Henry VIII, Infidelity and Execution
"If a lion knew his strength, it were hard for any man to rule him" (Albert 9), sainted Thomas More said of Henry VIII. There was no mistake about it; Henry was definitely one of the most powerful Kings to ever rule in England. It was Henry who made the throne more powerful than the Church of England; every King thereafter would benefit. When Henry entered his first marriage he knew he needed a male heir to continue the Tudor dynasty, which had not yet seen its hundredth year. In his conquest for a male heir, he would marry six times, divorce twice, and execute two wives and numerous members of his Royal Court; he would also separate England from Rome. Henry was born in Greenwich, England on January 28, 1491. He was born to mother, Elizabeth of York, and father Henry VII. "In his youth he was athletic and highly intelligent" ("Henry VIII" 1); Henry was fluent in Spanish, French, and English. He was also a skilled hunter. Henry excelled at tennis, archery, and was talented in the sport of fencing. He was also very religious and attended "...three masses daily..."("Henry VIII" 1). Henry wrote a best-selling novel, its contents attacked Martin Luther and all Lutheranism ideas. It was
Henry died in London on January 28, 1547. "After Henry's death, she married Jane Seymour's brother, and died in 1548, being the only one of Henry's wives to outlive him" (Larmouth 4). "To some, Henry VIII was a strong and ruthless ruler, forcing through changes to the Church-State relationship which excluded the papacy and brought the clergy under control, thus strengthening the Crown's position and acquiring the monasteries' wealth" ("Henry VIII" 3). Anderson, Maxwell. Anne of the Thousand Days. New York: Anderson House, 1948. The man most influential in the divorce was Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury. It turns out that he was appointed to that position specifically for the purpose of finalizing Henry's divorce to Catherine. Cranmer was to collect the opinions of the people who would be most instrumental in the divorce proceedings. It was said that after the death of Jane, Henry became severely depressed. His advisors did not know whether they should try to convince him to marry again for the sake of England or not. Henry fled to Windsor, and refused to see anyone. On Monday, November 12, Queen Jane was finally laid to rest. Katherine accomplished much for Henry's conscience. She convinced Henry that Mary and Elizabeth's rightful places were at Court. Henry did know in his soul that Elizabeth and Mary were not bastards. He was their father, and females or not, they were heirs. Henry could now rest with Edward, Elizabeth, and Mary by his side. Henry did not know that he would be father to two of the strongest female rulers to ever sit on the throne of England.
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Approximate Word count = 2211
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)
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