Henry VIII was a king of England who greatly influenced English history. He separated the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church. Henry is often remembered for his pleasure-seeking lifestyle, his cruelty, and his many different wives. However, he was well educated and a capable ruler.
Henry VIII was born at Greenwich Palace in London on June 28, 1491. Although a stubborn child, he excelled in education. He studied languages, philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, writing, and speaking. This was all taught under his tutor John Skelton.
Henry's life took a big change when his older brother, Arthur, died. Henry was the rightful heir to the throne and was named Prince of Whales in 1503. Henry also married Arthur's former wife, Catherine of Aragon. She gave birth to a daughter, Mary.
King Henry was a strong Catholic in his early years of his reign. In 1521 he published a book on the Sacraments in reply to Martin Luther's complaints to the Catholic Church. For this the Pope named Henry, "Defender of the Faith.".
After twenty years of marriage with Catherine, Henry had gotten tired of her and started to have affairs with ladies of the court. He eventually fell in love with Anne.
Boleyn. He wanted to divorce Catherine. He argued that his marriage with Catherine displeased God. Henry sent a cardinal to Rome to present the case to the Pope. The Pope did not let the divorce happen. .
A new chief minister, Thomas Cromwell proposed that England break with the ways of the Pope. The result was the Church of England, with Henry as supreme head, separate from Rome but otherwise Catholic. By these acts Henry gained the power to appoint his own bishops. He used it to appoint one of Anne Boleyn's friends, Thomas Cromwell, as archbishop of Canterbury. Parliament passed a law prohibiting appeals to the pope in matters of marriage. Such questions were now to be decided by the archbishop, Thomas Cromwell, who declared Henry's union with Catherine void.
