Henry VIII Biography

Henry VIII Biography

• Interesting Biography Facts and information
• King Henry VIII Biography in Tudor England
• People and events in the Tudor Period
• Short Biography - Key facts and dates

• Short Biography, Accomplishments & Achievements

• Biography - Key facts about his family

Henry VIII Biography

Henry VIII Biography
The Tudors encompass one of the most exciting periods in English History. The life story and biography of this fascinating and larger than life Tudor figure is one of the most famous of the Tudor period. Although the most common image of Henry is of an old, obese, overblown monarch the following is a  description of Henry VIII in 1509 in his youth which described him as follows::

"His Majesty is the hansomest potentate I ever set eyes on; above the usual height, with an extremely fine
calf to his leg, his complextion fair and bright, with auburn hair, combed straight and short in
the French fashion, and a round face so very beautiful that it would become
a pretty woman, his throat was rather long and thick"

This short King Henry VIII biography concentrates on the man. Comprehensive details about other aspects of his live and his wives may be accessed from the following link to Henry VIII.

Short Biography and facts about the life of King Henry VIII - Father of Queen Elizabeth I
The following biography information provides basic facts and information about the life King Henry VIII:

• Nationality: English
• Lifespan: 1491 - 1547
• Born: 28 June 1491
• Father and Mother: He the second son of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York and he was born on 28 June 1491 at Greenwich, London, England. The marriage of his parents united the Houses of York and Lancaster following the Wars of the Roses
• Children: Father of King Edward VI, Queen Mary (Bloody Mary) and Queen Elizabeth I
• Succeeded to the throne of England: 21 April 1509
• Reigned: 1509 - 1547
• Marriages: King Henry VIII married six times
  • First Wife: Katherine of Aragon the mother of Queen Mary Tudor ( Bloody Mary)
  • Second Wife: Anne Boleyn the mother of Queen Elizabeth I
  • Third wife: Jane Seymour the mother of King Edward VI
  • Fourth wife: Anne of Cleves
  • Fifth wife: Catherine Howard
  • Sixth and last wife: Catherine Parr
• Died: 28 January 1547 - The body of King Henry VIII  was interred with his third wife, Jane Seymour, the beloved mother of his son and heir
• Family connections: Son of King Henry VII, the first monarch of the Tudor dynasty
• Catholic Religion: In his early life he was a devout Catholic given the title 'Defender of the Faith' by the Pope
• Protestant Religion: Following his liaison with Anne Boleyn he then changed to the Protestant religion, dissolved all the monasteries in Britain and established the Church of England  
• Character of King Henry VIII in his youth : Flamboyant, studious but fun loving
• Character of King Henry VIII in his later life: Cruel, arrogant and a hypocrite
• Major Accomplishments and Achievements in the biography of King Henry VIII
  • The English navy increased under his rule from just 5 ships at the beginning of his reign to about 60 ships and the Mary Rose was built in 1509 / 1511 as the first English gunship
  • He established Deptford and Woolwich as the Royal Dockyards 1511 / 1512
  • Battle of Flodden English victory over Scotland in 1513 which ended in 1517
  • He created a great chain of coastal fortresses in the 1540s to defend England against the threat of invasion. There were French landings on the English coast between1545 and 1546 which were defeated
  • In 1521 He was given the title 'Defender of the Faith' by Pope Leo X which is still used as  part of the English monarch's titles
  • Led the religious reformation in England and changed the religion of England from the Roman Catholic faith to the Protestant religion which included establishing the Church of England in 1534 and the Act of Supremacy. In 1536 Henry VIII instigated the Dissolution of the monasteries and increased the wealth of England
  • King Henry VIII added Imperial concepts of Kingship to existing Feudal concepts. In doing this he decreased the power of the nobles and increased the power of Parliament and the monarchy
  • The Union of England and Wales which was legally accomplished by Parliament in 1536 and 1543

Henry VIII Biography
Each section of this Tudors website addresses all topics and provides interesting facts and information about the Biography of King Henry VIII. The Sitemap provides full details of all of the information and facts provided about the fascinating subject of the Tudors!