Henry VIII

Henry VIII was crowned in 1509 and he married his brother’s widow Catherine of Aragon. He was charming, well educated and he had a strong personality. When Henry VIII was crowned England was Catholic. In Germany than Martin Luther started Protestantism because he didn’t approve of the Pope. He thought that the Church had to be humble so the fact that the Pope sold indulgences was atrocious for Martin Luther, also because the Pope is not God. Henry VIII was afraid of the protestant reform because if the Church started to lose its power it was just a question of time before he would lose his power so he wrote a pamphlet against Martin Luther supporting the Pope. The Pope Leo X nominated Henry Fidei Difensor or Defender of Faith. Henry did not have a male heir and Catherine of Aragon had difficulties bearing children so, when Henry’s mistress Anne Boleyn got pregnant, Henry asked the Pope to annul his marriage to Catherine in order to marry Anne and make the child legitimate. The Pope, who had an alleance with Spain, denied the request so Henry in 1534 turned to Protestantism by signing the Act of Supremacy, assisted by the Archbishop of Canterbury and his Chancellor Thomas Cromwell.

This Act of Supremacy stated that the head of the Church was the King himself and that England was Anglican. Henry then closed all the monasteries and took their money, he made the nobles sign the act and killed those who refused like Thomas More.

Henry married six times in his life. Anne Boleyn wasn’t loved by the court because she was ambitious and they thought she was a witch so she was accused of plotting against the king and was beheaded for treason on 19 May 1536. He then married Jane Seymour that gave him a son Edward but died of childbirth. He then needed a new wife so his Chancellor Thomas Cromwell chose Anne De Clerk because she was the daughter of an important german protestant but Henry declared Anne as ugly as a horse so he annulled the marriage and Thomas Cromwell was beheaded. He then married Catherine Howard but she cheated on him and she was executed in 1542. The last marriage was with Catherine Parr that became his widow at his death in 1547