Henry VIII is probably the most famous monarch of England. In Primary schools he is often taught as the jolly King who had lots of wives and who wrote the popular song Greensleeves. But in many ways he was a monster: a cruel tyrant who was ready to kill anyone who upset him, including two of his wives.

Six Wives

Henry famously married six times:

image of Henry

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The English Reformation

The most important act of Henry VIII was to tear the country away from Roman Catholicism and the authority of the Pope, establishing the English Church. The main reason he did this was because the Pope refused to allow him to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, who was not able to produce a son and male heir. Henry also benefited hugely financially because he closed the monasteries and took their enormous wealth, doubling his income. However, Church services in England did not change very much - it was effectively an English Catholic Church.

Effective King	Tyrant
Henry was a strong King who kept law and order. He was a keen warrior and won battles in France early on his reign. He founded the English navy which became the main reason why the British Empire was able to dominate the globe from the 1700s. He only divorced Catherine of Aragon because he needed a son to be his heir.	Henry was cruel and executed two of his wives along with many different advisers, such as Thomas Cromwell. He changed the whole religion of the country for his own personal reasons. The closure of the monasteries made many monks homeless and made life even harder for the poor people of the country who had previously been helped by them. He lost money and men fighting futile wars in France.

Year 8 Power & Protest

Was Henry VIII a tyrant?