Henry VIII had six wives as he sought to produce a male heir. He broke from the Catholic Church after the Pope refused to annul his marriage to Katherine of Aragon. This led Henry to establish himself as the head of the Church of England. Over time, Henry became increasingly paranoid and tyrannical, executing wives and others to protect his power. His religious reforms permanently altered England's relationship with the Catholic Church.
2. The life of Henry VIII
The Beginning
The End
Personal Reflection
The wives of Henry VIII
List of Henry VII’s Wives
Facts of Henry VII’s Wives
Personal Reflection
Religious Reforms of Henry VIII
Formation of King Henry’s Church
Formation of the Church Continued
Personal Reflection
Quote
Works Cited
3. Took the throne at age 18 after the
death of his older brother Arthur.
Married Katherine of Argon, his
brother’s widow.
A charismatic and physically
attractive man he ruled well for
many years.
His health and physical prowess
began to deteriorate as well as his
mind.
The king broke with the Catholic
Church because the Pope would not
grant his divorce.
4. After breaking with the church, Henry created
the church of England.
He divorced Katherine and began a downward
spiral of wives, executions, and bad ruling.
The king died after an unsuccessful reign.
5. Henry VIII began his reign wonderfully. He was
well liked by his subjects and his prospects were
endless. After several unsuccessful attempts at
Producing an heir, Henry began his downfall.
Although not the greatest king in England’s
history, he made some long lasting changes in
the English way of life.
6. King Henry VII’s Wives:
Katherine of Argon
Anne Boleyn
Jane Seymour
Anne of Cleves
Katherine Howard
Katherine Parr
7. Katherine of Argon Anne of Cleves
Married 1509 Married 1540
His Brother’s Widow Marriage was Annulled
Daughter: Mary after 6 Months
Anne Boleyn Katherine Howard
Married 1533 Called the “Rose without a
Executed 1536
Thorn”
Executed 1541 due to
Daughter: Elizabeth I
Earlier Counts of Adultery
Jane Seymour
Katherine Parr
Married 1536
Married 1542
Died in Childbirth 1537
The Only Wife Charged
Son: Edward with a Crime and Found
Innocent
8. Henry VIII is notorious for his numerous wives.
Many myths surround Henry and his wives. He
is painted as an amorous womanizer but in fact
the main reason for his many wives was his
frantic effort to produce a son and heir to the
throne. He finally succeeded in having a son,
Edward, with Jane Seymour but his son barely
outlived his father by six years.
9. The Many Steps Leading to King Henry’s Church
of England:
1521: Henry writes “A Defense of the Seven
Sacraments” against Martin Luther and receives the
title of ‘Defender of the Faith’
1527: The Pope denies Henry’s request for a divorce
from Katherine of Argon
1529: Henry removes Wolsey after his failure to solve
the king’s great matter, his divorce of Katherine
1534: Act of Supremacy confirms Henry as head of the
Church of England, separate from Rome but still
Catholic in doctrine
10. ▪ 1535: English bishops reject all Papal
authority and the Coverdale’s English
Bible is printed
▪ 1536: Investigation and dissolution of
monasteries begins and the ‘Pilgrimage of
Grace’, a revolt against Henry’s religious
reforms is set in motion
▪ 1538: Widespread destruction of shrines
and relics begins and the Great Bible
comes into circulation for use in the
English Churches
▪ Henry issues the Six Articles to prevent a
drift to Protestantism
11. Unbeknownst to most people, King Henry was
was a very religious man. He broke with the
Catholic Church because they refused his
divorce to his first wife, Katherine. Although
that seems to be self indulgent reason for him
to break with the church, he based his decision
on religion.
12. “Henry had become a misanthropic, suspicious and
cruel king, and his subjects began (discreetly, for
such words were illegal) to call him a tyrant. In his
early years, Henry’s charisma and egoism had been
directed into a little showing-off while jousting (on
one occasion he presented himself before the
queen and the ladies with 'a thousand jumps in the
air'), but the ends to which these qualities were
now deployed had changed ( Lipscomb, 2009).”
13. Life of King Henry VIII
Lipscomb, S. (2009, April). WHO WAS HENRY?. History Today, 59(4),
14-20. Retrieved June 22, 2009, from Academic Search Premier
database.
Wives of King Henry VIII
Weir, A. (2002, June). HENRY'S QUEENS. (Cover story). British
Heritage, 23(4), 16. Retrieved June 23, 2009, from Academic Search
Premier database.
Religious Reforms of Henry VIII
Wooding, L. (2008, December). HENRY VIII AND RELIGION. History
Review, Retrieved June 23, 2009, from Academic Search Premier
database.
Other Sources
Key events in Henry VIII's life. (Cover story). (1991, June). History
Today, Retrieved June 23, 2009, from Academic Search Premier
database