The England of King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I (Part 1)

Focus on England, particularly under the reigns of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.
Exploration of how the Reformation influenced English history.
Introduction to the transition from absolutism to constitutional monarchy within the early modern period.

Henry VII was born in 1491 and ascended the throne in 1509.
He reigned until 1547.
He was a teenager when he became king.
Married Katherine of Aragon, a Spanish princess, in 1509.
Marriage aimed to strengthen alliances and dynastic claims.
- Complication: Katherine was previously married to Henry's older brother, Arthur, who died in 1503.
- Katherine was five years older than Henry.

The Protestant Reformation was well-established by the 1520s.
Henry began to grow weary of Katherine, mainly due to her inability to provide a male heir.
In approximately 1526, Henry's interest shifted towards Anne Boleyn, one of Katherine's ladies-in-waiting.
Anne aspired to be queen rather than merely a mistress.

Henry petitioned Pope Clement VII to annul his marriage to Katherine, a situation referred to as the "King's Great Matter."
- The request was integral to securing a male heir for the Tudor dynasty.
The Pope refused the annulment multiple times, attempting to maintain papal power in a time of increasing resistance.
The lack of a male heir was critical as the monarchy was dominated by male succession.

Faced with refusal from the Pope, Henry decided to break with Rome.
This action aimed to eliminate papal authority over English affairs.
Note: Henry was originally a critic of the Protestant Reformation and had defended Catholicism.
He was even titled "Defender of the Faith" by the papacy prior to this decision.

In 1533, Henry secretly married Anne Boleyn initially.
Following this, the Tudor Parliament declared appeals to Rome illegal, further weakening Katherine's position.
Katherine was stripped of her title, becoming the Dowager Princess of Wales.
February 1533: Thomas Cranmer, the new Archbishop of Canterbury, crowned Anne as Queen of England.
Anne was pregnant at this time, particularly influencing Henry's decision-making.

Anne Boleyn gave birth to a daughter, Elizabeth, in September 1533.
- Henry had anticipated a male heir based on astrological predictions.
- The birth led to disappointment; plans for a celebration tournament were cancelled.
Elizabeth was baptized, and although Henry did not attend, she was raised at Hatfield, once a royal palace.
- Raised in the Protestant faith due to her Boleyn heritage.

Elizabeth's half-sister, Mary (born 1516), was sent to serve as one of Elizabeth's ladies-in-waiting at Hatfield.
- Mary, a devout Roman Catholic and daughter of Katherine, resented Anne Boleyn and viewed her as a rival.
Tensions were heightened due to Mary’s refusal to recognize Henry as the head of the Church of England, positioning her as a potential figurehead for Catholic dissent in England.
Interaction among the royal family members showcased the religious and political divide created by the Reformation, with Elizabeth being raised Protestant and Mary as a staunch Catholic.

The early years of Elizabeth I were marked by familial conflict amid the significant religious transformation in England.
Henry’s actions set the stage for critical shifts in governance and religious authority that would influence Elizabeth’s reign and the future of the English monarchy.