Happy Birthday, Henry VIII, King of England

Henry VIII was born on June 28, 1491, in Greenwich, England. His parents, Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, had two sons: Henry, and his older brother, Prince Arthur, who died in 1502. Henry VIII took the throne in 1509. In his youth, Henry was a keen scholar, musician and sportsman who never hunted “without tiring eight or ten horses,” according to a contemporary. As avid as he was about his intellect and athleticism, Henry was equally dedicated to his faith, often attending three Masses a day.

Henry VIII is widely considered one of Britain’s most important leaders; his reign lasted nearly four decades. Everything he did, he did with gusto: according to Professor Ron Hutton, Henry VIII “brought to the job an almost manic energy, fueled by a huge appetite for food and drink.” In addition to founding the Church of England (to get religious sanction for his divorce of first wife Catherine of Aragon), Henry presided over the remodeling of Britain’s financial system and the incorporation of Wales into the English administration. He also ordered the construction of numerous significant buildings. A lover of music and books, he established a personal library of nearly 1,000 works, many of which were embellished with his personal notes.

The Catholic Encyclopedia “New Advent” offers an in depth narrative look at the events of Henry VIII’s reign with an especially thorough account of the king’s relationship to his advisors, wives and his work in British foreign policy. 

Henry VIII’s rule was marked by violence, not only against his enemies, but also against his loved ones: his wives were especially at risk, with two of them executed at the hand of the erratic king. According to the PBS series “The Six Wives of Henry VIII,” Henry had “a suspiciousness of others bordering on paranoia.” The series takes a look at the ruler from his various queens’ point of view.

King Henry VIII died on Jan. 28, 1547. His young and sickly son, King Edward VI, reigned for a mere 6 years, and Edward's immediate successor, his cousin Lady Jane Grey, lasted a mere 9 days before her execution. Henry’s elder daughter, Queen Mary I, briefly returned the country to Catholicism. Her short rule of 5 years was followed by that of her half-sister, Queen Elizabeth I, whose 45-year tenure on the throne is widely regarded as a golden age of the British monarchy.