About Henry Tudor VIII

Queen Elizabeth I was the daughter of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII, the second Tudor monarch to grace the English throne. Born Henry Tudor in 1491 at Greenwich Palace, Henry VIII was the youngest son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. Given his unfortunate birth order, he was never expected to become king. Life circumstances were not in his favour. It would only be upon his older brother’s untimely death that he would find himself an heir to the throne.

In his youth Henry was ambitious, energetic and intellectually gifted; a trait he most assuredly passed along to his daughter Elizabeth. When he was not busy with his studies and mastering multiple foreign languages, Henry enjoyed writing books and music and was an advocate for the arts. Although it is most likely a falsity, the composition “Greensleeves” is often attributed to Henry VIII.

When he was 10, Henry attended the wedding celebration of his older brother, Arthur, and his bride, Catherine of Aragon. Like all heirs to the English throne, the couple travelled to Wales where they would live in matrimony. The unity, however, was short-lived, with Arthur passing away after four short months. Henry succeeded to the throne, bringing with him a young, vigorous spirit that would be lost in his later years.

Henry inherited a stable realm from his father and interim ruler, but unlike other English monarchs, who were celebrated for noble war victories and raising England’s status as a dominant European power, Henry is most often remembered for his six wives. Henry was not quite 18-years-old when he became king, but soon married his brother’s widow. Catherine had only given Henry a daughter, Mary, born in 1516. This was unacceptable to Henry, who longed for a son and male heir.

After divorcing Catherine, Henry married Anne Boleyn, who would later give birth to Elizabeth I. Like Catherine of Aragon, she, too, was unable to produce a son. Anne was executed for infidelity in 1536, allowing Henry to marry again; this time to Jane Seymour. She would also die, while giving birth to Henry’s only living son, Edward VI. Henry took three more wives before his death: Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr, who was a caring queen and took adequate care of Henry and his children.

Often shown as overweight and stern, Henry was a formidable father, and was the first English king that demanded being addressed as “Your Majesty.” Despite being overshadowed by his love affairs, Henry managed to strengthen the monarchy and pass several important pieces of legislation that broke the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church. England was united under his rule, yet Henry created many bitter enemies abroad. In the end it would be Elizabeth left to cope with her father’s mixed legacy.

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