaissance and sparked the English Reformation. Famous for marrying six times, he always attempted to produce a male heir to his throne. His time as king was one of ups and downs, at times marred by his own paranoia. Although his rule was stable, it was also unspectacular.
Knowing he was going to be the next King of England while growing up meant that young Henry VIII was reared from day one for the throne. His lineage rested in the Tudor family, and he fit in perfectly well with the aristocratic society around him. Receiving the best private education possible and sports training, he was situated to become one of England’s most adored rulers. However, when he ascended the thrown, he immediately discarded some members who had ruled with his predecessor. Additionally, it was at this time that he married his first wife, Catherine of Aragon.
Henry VIII, being a true competitive sportsman, wanted to try his hand at war. Although he had never been trained in military strategy, he joined Ferdinand II of Aragon to battle France. The campaign won him quite a lot of popularity and led him to find Thomas Wolsey, who later became a minister. Following the war, however, his popularity dwindled, as English society waited for something more. Furthermore, he began to see that Catherine was not going to have a male heir, so his infatuation with Anne Boleyn would go on for six years until he could divorce his wife. But, under Catholic Doctrine, he would not be granted his wish. So, in a marriage he believed went against divine law, he attempted to annul his vows to Catherine, but the Pope would not grant it. In this, a revolution was started that would cause the English Church to be thereafter severed from Rome. This made King Henry VIII the leader of the faithful, a role he had always wanted.
Henry VIII took his new leadership role seriously, but began marrying and divorcing with so much fervor that he was seen as a societal womanizer. For years, he attempted to have a male heir, and many of his wives were executed for their supposed adultery to his faith. Around this time, King Henry VIII’s mental and physical health waned. He suffered from depression, extreme impatience, and unpredictability in his political agenda. Yet, even through all of this, Henry VIII remained a symbol of his country. England saw a lot of advancement during his rule, and even though his personal life was in shambles, the religious reform and social liberation that was brought about while he ruled didn’t go unnoticed. His rule, in essence, was stable, and while he is thought of as a tyrant in regard to the treatment of his courtly women, his rule was simply a step above humdrum
