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King Henry with his family. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

Top 10 Facts about King Henry VIII

Henry VIII was King of England and Ireland from 21 April 1509 until 28 January 1547. He is one of the most famous Kings in English history.

He was the second eldest son to Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. King Henry VIII took to the throne after his older brother, Prince Arthur of Wales, died unexpectedly.

After his father’s death, Henry was crowned as the king in 1509 he was just 17 years old. King Henry VIII later married his elder brother’s widow, Catherine of Aragon.

Henry VIII loved music, was athletic, a good fighter in battle, and was well educated. He established the Church of England and was deemed controversial for marrying six wives and having two executed.

Health complications led to his death at the age of 55. Here are the top 10 facts about King Henry VIII.

1. King Henry was not next in line to the throne

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Henry VIII was the second son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. He had one elder brother, Arthur, was heir to the throne.

Arthur did not live to take his place on the throne, he died at the age of 15 due to sweating sickness. Henry VIII father died when he was 17.

He took the throne and married his late brother’s wife. King Henry VIII ruled from 1509 to 1547, this was during the beginnings of the English Renaissance and English Reformation.

2. King Henry VIII lived a lavish lifestyle

Henry VIII loved luxury, this was evident from the way he dressed. He wore velvet robes with gold trim and jewels. The King renovated and redecorated his rooms at Hampton Court Palace six times.

By 1540, Hampton Court was the most contemporary and splendid palace in the world. He had the best landscapers and craftsmen work at the Palace.

King Henry VIII is said to have been fun-loving and clever a sharp contrast of his late father. Furthermore, he was more than 6 feet tall and easy on the eyes.

He was an active young man who loved hunting, hosting big parties and composing music.

3. King Henry VIII was also ruthless

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Despite being liked by his subjects for being a fun-loving king, Henry VIII had a side that many disliked.

He ruled with an iron fist, was strong-willed and was quick to execute anyone that crossed him.

King Henry ruled England for 38 years and during that time more than 70,000 people were executed, including two of his wives.

He changed the face of Christianity in England when he introduced the Anglican Church.

As he grew older, King Henry VIII became more paranoid and ill-tempered. He had many people arrested and imprisoned at the Tower of London.

4. His partying life took a toll on his health

King Henry VIII partied hard, lived largely and stayed active. He loved to play tennis, hunt, dance and reading. However, as he grew older, he became less active.

His indulgence soon took a toll on his health. He became overweight and struggled to walk. By the time he was 50 years, his waist measurement was 54 inches wide.

A wound on his leg also contributed to his struggle to walk and ill-temper.

His athletic physique became frail as he became overweight and older.  Henry VIII died at the age of 55 riddled with health issues.

5. King Henry VIII favourite wife was Jane Seymour

King Henry with his family. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

After his death, Henry VIII was buried at Windsor Castle next to his favourite wife, Jane Seymour. He loved her more than the other five wives because she bore him a son.

King Henry VIII had three children, two daughters and one son. Each of his children, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I, ruled England with Elizabeth I ruling for the longest time.

Henry VIII was married six times, he divorced three and had two executed. Jane Seymour, his favourite, died shortly after giving birth.

His longest marriage was to Catherine of Arahttgon that lasted for 24 years. The shortest was to Anne of Cleves that lasted for six months.

6. King Henry VIII divorced his wife for not bearing a son

Henry VIII grew up as a Catholic but established the Protestant Church of England. This was after the Pope, the head of the Catholic Church, declined his request to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon.

The two had been married for 24 years but did not have a male child. King Henry VIII wanted a male heir so badly he figured a new wife would sire him one.

There was one problem though, he had to end his marriage to Catherine. The Catholic church, however, did not permit that.

Nothing could stop King Henry VIII, he went ahead and established the Protestant Church of England. He divorced Catherine and married his second wife Anne.

Thomas Cranmer was appointed as Archbishop of Canterbury by King Henry VIII. He granted him three more divorces.

7. Two of his wives were executed

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King Henry VIII had two of his wives executed. Catherine Howard was executed for adultery, while Anne Boleyn was accused of adultery, incest and an assassination attempt against the King.

Anne Boleyn denied all the charges pressed against her but that did not stop the executioner. Her brother and four other men were executed too.

They were accused of treason, adultery and having illicit affairs with the Queen. 

These two women were first cousins.

8. Only three of King Henry VIII children survived

Queen Mary I of England By Antonis Mor – Museo del Prado. Wikimedia

Like most Kings and rulers during his time, Henry VIII was desperate for a male heir to inherit his throne. He got married six times and had several mistresses.

From his six marriages, King Henry VIII got three children, two daughters and one son. His first son, Henry, was born in 1511 but died a few weeks later.

He finally got a son from his marriage to Jane Seymour, Edward VI in 1537.

9. King Henry VIII was a published author

Henry VIII was a staunch Catholic who defended his faith. He wrote a 30,000 response to Martin Luther’s protestant Ninety-five Theses, praising the church in Rome.

Martin Luther’s Theses was challenging the papal authority and Henry VIII defended the church.

King Henry VIII was the first English king to publish a book which became a bestseller. He was declared as the defender of the faith by the Pope.

10. King Henry VIII suffered from health anxiety

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As the King grew older, he became sick and paranoid. He suffered from sweating sickness as well as being obese.

Although he minimised contact during outbreaks, Henry VIII caught smallpox. When his wife Anne Boleyn caught the sweating sickness, he isolated himself until she got better. 

His hygiene is said to have been good since he carefully washed his hands before and after meals to avoid germs.