Henry VIII
Protestant reformer
Who was Henry VIII?
Henry VIII was one of six siblings, but only three survived. His older brother was expected to take the throne, but he died at age fifteen, leaving Henry in line for the throne. At the age of seventeen, Henry married Catherine of Aragon. Their marriage started out as a happy one. The two were crowned King and Queen where then, England would be converted to Protestantism.
Divorced, Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived
Henry VIII was known for having many wives. He and his first wife, Catherine, had a daughter named, Mary. Once his first wife got older and was not able to have children, he realized that he was not going to be able to have a male heir. He decided to divorce Catherine.
Catholicism vs. Anglicanism
Henry VIII broke away from Rome. After he broke away, he still considered himself Catholic. In the Anglican religion, Henry told Parliament to adopt The Six Articles which determined the main teachings of the English Church. The Articles concluded and maintained similar teachings of the Catholic Church. One main difference was the acceptance of divorce in the Anglican Church. After he died, his articles were repealed and that is when there were major changes between Catholicism and Protestantism. At the beginning, the teachings of Anglicanism were almost the same as the Catholic beliefs. Catholicism does not believe in divorce. In Luke 16:18 it states, "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery".
Fun Facts:
- He was 17 when he was crowned.
- He was good friends with St. Thomas More before Henry tried to break away from the church.
- He was buried next to Jane Seymour in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.
- He liked to joust and play tennis.
- He built up the Navy. By the time he died there were more than 50 ships.
- He survived small pox.