Henry VIII was king of England (1509-1547), and the founder of the He was the son of King Henry VII he influenced the character of the English monarchy. Henry was born in London on June 28, 1491 and his dad died in1509 henry married his brothers widow Catherine of Aragon. This wasthe first of his six marriages. Henry was a good looking man and was anathlete. In 1511 henry Joined in the holy league against France, and in1513 he led the English forces through a victorious campaign innorthern France. In 1514 he arranged a marriage between his sisterMary and Louis XII of France, they formed an alliance. In 1525 riotsbroke out in England in protest against an attempt by henry to levytaxes for military purposes. In 1527 henry announced his desire to divorce his wife. Thereason they divorced was that he thought she could not have a boy.Her only surviving child was Mary. henry was in love with Anne Boleyn ayoung beautiful lady waiting to be queen. Holy roman emperor CharlesV, Catherines nephew, strongly opposed the divorce, and pope ClementVII, who Charles had made a prisoner, could not disprove the marriagewithout displeasing his captor. In 1529, the pope released the case toRome. When the prospect of securing a papal annulment seemedhopeless, Henry dismissed Wolsey and appointed Sir Thomas More. In 1532 Henry married secretly married Anne Boylen, who wascrowned queen after Thomas Cranmer, declared the marriage withCatherine void and that with Anne valid. Although Henry was immediately excommunicated, he repudiatedpapel jurisdiction in 1534 and made himself the supreme ecclesiastical authority in England. The English people were required to affirm underoath Henrys supremacy and the act of succession. Sir Thomas Moreand John Fisher were executed for refusing to accept the religioussupremacy of the English monarchy. In 1536, after charging Anne Bolyen with incest and adultery,Henry had ...
