Henry VIII - Info pack

Henry VIII, ascending to the throne of England in 1509, is renowned for initiating the nation's shift from Catholicism to Protestantism. This transformation was further consolidated by his daughter, Elizabeth I, who, during her reign until 1603, pushed the Protestant agenda to the extent that Catholicism was relegated to the fringes, with priests conducting Mass in secrecy and Catholics obliged to attend Protestant services. The reasons for Henry's break from Rome were multifaceted, encompassing financial gain, power consolidation, religious change, and the need for a clear line of succession. This rupture not only facilitated his divorce from Catherine of Aragon but also enriched the monarchy through the dissolution of monasteries, the appropriation of their lands, and the sale of their assets, thereby financing wars and settling debts.

Henry VIII's marital history began with Catherine of Aragon, who had previously been wed to his elder brother Arthur until his untimely death at 15. Upon Arthur's death and Henry VII's subsequent passing in 1509, Henry VIII ascended to the throne and married Catherine. Despite numerous pregnancies, only their daughter Mary survived infancy, which was a disappointment to Henry who coveted a male heir to secure the Tudor dynasty. His marriage to Catherine grew strained, influenced by his belief that his lack of a male heir was divine punishment for marrying his brother's widow. His affections turned to Anne Boleyn, one of Catherine's ladies-in-waiting. Despite the Pope's refusal to annul his marriage to Catherine, Henry's determination to marry Anne led to a secret wedding and ultimately to the establishment of the Church of England with the Act of Supremacy in 1534, which proclaimed him as its Supreme Head and enabled him to divorce Catherine.