Great Britain historically occupies a special place in Europe. Separated from continental Europe by the sea, Foggy Albion, while remaining part of the Old World, has many fundamental differences from its neighbors.
Henry VIII in his youth, in the year of his accession to the throne (1509). Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
Among these differences is the Anglican Church, a Christian denomination that was formed not only and not so much as a result of religious discussions, but because of the stormy temperament and ambitions of King Henry VIII.
Youngest son born in 1491 Henry VII should have become not a monarch, but a priest. From a young age, he studied theology, attended up to six masses a day, and even wrote treatises on religious topics himself.
His father's plans for the prince changed dramatically in 1502, when Henry's older brother died Arthur.
An 11-year-old boy, who was preparing to devote his life to serving God, now had to prepare to rule the state.
Moreover, Henry VII announced to his son that he would marry... his brother’s widow, a Spanish princess Catherine of Aragon. The king wanted to strengthen ties with Spain at all costs, and even the death of his eldest son just a few months after the wedding did not change his intentions.
Moreover, the widowed king wanted to marry Catherine himself, but the Spaniards opposed this.
For the young prince, the world turned upside down. Just yesterday he was five minutes before a priest, bound by a vow of celibacy, and today he is already five minutes before a king with his legal wife.
The prince, crowned Henry VIII, ascended the throne at the age of 17. During the first years of his reign he was under the influence of the bishop Richard Fox and the archbishop William Wareham.
Catherine of Aragon. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
In the first years of the reign of Henry VIII, it seemed that the position of the Catholic Church in England was unshakable, and the winds of the Reformation, gaining strength on the continent, would have no influence on the British.
The young king remained pious, attending mass several times a day, and in 1521, inspired by another of his mentors, the cardinal Thomas Wolsey, wrote the book “In Defense of the Seven Sacraments,” in which he defended the Catholic Church from church reformers.
For this book the Pope Leo X awarded Henry VIII the title "Defender of the Faith".
But the further he went, the more the king changed. He tasted the delights of secular power, became familiar with the various joys of earthly, rather than spiritual life, and soon began to be irritated by various restrictions and obstacles that arose due to the broad rights of the clergy, for whom the main ruler was not the King of England, but the Pope.
In his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, he had several children, but all the boys died in infancy, only his daughter Maria survived.
The English king did not want to agree that “everything is God’s will” and decided that the most correct way out of the situation would be to change the queen.
Moreover, he had already chosen a “successor” - the favorite was supposed to give birth to a son to Henry VIII
Ann Bolein. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
The theological school of his youth was not in vain: the king stated that the reason for his lack of sons was the illegality of his first marriage. Henry VIII argued that marrying his brother's widow was against the canons, and that marriage required the permission of the Pope, which was not obtained. And since there was no permission, then the marriage should be annulled.
But all the king’s arguments were defeated by the decision of Pope Clement VII, who refused to annul the marriage of Henry VIII to Catherine of Aragon.
The rightful queen and her supporters celebrated the victory, and Henry VIII was furious. Why is the fate of the English royal dynasty being decided by some Roman saint? Why should he, the king, depend on the opinion of the monk?
Yes, the pious boy turned into an imperious and decisive monarch who was ready to go straight to his desired goal.
Supporters of the Church Reformation, who until then had little influence in England, raised their heads. Of course, they received a unique chance to change their position in the country.
In 1529, Henry VIII convened the English Parliament, already seeking from it a solution to the issue of annulment of the marriage. A split emerged in parliament - supporters of Rome and adherents of the Reformation each stood their ground. But the king clearly understood for himself who he could continue to rely on, and who would become his worst enemy.
The first victim of the king's struggle was his former mentor and adviser Thomas Wolsey, an ardent supporter of Catholicism who was accused of treason. Wolsey faced the chopping block, but, unlike others, he was lucky to a certain extent - he died a natural death before the trial.
And Henry VIII decided to cut the Gordian knot and immediately accused the entire English clergy of treason. The king stated that the priests’ loyalty to Rome in the current situation was nothing more than an attempt on royal power.
In 1532, England passed a law prohibiting English subjects from submitting to the authority of foreign rulers, including the Pope. On the basis of this law, hundreds of influential supporters of Catholicism were sent to prison and to the chopping block.
In the same 1532, the chief priest of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury, became Thomas Cranmer, an open supporter of Protestantism. He fulfilled the wishes of Henry VIII and annulled the king's marriage in an ecclesiastical court, after which he married Anne Boleyn.
Pope Clement VII excommunicated the English king from the church, which only provoked Henry VIII and pushed him to further action.
In 1534, perhaps the main document of the English Reformation, the “Act of Supremation,” was adopted. According to him, it was not the Pope, but the reigning monarch who was declared the head of the English church. The Pope in England no longer influenced anything.
In order to break the resistance of his opponents, Henry VIII attacked the monasteries, closing them and confiscating the lands. At the same time, Cranmer and his supporters carried out reforms in the spirit of Protestantism within the church itself, ruthlessly suppressing opponents.
Alas, the main goal for which the king went ahead, regardless of anything, was not achieved - Anne Boleyn bore him not a son, but a daughter named Elizabeth.
Henry VIII was terribly disappointed. In addition, Anna turned out to be very capricious; she allowed herself much more than, in her husband’s opinion, the queen could afford.
Jane Seymour. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
Very soon the king found himself a new passion, a maid of honor. But if, getting rid of his first wife, Henry VIII showed a certain humanism, then he acted cruelly with Anna, who disappointed him - accused of state and adultery, the king’s second wife was beheaded.
After this, Henry VIII went into all serious ways, by the end of his life bringing the number of his wives to six, two of whom he divorced, and executed two more for treason.
At the same time, the king, who initiated church reform for political reasons, was not a strong supporter of Protestantism, so the policy towards the church underwent changes depending on what religious views the next wife had.
Henry VIII achieved his goal - Jane Seymour gave birth to his son. But the king never found out that he failed to prevent the extinction of the dynasty. The only son of Henry VIII, who ascended the throne at the age of nine under the name of Edward VI, died at the age of 15, having, however, managed to pass a number of laws that strengthened the position of Protestantism.
After the death of Edward VI, Mary, the daughter of Catherine of Aragon, rejected by Henry VIII, became Queen of England. A zealous Catholic who hated her father, she was determined to roll back all the reforms of Henry VIII and return England to the fold of Catholicism.
The main reformer of the English church, Thomas Cranmer, who refused to renounce his beliefs, was burned at the stake by order of the queen. Many of his supporters also paid with their lives for their beliefs. Maria I entered history as Bloody Mary.
Perhaps the counter-reformation she started would have been completed, but after five years of rule she died during one of the epidemics.
The heir to the throne was Elizabeth I, the daughter of Anne Boleyn, whose birth had so disappointed her father Henry VIII.
Without much sympathy for her father, the queen nevertheless decided to strengthen power on the basis of church reforms begun under Henry VIII.
The 35-year reign of Elizabeth I, which is called the “Golden Age of England,” finally cemented the victory of the supporters of the Anglican Church.
To this day, the head of the church in England is the reigning monarch - thanks to the passionate temperament and determination of Henry VIII.
King Henry VIII Tudor ruled England in the 16th century. He became the second monarch of the Tudor dynasty. Known for his numerous marriages, because of one of them he rebelled against the Catholic Church, broke ties with the papacy and became the head of the Anglican Church.
The monarch suffered from mental disorders and by the end of his reign he could not distinguish between his real political opponents and his imaginary ones. After the English Reformation, he made England a Protestant country. His influence on the country is still felt today. The ruler’s life was described in a dozen novels, films and TV series.
Henry VIII was born on June 28, 1491 in Greenwich, England. He became the third child in the family of King Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York. The boy was raised by his grandmother, Lady Margaret Beaufort. She instilled spiritual values in the young monarch, attending mass with him and studying the Bible.
At the age of fifteen, his older brother, Arthur, died. It was he who was supposed to ascend the throne, but after his death, Henry VIII became the first contender. He received the title Prince of Wales and began preparations for his coronation.
His father, King Henry VII, tried to expand the influence of England and strengthen alliances with neighboring countries, so he insisted that his son marry Catherine of Aragon, the daughter of the founders of the Spanish state and the widow of his brother. There is no documentary evidence, but there are rumors that the young man was categorically against this marriage.
In 1509, after the death of his father, seventeen-year-old Henry VIII ascended the throne. For the first two years of his reign, all government affairs were handled by Richard Fox and William Wareham. After them, power passed to Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, who later became Lord Chancellor of England. Traditionally, a young king could not rule himself, so while he gained experience and matured, real power was in the hands of experienced assistants who dealt with important issues during the reign of the previous king.
In 1512, Henry VIII won the first victory in his biography. He led his fleet on the way to the shores of France. There the English army defeated the French and returned home victorious.
In general, the war with France continued until 1525 with varying success. The monarch managed to reach the capital of the enemy country, but soon the military treasury of England was empty, and he had no choice but to conclude a truce. It is worth noting that the king himself often appeared on the battlefield. He was an archer and obliged all his subjects to practice archery for an hour a week.
The country's domestic policy was far from ideal. Henry VIII, with his decrees, ruined small peasants, as a result of which tens of thousands of vagabonds appeared in England. To cope with this problem, the king issued a decree “On Vagrancy”. Because of him, thousands of former peasants were hanged.
Of course, the most significant contribution to the development of England is church reform. Due to the disagreement of the Catholic Church with the divorce of the monarch, he completely broke ties with the papacy. After this, he brought charges of treason against Pope Clement VII.
He also appointed Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury, who easily declared the marriage of Henry and Catherine invalid. Soon the king married. He went on to uproot the Roman Church in England. All temples, cathedrals and churches were closed. All property was confiscated in favor of the state, all priests and preachers were executed, and Bibles not in English were burned. By order of the king, the graves of saints were opened and plundered.
In 1540, Henry VIII executed Thomas Cromwell, who was the king's chief assistant in reform. After this, he returned to the Catholic faith and issued the “Six Articles Act,” which was supported by the English Parliament. According to the act, all residents of the kingdom were required to bring gifts during the mass, receive communion, and confess. He obliged the clergy to observe the vow of celibacy and other monastic vows. Anyone who disagreed with the act was executed for treason.
After the monarch executed his fifth Catholic wife, he again decided to change the church faith in England. He banned Catholic rituals and returned Protestant ones. Henry VIII's reforms were inconsistent and illogical, but they managed to create their own English Church, independent of Rome.
At the end of his reign, Henry VIII became even more ruthless. Historians say that he had a genetic disease that affected his psyche - made him suspicious, hot-tempered and cruel. He executed everyone who was displeasing to him.
The English king was married six times. His father chose his first wife. He divorced Catherine of Aragon, leaving her the title of his brother's widow. The reason for the divorce was that all of Catherine’s children died during her pregnancy or immediately after. Only her daughter, Mary, managed to survive, but Henry VIII dreamed of an heir. In 1553, his daughter became the first Queen of England, known as Bloody Mary.
Anne Boleyn became the king's second wife. She refused to be his mistress, so the monarch decided to divorce Catherine. It was Anna who inspired Henry VIII that the king was responsible only to himself and the crown, and the opinion of the clergy in Rome should not worry him. After this, the king decided to reform.
In 1533, Anna became the legal wife of the head of state. That same year the girl was crowned. Exactly nine months after the wedding, Anna gave birth to the king's daughter. All subsequent pregnancies ended unsuccessfully, and the king was disappointed in his wife. He accused her of treason and executed her in the spring of 1536.
The next wife of Henry VIII was Anne's maid of honor -. The wedding took place a week after the execution of the king's second wife. It was Jane who managed to give birth to the monarch's long-awaited heir in 1537. The Queen died shortly after the birth of her son due to birth complications.
The next marriage became a political move. The English king married Anna of Cleves, daughter of Johann III of Cleves, who was a German duke. Heinrich decided that he wanted to see the girl first and only then make a decision, so he ordered her portrait.
The king liked Anna's appearance, and he decided to marry. When they met, the monarch did not like the bride at all, and he tried to get rid of his wife as soon as possible. In 1540, the marriage was annulled due to the girl's previous engagement. Because the marriage was unsuccessful, the one who organized it, Thomas Cromwell, was executed.
In the summer of 1540, Henry VIII married the sister of his second wife, Catherine Howard. The king fell in love with the girl, but did not know that she had a lover before the wedding. She cheated on the monarch with him even after the wedding. The girl was also noticed in connection with the page of the head of state. In 1542, Catherine and all those responsible were executed.
The sixth and last wife of the English king was Catherine Parr. The Englishwoman became a widow twice before her marriage to the monarch. She was a Protestant and her wife was persuaded to her faith. After the death of Henry VIII, she married twice more.
The King of England suffered from a dozen diseases. Obesity became his main problem. He began to move less, his waist exceeded 1.5 meters. He moved only with the help of special devices.
During the hunt, Heinrich was injured, which later became fatal. The doctors treated her, but after a leg injury, the wound became infected and the wound began to grow.
The doctors shrugged their shoulders and said that the disease was fatal. The wound festered, the king’s mood deteriorated, and his despotic tendencies became more and more apparent.
He changed his diet - he almost completely removed vegetables and fruits, leaving only red meat. Doctors are confident that this was the cause of the king’s death on January 28, 1547.
Story about six wives of Henry VIII worries directors, writers and just society almost 500 years later.
“It was the time of giants. We are all dwarfs compared to those people” (A. Dumas “Twenty Years Later”)
In June 1520, a meeting between the English and French kings took place near the port of Calais. The place of this meeting later received the name “Field of the Cloth of Gold.” But more on that later.
By the beginning of the 20s of the 16th century. Europe was simultaneously ruled by 3 strong and ambitious monarchs. They were approximately the same age and ascended to the throne at approximately the same time. They were the kings of England ( Henry VIII), France (Francis I) and Spain (Charles I), also known as the Holy Roman Emperor under the name Charles V. They inherited strong, centralized states, the unification of which was completed literally a couple of decades before their reign, with strong royal power and subordinate feudal lords .
This happened in France first. Louis XI, the first king to reign after the end of the Hundred Years' War, in just over 20 years of his reign transformed a virtually destroyed country, divided by large feudal lords into spheres of influence, into the strongest state in Europe at that time with almost absolute power of the monarch. The Estates General (Parliament) was assembled only once during his reign. The process of unification of France was completed by 1483. Francis I was Louis's great-nephew.
In England, this was facilitated by Henry VIII's father, Henry VII. He seized the throne, overthrew Richard III, married his niece, and ended the Wars of the Roses. The date of accession to the throne of Henry VII is 1485.
And finally, the Reconquista ended in Spain, which led to the reconquest of Spanish lands from the Moors and their subsequent unification under the rule of the crown. This happened during the reign of Charles V's grandparents - the Catholic Kings Ferdinand II and Isabella I. 1492.
If the beginning of the Middle Ages has an exact date down to a specific day - August 23, 476 - then the date of their end is much more controversial. Some believe that this is the English Revolution (1640), others - the day of the storming of the Bastille (1789), there are also dates for the fall of Constantinople (1453), the discovery of America (1492), the beginning of the Reformation (1517) , Battle of Pavia (1525), where firearms were first widely used. If we take the last 2 dates as a starting point, it turns out that Henry VIII, Francis I and Charles V are, among other things, the first monarchs of the New Age.
Charles V (I) was the youngest of the three kings. In 1520 he was 20 years old. At 16, he inherited the throne of Spain after the death of his grandfather Ferdinand. At 19 - the throne of the Roman Empire after the death of his second grandfather Maximilian I. Charles's father died very young, and his mother, Juana the Mad, was unable to rule. Karl's origin was the most "noble". His maternal grandparents were the Spanish kings Ferdinand and Isabella. On her father's side - Emperor Maximilian and the ruler of Burgundy, Maria, the only daughter of the last Duke of Burgundy, Charles the Bold. Charles inherited all these lands, receiving the unspoken title “Master of the Universe,” on whose empire the sun never set.
Henry VIII was the eldest. He was 29. At 18 he ascended the throne. On his mother's side, Henry was a descendant of ancient English kings from the Plantagenet dynasty. My father's origins were less noble. Here his ancestors were the Tudors and the Beauforts. Both families came from illegal marriages of their founders and were themselves considered illegitimate for a long time.
Francis I was 26. At 21 he became King of France. His background was the “worst” of all. He was the son of the Duke of Angoulême. He was the nephew of his predecessor Louis XII and the great-nephew of Louis XI. Francis ascended the throne only because there were no other male heirs. To secure his rights, he had to marry the daughter of Louis XII, Claude of France. However, Francis was a strong and charismatic personality. In addition, behind him stood his domineering mother Louise of Savoy and no less charismatic sister Margarita. These women supported the king in everything, and later, together with Charles V’s aunt Margaret of Austria, they concluded the so-called. Ladies' world (Paix des Dames). So it was a time of giants not only among men.
Throughout subsequent history in Europe there was a constant struggle for influence between the Habsburgs in Spain and the Valois and Bourbons in France. England stood a little to the side, but was considered by both as a possible ally. For this purpose, in June 1520, a meeting was organized between Henry and Francis. The latter was at war with Charles and sought support in England. Henry, in turn, had already met with Karl and - moreover - was married to his aunt Catherine of Aragon (which never really prevented him from conflicting with Karl).
The “Field of Cloth of Gold” got its name for the disproportionate luxury of the retinues of both monarchs, each of whom tried to look as rich as possible. The tents in the camp were made of gold and silver fabric. Henry's tent occupied an area of 10 thousand square meters. A wine fountain was installed in the camp, and tournaments were constantly held. In general, classic - who has it richer.
Henry, by the way, was terribly nervous, and a few weeks before the meeting he was constantly tormented by the question of whether he should go with a beard or vice versa, which would be more respectable and impressive. As a result, the queen advised him to go with a beard, Henry later regretted it.
However, the entire external gloss remained the same. The consequences of the meeting were minimal. Especially after Francis put Henry on his back in hand-to-hand combat at the tournament. The latter did not forgive the humiliation. After 2 years, Henry entered into an alliance with Charles and began a war with France.
In the same 1522, English nobles returned from France, among whom was the Queen’s 15-year-old maid of honor Claude Anna Boleyn - the second of six wives of Henry VIII.
Henry VIII was born on June 28, 1491 in Greenwich. He was the third child and second son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. His elder brother Arthur was considered the heir to the throne. It was no coincidence that Henry VII gave this name to his eldest son. Traditional royal names were Edward, Henry, and Richard. The latter, for obvious reasons, was not in honor among the Tudors - even distant royal relatives did not have sons with that name (God forbid, they would be accused of secret sympathy for the Yorks). Since the not very noble Henry VII had complexes all his life about his origins and the legitimacy of his rise to power, he tried by any means to emphasize the greatness of the new dynasty. Therefore, the eldest son and heir was named neither more nor less in honor of the legendary Arthur. He gave his second son the traditional name Henry.
Henry VIII's parents Henry VII and Elizabeth of York:
Arthur received the best education for that time, his parents had high hopes for him and purposefully prepared him for royal duties. Prince Henry was also well educated, but he received much less attention. Meanwhile, the difference between the brothers was significant. Arthur grew up as a fragile, sickly child. There is even a version that due to poor health he was never able to enter into a relationship with his wife Catherine. Henry, on the contrary, was distinguished by amazing health, was very strong and physically developed. Arthur's death in 1502 at the age of 15 left Henry VII in deep shock. The younger prince began to be urgently trained in the ability to rule the kingdom. At the same time, his parents decided to have more sons - this was extremely necessary, because... The Tudors had no more contenders, and the Yorks were left with plenty of representatives. But Queen Elizabeth died in childbirth along with her newborn daughter. Another 6 years later the king died. Henry VIII ascended the throne at the age of 18. At that time he had a beautiful appearance (not like in later years). He was athletically developed, tall and fair-haired, was well educated (thanks to the timely care of his parents), intelligent and had a cheerful disposition, although with periodic bouts of anger, he loved hunting and other entertainment. English humanists, among whom was Thomas More, had high hopes for Henry and called him the “Golden Prince of the Renaissance.” In those years, no one could have imagined in him a future tyrant and cruel killer.
The reign of Henry VIII was almost 40 years, the entire first half of the 16th century.
Still from the film " Henry VIII and his six wives“.It is clear that the actor is 2 times older, but, unfortunately, there are no portraits of Henry in his youth and youth to see what he was like before he became monstrously obese and sick. In addition, pay attention - in this frame Henry is still dressed in the fashion of the Italian Renaissance - this is the very beginning of the 16th century. — 1510s.
And this is already the 1520s. Fashion has changed, and is inspired by the costumes of the Landsknechts, the German mercenaries who became very popular after the Battle of Pavia.
The undershirt that comes out in the slits of the sleeves, the slits and puffs - everything is taken from the clothes of the Landsknechts. Many Englishmen, including Henry, were fascinated by this fashion. Landsknechts are the “glamorous scum” of the Renaissance. Their life was spent in wars and campaigns and was very short, so they tried to decorate themselves as brightly (and pretentiously) as possible during their lifetime. Well, initially, the predecessors of these trendy cuts were ordinary rags, into which the clothes of mercenaries turned into during strikes with swords or spears.
This fashion turned out to be very tenacious. Even later, when the English costume underwent changes under the influence of French and then Spanish fashion, elements of the mercenary costume remained in the clothes of Henry VIII and his son - for example, the slightly elongated “skirt” of the doublets was a reminder of the armor of the Landsknechts.
Although Henry ruled independently from the age of 18, his wife Catherine of Aragon, the widow of his brother Arthur, had a significant influence on foreign policy. Later, when her influence began to fade, Cardinal Wolsey took up the matter. This lasted approximately 15 years.
To be continued…
King Henry VIII is probably the most famous English ruler of all time. There are simply countless stories, TV series and films about him. Henry VIII is best known for being very fat, having an unhealthy penchant for beheadings, and having 6 wives during his 38-year reign. However, this king from the Tudor dynasty became famous not only for the above.
All portraits of King Henry that survive to this day usually depict him as a man with a beard and very overweight. However, in his younger years he was actually known as a sex symbol. Henry VIII was popular among ladies not only because of his money and power, Henry was also admired because of his looks. First, he shaved for most of his life. Heinrich was also very tall for his time (191 cm) and had a wild head of bright red hair. Henry also had an athletic physique thanks to his love of knightly “fun,” hunting and tennis, and the future king was especially famous for his notorious “six pack” on his stomach. Only after Heinrich had an accident in adulthood, which led to a permanent leg injury, did he begin to gain weight and eventually turned into that same “mountain man” that everyone knows from the films.
Although he is arguably the most famous English monarch of all time, Henry VIII was never meant to ascend to the throne. There are two reasons for this. First, his father, Henry VII, seized the throne from King Richard III after the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 and therefore he was not the rightful king of England. In fact, Henry VII's claim to the throne was extremely weak; he was the great-grandson of King Edward III's fourth son by his third wife. If the succession had continued, Henry would never have even come close to the crown. In addition, Henry VIII had an older brother named Arthur, who was expected to ascend to the throne after his father's death. But Arthur died when he was only 15 years old, leaving Henry as the sole heir.
Although it is known that Henry VIII was overweight in his later years, it is difficult to imagine how obese he was. However, even a quick glance at his daily menu makes it easy to understand why the king was so “big.” Every day he ate about 13 times, and his diet mainly consisted of meat (chicken, lamb, pork, rabbit, swans, peacocks and venison). Not only did he eat too much, but he also drank up to 35 liters of ale and sweetened red wine every week. On average, the number of calories was about 5,000 per day, which is twice the recommended amount for an active person today. Not surprisingly, one of his surviving suits of armor (today on display in the Tower of London) has a waist measurement of 132cm.
Despite the fact that Henry VIII had six wives throughout his life, it is likely that the monarch was very shy in the bedroom. Henry is known to have had numerous mistresses over the years, some of whom he had children with, but there is no evidence that he attempted any unusual sexual practices with them. Although Henry was very fond of women, it seems that he preferred to stick to the "tried and traditional" methods of lovemaking and was reportedly shocked by Anne Boleyn's sexual knowledge when she finally succumbed to his entreaties. In fact, her “French practices in the bedroom” were the basis for the accusation when Anne was put on trial for witchcraft and adultery, as well as for “sleeping with a hundred men,” and was executed.
There is no doubt that Henry VIII was an extremely intelligent and educated man. He was fluent in at least three languages, and was also well versed in many fields of science, from theology to medicine. However, most people are completely unaware that he was the first king of England to write and publish his own book. In 1521, Henry VIII published A Defense of the Seven Sacraments (Latin, Assertio Septem Sacramentorum) in response to Martin Luther's 95 Theses. Henry was rewarded for this book by the pope, who gave the king the title “Defender of the Faith.”
For generations, people associated the song "Greensleeves" with Henry VIII; however, the Tudor monarch did not actually compose the song. Although this ballad was almost certainly written by someone in Henry's royal court, the monarch himself had nothing to do with its creation. However, the king was a very accomplished musician, able to play the lute and recorder, and he composed several pieces of music, including "Time in Good Company." Perhaps the best surviving example of his musical genius is the Henry VIII manuscript, a collection of over 100 instrumental pieces and songs that were written by several of Henry VIII's foreign and court musicians. Almost a third of this collection (no less than 33 works) was compiled by King Henry himself.
Even when he was young and healthy, Henry was very afraid of death and disease. He was especially afraid of contracting the plague or the "English sweat", two diseases that were common in England during Henry's time. He was so afraid of becoming infected that he stayed away from anyone from whom he might contract the disease, and when London experienced an outbreak of the “English sweat” in 1517 and 1518, Henry left the city for almost a year. He even refused to receive ambassadors at one point, and also (despite his great passion for her) refused to even approach Anne Boleyn in 1528 until the epidemic had passed. It is possible that the death of his brother Arthur, aged just 15, was the cause of Henry's hypochondria, but his fear of the disease was so great that the king demanded that doctors examine him every morning.
One of the facts that everyone knows about Henry VIII is his difficulty in conceiving a male heir. Today it is believed that his blood was actually to blame. There is a modern theory that suggests that Henry may have had a rare blood type that was positive for the Kell group of antigens. This would mean that during pregnancy, mothers developed antibodies that would “attack” future fetuses. Since Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn had several miscarriages in late stages of their pregnancies, and Henry's two sons (the legitimate Edward VI and Henry Fitzroy, a bastard from his mistress Elizabeth Blount) were the result of the women's first pregnancies, this theory is quite possible.
Most people know that Henry VIII had a terrible temper and was prone to angry outbursts, but the reasons for this remain unknown. Henry was known in his time for his unpredictable behavior, especially during his later life, and his courtiers often got into his way. He beheaded more people during his reign than any other British monarch, and many of them were the monarch's closest friends and relatives. He not only convicted his two wives, but also signed death warrants for a number of his close advisers and associates, including Thomas Cromwell and Thomas More. Recent theories suggest that Heinrich may have suffered from McLeod syndrome, which causes cognitive impairment, as well as a number of other physical problems that Heinrich also experienced. Since McLeod syndrome is common in people who have Kell antigens, Heinrich may well have suffered from this rare disease.
Portraits of England's most famous monarch usually show him with an impressive beard and mustache. However, it is widely known that Henry introduced a beard tax, which overnight turned facial hair into a status symbol. There have been some bizarre taxes over the years, but Henry's beard tax was one of the strangest. In 1535, the king required that taxes be paid by anyone who wore a beard, and the amount of the tax varied depending on the social status of the bearer.
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In 1509, King Henry VII Tudor died, having seized the English throne by force. His son, seventeen-year-old Henry VIII, takes power into his own hands. No one then could have imagined how the reign of this angelic king would turn out. Initially, the crown was supposed to go to Henry's older brother, Arthur, but just a few months after his wedding, Arthur died. The eldest son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York was always distinguished by very poor health. It is alleged that all these few months before the death of the heir, the young husband and wife lived separately at the request of the king, since Arthur was, according to Henry VII, at a “tender age” (at the time of the wedding the boy was already 15 years old, in those days this age considered normal for the beginning of a marital relationship). For a very long time, the royal couple arranged a marriage between the heir to the English throne and Catalina (Catherine) of Aragon, daughter of the King of Aragon. Through this marriage, England, tormented by the civil war and facing an ongoing threat from France, wanted to establish diplomatic relations with Spain. Ten-year-old Heinrich was very noticeable at the wedding: the active child was constantly having fun and even danced with his brother’s sixteen-year-old wife. No one then imagined that after 7 years Catherine would marry Henry.
For seven years, Catherine lived in England, separately from the royal court. In the end, they even stopped inviting her to festive events. But something had to be done with diplomatic relations with Spain, and besides, Ferdinand and Isabella, Catherine’s parents, persistently insisted on her marriage to Henry. Dying, Henry VII told his son: “Marry Catherine.” In the year of his accession to the throne, 17-year-old Henry VIII married 23-year-old Catherine of Aragon.
Henry's foreign policy fluctuated from one extreme to another: trying to achieve some kind of balance, he first fought with France, then made peace, then fought again. At the same time, he tried to maintain relations with the Habsburgs, enemies of France, which he also did not succeed very well.
The marriage with Catherine was unsuccessful: Henry, obsessed with finding a male heir, received only stillborn children from Catherine. For 33 years of marriage (although their intimate relationship ceased long before the dissolution of the marriage), they had only one living child - a girl, Maria, who would later go down in history under the nickname Bloody. When the king was 31 years old, the Lord Chancellor of England, Thomas Wolsey, introduced him to the queen's young lady-in-waiting, Anne Boleyn. In fact, with this action, Wolsey, the most powerful man in England after the king, prepared the way for his own overthrow and subsequent death. Heinrich immediately noticed the young lady-in-waiting and her flamboyant behavior. But Anne Boleyn was not about to give in to the king's arms so quickly, so she actually played a game for several years called "Marry me and I'm yours." But, setting such a condition, she could not help but understand that then the marriage with Queen Catherine would have to be dissolved. Contemporaries claimed that Henry had completely lost his head over Boleyn. Not a beauty, she exuded incredible sexual energy that tormented the king. Anna grew up at the French court, where, apparently, she learned charm that charms men, refined manners, as well as foreign languages, mastery of several musical instruments and excellent dancing skills.
As Wolsey, who knew the king well, once said: “Always be careful what idea you put into the king’s head, for you will never take it out.” Henry was determined to divorce Catherine. As a child, before the death of his elder brother, he was prepared for a church career (this was the tradition in those days: the eldest son is the heir to the throne, and one of the subsequent ones occupies the main church post in the country), that is, Henry VIII had to be well versed in matters religion, even in adulthood. In 1521, Henry (with the help of Thomas More) even wrote a treatise against Protestantism, defending the rights of the Catholic faith, called “In Defense of the Seven Sacraments.” For this treatise, the Pope awarded Henry the title of “Defender of the Faith.”
In 1525, Henry seriously intended to get rid of his marriage to his current wife. However, the Pope, Clement VII, never intended to consent to divorce due to the lack of a sufficiently justified reason. Catherine of Aragon will definitely not give the king an heir, 18 years of relationship have shown this, but for the Catholic Church this is not a reason to dissolve a marriage fixed in heaven. The determined Henry surrounded himself with talented theologians and legates (lawyers), whose goal was to find in the Holy Scriptures at least something that would justify the illegitimacy of his marriage to Catherine.
In the end, the desired line was found. The saying from the Book of Leviticus read: “If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is abominable; he has revealed his brother’s nakedness; they will be childless.” Henry immediately orders Wolsey to prepare the necessary documents for a petition to Clement VII. At this time, news comes that Emperor Charles V of Habsburg has captured Rome and the Pope is actually in his power. Unfortunately for Henry, Charles was Catherine's nephew, so Clement VII, who was effectively held hostage, did not agree to a divorce, but instead ordered a trial that ended up lasting several years. At one of the meetings, Catherine said: “Sire, I conjure you, in the name of the love that was between us... do not deprive me of justice, have pity and compassion for me... I resort to you as the head of justice in this kingdom... Gentlemen and all I call the world to witness that I was your faithful, humble and obedient wife... and I bore you many children, even though it pleased the Lord to call them to Himself from this world... When you accepted me for the first time, then - I call on the Lord as a judge - I She was an immaculate maiden who did not know a husband. Whether this is true or not, I leave to your conscience. If there is a just case according to the law that you impute against me... then I agree to leave... If there is no such case, then I humbly beg you, allow me to remain in my previous state.”
As a result, the chief judge from Rome, Cardinal Lorenzo Campeggio, said: “I will not pronounce any sentence until I submit a statement to the pope ... the accusation is too dubious, and the people involved in the proceedings occupy too high a position ... What can I do?” achieve by bringing the wrath of God upon your soul, for the sake of satisfying any ruler or noble person in this world.” Henry VIII, like a small child, was accustomed to getting everything he wanted as quickly as possible. After such “nothing,” he took up arms against Wolsey, accusing him of being unable to negotiate a divorce with the Pope. The most powerful man in the kingdom was exiled to York and his place was taken by his secretary, Thomas Cromwell. He and several other close people found a “way out” of the situation: let’s abolish Catholicism in England, make the king the head of the new church, and then he will be able to issue the decrees he wants. From this moment on, truly bloody times began for England.
Anglicanism was declared in the kingdom. In 1532, Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn were secretly married. In January of the following year they repeated the procedure, this time more officially. From now on, Anne was considered the Queen of England. On June 11, 1533, Clement VII excommunicated the king.
Soon after the wedding, Anne Boleyn gives birth to a girl. They did not yet know that this child would become the greatest queen in the history of England, so little Elizabeth was received coldly. Since the marriage to Catherine of Aragon was considered illegitimate, Mary, Henry's eldest child, was declared illegitimate, and Elizabeth became the heir to the throne. Anne Boleyn had another chance to correct her “mistake”: in 1534 she became pregnant again, everyone hoped that it was finally a boy. But soon the queen loses the child, and this moment can be considered the beginning of the countdown to her death.
Anne Boleyn's fall was fleeting. Disappointed in his new wife, Heinrich begins a most absurd process. But this time he is not a divorcee: he wants to execute Anna. More than five lovers with whom the queen allegedly slept were suddenly found (her brother was recognized as one of them). All this is happening against the backdrop of endless executions of those who disagree with the new religion and with the policy of “fencing” (due to the fact that England could produce very high-quality sheep wool, the king and his advisers were pleased with the decision to build factories and drive peasants from their lands so that they would go to work 14 hours a day in these manufactories). With the warring Catholics and wandering, rounded-up peasants, there was only one question - to hang. During the reign of Henry VIII, 75,000 people were hanged. Many then blamed Anne Boleyn for this, who became the cause of the church reformation in the country and, thus, one of the culprits of most of the deaths. The king's longtime friend, Thomas More, also became a victim of terror. An ardent Catholic, he refused to accept the new faith, for which Henry ordered his head to be cut off.
The queen's trial did not last long. Before the trial, the king already had a new favorite, Jane Seymour, with whom he did not hesitate to openly appear in public and show her his sympathy. On May 2, 1536, the queen was arrested and taken to the Tower. Before this, her alleged lovers were arrested, some of them were tortured, extracting “truthful” testimony. On May 17, 1536, the queen's brother George Boleyn and other "lovers" were executed. On May 19, Queen Anne Boleyn was led to the scaffold. Her head was cut off with one blow of the sword.
Six days after the execution of his wife, Henry married Jane Seymour. Soon the new queen delighted everyone with the news of her pregnancy. Jane was a soft, non-conflicting woman who wanted to create a cozy family environment for the king. She tried to unite all of Henry's children. In October 1537, Jane went into labor, which was truly painful for the fragile queen: it lasted three days and ended with the birth of the heir to the English throne, Edward. A few days after giving birth, the queen died of puerperal fever.
Henry claimed that he never loved anyone as much as Jane. However, almost immediately after her death, he ordered Thomas Cromwell to search for a new wife. But because of the king's reputation, no one really wanted to become the new queen of England. Prominent ladies of Europe even had various jokes, for example: “My neck is too thin for the King of England” or “I would agree, but I don’t have a spare head.” Having received a refusal from all suitable applicants, through the persuasion of Thomas Cromwell, the king set out to enlist the support of some Protestant state. Henry was informed that the Duke of Cleves had two unmarried sisters. A court artist was sent to one of them, who, apparently, on Cromwell’s orders, slightly embellished the portrait. Seeing the appearance of Anna of Cleves, the king wanted to marry her. The bride's brother was initially against it, but when he heard that Anna was not required to give a dowry, he agreed. At the end of 1539, the king met his bride under the guise of a stranger. Henry's disappointment knew no bounds. After meeting with Anne, he furiously informed Cromwell that he had brought him a “hefty Flemish mare” instead of his wife. From that time on, Cromwell's downfall began, due to the fact that he chose his wife poorly.
The morning after the wedding night, Henry publicly declared: “She is not nice at all, and she smells bad. I left her the same as she was before I lay with her.” Nevertheless, Anna behaved with dignity. She quickly mastered the English language and court manners, became a good stepmother to Henry's young children, and even became friends with Mary. Everyone liked Anna except her husband. Soon Henry began divorce proceedings on the basis that once upon a time Anna was engaged to the Duke of Lorraine, and therefore the current marriage has no right to exist. The no longer desirable Thomas Cromwell was declared a traitor to the state in 1540. Cromwell was initially tortured to incriminate himself, but he pleaded not guilty. On July 28, 1540, he climbed the scaffold and was executed by beheading.
The new queen (fifth in a row) was a very cheerful and sweet girl. Henry doted on her and called his new wife “a rose without thorns.” However, unlike previous queens, she made an unthinkable mistake - she cheated on her wife more than once. When the king was informed that his wife was unfaithful to him, the reaction amazed everyone: instead of the usual manifestation of anger, Henry began to cry and lament, complaining that fate had not given him a happy family life, since all his wives either cheated or died , or simply disgusting. On February 13, 1542, Catherine was executed in front of a curious crowd.
Even in his old age, Henry did not want to be left without his wife. At the age of 52, the flabby, almost immobile king asked Catherine Parr for his hand in marriage. Her first reaction was fear, but in the end she was forced to accept the offer. After the wedding, the new queen tried to improve the family life of the decrepit Henry. Like Jane Seymour, she united all the legitimate children of the king; Elizabeth enjoyed her special favor. Being a very educated woman, she could well have brought into Elizabeth a piece of what would help her in the future become the greatest queen of England.
Death came to Henry when he was 55 years old. By that time, he could only move with the help of servants, as he suffered from severe obesity (his waist circumference was 137 cm) and several tumors. With the rapid deterioration of health, the king's suspiciousness and tyranny grew. Catherine literally walked on the edge of a knife: at court, like all queens, she had her own enemies, who regularly whispered to Henry about her. However, the king did not have time to do anything, even if he wanted to.
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