Reformation in England - Henry VIII (Part 1)

Henry's Youth

Henry VIII, the second son of Henry VII, was born at Greenwich on 28th June 1491. As the second son he was not the natural heir to the throne. However, his elder brother, Arthur, died in 1502 and Henry became heir. He succeeded to the throne of England in 1509 at the age of nearly 18 years old.

In his youth, Henry was a very different person to the one we often think of. He was intelligent, talented and athletic. He spoke Latin, French and Spanish fluently, a musician and composer (though he probably did not write "Greensleeves" which is often attributed to him). He liked many sports including riding and hunting as well as tennis. More relevant for our article, he was very religious, trained in theology and author of a best selling book which attacked Martin Luther and defended Roman Catholicism. For this book, the Pope gave Henry the title "Defender of the Faith".

Catherine of Aragon

Prince Arthur had been married to Catherine of Aragon. After Arthur's death, Henry VII and Ferdinand of Spain both wished for Catherine to be married to Prince Henry, the new heir to the throne. This was not strictly legal according to Church law but Pope Julius II was persuaded to grant a dispensation to allow the marriage to take place. They were married in 1509 and remained together for about twenty four years. For most of this time they seem to have been happily married. The only cloud on the horizon was the lack of a male heir to the throne. Her only surviving child was Princess Mary.