HENRY VIII

The larger than life King, Henry VIII, was one of the most influential monarchs in English history. We remember him from our school days with such words as: Hampton Court, 6 wives, the originator of the Church of England --- and yet --- he must have had some good qualities? The second King from The House of Tudor, Henry VIII left his mark within the pages of history. His actual life story is quite an interesting one!

Henry was born in Greenwich, London, on 28th June, 1491. He was the second son and third child of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York and was not expected to reign as a King. Lady Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby, was Henry’s grandmother and she had great influence on his childhood, some think she ‘dominated’ her grandson. It was Margaret who controlled the household (of Henry VII) instead of Elizabeth, because Henry VII was Margaret’s only child and she was extremely protective over her son, but to others she was a ‘manipulative’ woman. The Lady Margaret Beaufort had so much land that she was second only to the King “in English land ownership.”

It is possible that Lady Margaret looked after her grandson’s education and ‘encouraged’ Henry to follow the same strict codes of religious observance that she herself lived by. Henry had a real ‘flair’ for languages and was able to converse in Latin and French at a young age. Even as a child, this Prince became accomplished in hunting, archery, jousting, as well as writing, music (which he loved), and he was interested in astronomy and technology. Henry was set on joining the clergy and it was hoped that the first-rate education he received would help him in the Church.

However, Henry’s older brother, Prince Arthur, died of the “sweating disease” in 1502 and Henry was now the next in line. Prince Arthur died a few weeks after his marriage to Katherine of Aragon and left his young bride a young widow --- apparently the marriage was never consummated, possibly due to their young ages --- the young Prince was only 15 years of age and the match was a political one. Katherine was now matched with Henry who was only 10 years of age. Henry’s mother died in 1503 giving birth and now Henry was grieving for two people he loved at a young age. Now Henry was the Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester and started to learn the responsibilities of the next in line.

King Henry VII died in 1509, shortly before Henry’s 18th birthday --- now this young Prince was King Henry VIII. Henry announced that he intended to marry his brother’s widow, Katherine of Aragon, and held a low-key wedding ceremony in the Queen’s Closet in Greenwich on 11th June, 1509. Two weeks later, the couple had their Coronation at Westminster Abbey and then they had a grand banquet at Westminster Hall.

Katherine was described as “a brilliant example of her sex.” Katherine was well-educated and could speak French fluently, learnt English easily and wrote Latin beautifully. This Queen is remembered as being an incredibly pious woman. She would rise at midnight to recite Matins and at dawn to hear Mass, fasted regularly, studied the Office of the Blessed Virgin daily, and went to confession every week. This seemed a perfect match for Henry who had been ‘trained’ to go into the Church before his brother died. Katherine also enjoyed hunting and all of the elaborate pleasures of Court life, even as Henry did.

Queen Katherine’s motto was “humble and loyal” and, living by these words, took an active role in the running of the Royal household which was mainly in Greenwich where her husband was born. Endearing herself to the English people, Katherine became involved in many charitable works. This was a time of peace and joy for Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon. Also, now that his grandmother, the Lady Margaret Beaufort had died, Henry could really take control of his Kingdom.

This was at a time when the English monarch held (almost) absolute power. Acts of Parliament were ‘made in the King’s name’, and the King’s “authority” was second only to God himself. Henry VIII firmly believed in this! Yet, he was a popular King with the English people who looked at their King as the “personification of power and grandeur” and, it is an interesting fact, that Henry VIII was the first English King to use the title “Your Majesty.”

The Tudor Court was the seat of government, the political, artistic, cultural hub of the nation, as well as the Royal family’s home. Henry’s Court was a “never-ending kaleidoscope of spectacular ceremonious displays” which impressed the public and the foreign dignitaries alike. The ‘household’ had a huge number of staff who helped Henry and Katherine to regularly host guests who stayed for months at a time. Now Henry was getting through his inheritance (which was sizable). Katherine wrote to her father: “our time is spent in continuous festivals.” Henry loved dancing, music and gentlemanly pursuits but hated paperwork and ‘diplomatic’ work, only doing the latter when he really had to.

It was during this part of Henry’s early reign that he took mistresses. Of course, this was nothing unusual and Katherine did not seem to mind. Henry carried on several of these ‘affairs’, a lengthy one was with Elizabeth Blount who presented her King with a son, Henry Fitzroy, in 1519. If only Katherine the Queen, could do the same. After several miscarriages of both girls and boys, Katherine finally gave birth to a healthy Princess in 1516, Mary, and both parents were very happy. However, Henry was becoming obsessed with having a son and Katherine just could not present her King with a living one. The six year age gap between the couple was now showing and Katherine started to go through the menopause at the young age of 38.

Henry was still taking mistresses, and had an affair with Mary Boleyn until he saw and fell in love with Anne, her sister. Having been a lady-in-waiting to Katherine and seeing how easily Henry moved between mistresses, Anne (at first) refused her King’s advances. Having lived at the French Court during her youth, Anne learnt the art of seduction and knew how to please (and dangle) Henry VIII. This drove Henry Mad, he wasn’t used to being refused anything --- it seems that he may genuinely have loved Anne.

Now came the King’s “Great Matter.” Taking his brother’s widow as wife, Henry ‘believed’ he had disobeyed God and the fact that there were no sons was proof. Henry wanted to have his marriage with Katherine annulled and contacted the Pope in Rome. Cardinal Wolsey supported his King and publicly pursued this annulment but Pope Clement VII would not give into this demand. The ‘case’ went ahead in London to no avail. “Wolsey bore the brunt of the King’s displeasure.” Anne was now behaving as if she was Queen, sitting next to the King and wearing Royal colours but she was becoming unpopular as Anne’s religious beliefs were opposite to Katherine’s and Katherine was loved by the people. The Royal Court was split over Henry’s “Great Matter.”

Thomas Cromwell now appeared on the scene and helped the King to establish himself as the “Supreme Head of the English Church” --- a title which challenged the Pope’s power. In 1532, Cromwell had risen to the position of the King’s Chief Minister. In the same year, Henry ordered Katherine to leave Court and split mother and daughter. The King now made Anne a peeress, giving her the noble title of the Lady Marquess of Pembroke, and with this unusual step, Anne could now accompany Henry VIII to see the French King, Francis I. Anne insisted on looking the part and Henry sent for the Queen of England’s jewels, as well as having new gowns made for her. The cost was tremendous. Arriving in France, no noble lady would receive Anne. Back in England, Anne discovered that she was pregnant (Christmas 1532) having given into Henry at last. The child must be born in wedlock and the couple married in secret. Thomas Cranmer, who was the Archbishop of Canterbury, married Henry and Anne, vowing to defend his King over the Pope. Henry now had more ‘power’ in England than the Pope. His marriage of 24 years to Katherine was declared null and void, and Henry’s marriage to Anne was made valid.

Anne Boleyn astounded her enemies when her Coronation took place in June, 1533 --- she got what she wanted! Anne’s motto was: “the most happy”, however, the people were not ‘most happy’ with this new Queen. Anne’s lifestyle as Queen of England was one of pure decadence --- “her every whim was attended to immediately.”

In September, 1533, Elizabeth was born to Henry and Anne, and Henry renounced his first daughter Mary, and doted on Elizabeth. Henry felt sure that Anne would now give him a son but after a miscarriage, Henry took on a new mistress. Knowing by now how her husband’s mind worked, Anne became extremely jealous.

King Henry VIII’s character changed! Forever frustrated that he still did not have a male heir, the King became less tolerant and obsessed with his own status. In November, 1534, Henry VIII broke with the Church of Rome and became the Supreme Head of the Church of England. He insisted that ecclesiastical matters came under his personal jurisdiction and the responsibility of defining doctrine was his alone. Pope Clement excommunicated Henry from the Church of Rome. Henry had to work hard to improve his public image and Thomas Cromwell did his best to help his King.

Unable to produce the son she had promised Henry, Anne was beginning to lose control of her status. Henry was falling out of love with Anne and wanted ‘out’ of this marriage. Cromwell wanted to make Henry VIII “the richest King that ever was in England”, and convinced Henry to tap into the wealth of the monasteries. Things now moved quickly for Henry.

Katherine of Aragon died in 1536. Anne miscarried of another baby (possibly due to the shock of hearing that Henry had died in a jousting accident). The King was unconscious for two hours but not seriously harmed. Hearing of yet another miscarriage, Henry saw God’s displeasure but also Anne’s failure. Cromwell was becoming a ‘dangerous’ advisor, encouraging his King to see Anne as an enemy now, and helped Henry to install his latest mistress, Jane Seymour, in Greenwich, undermining Anne. An investigation was started into claims of treason against Anne and her close allies. Anne was charged with committing adultery with a number of members of the King’s Privy Chamber. We don’t actually know if these charges were true but Anne was executed in May, 1536, aged 36 years of age. Princess Elizabeth was declared illegitimate.

Jane Seymour now came to Hampton Court and she and Henry were married in Whitehall. Jane was declared Queen of England in 1536. This new Queen was quiet and submissive and her pleasures refined. Jane tried to reconcile the King with his two daughters, and answered Henry’s prayers when she gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Prince Edward, in October, 1537. She saw her son christened but died (probably of infection) in the same month. Henry was heartbroken by Jane’s death and ordered full-scale Court mourning that lasted over three weeks, (something he had not done with his first two wives).

Henry’s next wife was a ‘political’ match. Anne of Cleves was chosen inorder to make an alliance with her brother, who was the ruler of a Protestant duchy in Germany. Cromwell suggested this Princess of Cleves but it was a mistake on Cromwell's part. Although Henry went through with the ceremony, he could not consummate the marriage. Seeing a portrait of Anne before the wedding, Henry became impatient to see his new, young bride (Anne was in her early twenties, Henry was in his late forties). He went to meet her, in disguise, but was ‘horrified’ by what he saw. It seemed the portrait was ‘too flattering’ and, unfortunately for Anne, her face was pitted with marks from smallpox. Henry was used to beautiful, petite ladies and it seemed that this new bride was the opposite. He shouted at Cromwell: “I like her not! I like her not!” Anne ‘repelled’ Henry and became known as the “ugly wife.” After the wedding night, Henry had left Anne “as good a maid as I found her.” Anne did her best to please her King but after only six months the marriage was dissolved. Anne wrote a letter of submission to Henry and she was rewarded for her compliance, becoming “the King’s sister” and being granted several manors. Anne of Cleves came out of the marriage a wealthy woman --- and still alive!

Although he had taken an active part in this last match, Cromwell was never formally accused of being responsible but he now had enemies at Court. He was charged with treason and beheaded. Cromwell had let his ambition get out of control and paid for his ‘selfish’ mistake.

Moving on, Henry VIII married his next wife in secret. Katherine Howard was a teenager and Henry was 49 years old. Her motto was: “no other wish but his” but it seems that the King indulged Katherine’s every wish. With no Cromwell, Henry had to do the work himself now and became a hard-working monarch, the endless writing and correspondence did not help the King’s mood! Henry was frequently ill and in pain with the dores on his legs which forced the King to be inactive for days, thus Henry VIII became obese. “A suit of armour of Henry's made for him in 1540 has a chest measurement of 57 inches and a waist measurement of 54 inches.” The King became paranoid and jealous and, it appears, that he had a violent temper.

The new young Queen, on the other hand, was enjoying her new position and life was one endless revel. She loved being showered with affection and expensive gifts from the King. However, Katherine had not yet produced the expected heir which did not please Henry, making his mood even worse. This did not seem to bother Katherine. The young Queen (foolishly) started an affair with Thomas Culpeper and employed a former lover, Francis Dereham, as her private secretary (possibly under the influence of blackmail). Archbishop Cranmer heard of this ‘scandal’ and told the King. Katherine was taken to the Tower and admitted to the affair. The ‘inquest’ brought to the fore that Katherine may have had affairs with Culpeper and Dereham. Katherine was accused of treason against the King and, like her first cousin Anne Boleyn, was beheaded in 1542. Katherine Howard was 17 years old.

The King distracted himself from yet another bad marriage by turning his attention to the matter of war. In 1542, the Italian War broke out between Francis I of France and Emperor Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire. Henry VIII agreed to bring England into the War, but first he had to ‘quash’ the military aggression from Scotland. When the King broke with the Roman Catholic Church, the ‘relationship’ between Scotland and England broke down. In November, 1542, the English fought the Scottish and won. The Scottish King, James V, died leaving the one-week-old baby girl as his heir (Mary, Queen of Scots).

Henry married his sixth and last wife, the wealthy and widowed Catherine Parr. Catherine was around thirty years of age and was a quiet, pious and “natural peace-keeper”, (the opposite to Henry’s fifth wife). The new Queen took and lived by the motto: “to be useful in all I do.” Maybe Henry VIII had at last found peace as he and Catherine genuinely enjoyed each other’s company, with Catherine doing all that she could to reunite Henry with his two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth.

The new Queen had a good effect on the King of England, encouraging Henry to invest in England’s universities and discussing religious matters together. The Ladies Mary and Elizabeth were put back into the Line of Succession, after Prince Edward, and Henry VIII went to France in 1544. War seemed to reinvigorate the King and the English army laid siege to Boulogne and Montreuil. Being victorious, Henry and his army returned to England, triumphant.

The King of England’s health went down-hill. The pain in his legs and the constant fevers and inactivity made Henry depressed and his temper was now out of control. Spending hours and days with doctors, Henry started to confide in them. As medicine was not very advanced during this Century, the treatments were not very effective. England’s finances were also worrying Henry as the treasuries were almost empty due to the King’s extravagant spending, his habit of acquiring property --- and the constant wars, especially against France.

King Henry VIII died on 28th January, 1547. He (possibly) suffered from a pulmonary embolism. Also, Henry had become obese and had to be moved about with the help of mechanical devices. Covered with boils and suffering with gout, death was a king release for Henry.

What would Henry VIII’s life been like if he had gone into the Church instead of being King? He tried to be a kind husband and, possibly, out of all his six wives, loved Jane Seymour the most, as he wanted to be buried alongside her coffin and she was the only one to give Henry a living son. We remember Henry VIII for his six wives, but his larger than life ‘presence’ in English history proves that he was a very strong King who, at least tried, to do the right thing for his people.

(A lot of my research has come from the book “Henry VIII” A Life From Beginning to End).