The Accession of King Henry VIII

King Henry VIII became king on 21 April 1509, his father Henry VII having died at Richmond Palace at the age of 52.

Henry’s reign was seen as a new era, a fresh new start for the country.  Henry was 6’ 3”, nearly as tall as his grandfather King Edward IV.  He was handsome, well educated, intelligent, charming and a great lover of music and poetry.  He was also very athletic and loved the sport of jousting.
 
Henry was crowned King Henry VIII on 24 June 1509 in a joint coronation with his first wife Catherine of Aragon.

Henry presided over the beginnings of the English Renaissance and the English Reformation.  Here the king broke away from the religious control of Rome and became head of the English church in order to divorce his first wife Catherine who had failed to give him a son and heir.  She only managed to give him a daughter Mary (later Mary I).

His second wife, Anne Boleyn, gave him another daughter Elizabeth (later Elizabeth I).  The king was by this time desperate for a son so he had Anne tried and executed for treason which led him to marrying his third wife Jane Seymour who at last gave him the son he so craved, Edward (later Edward VI).  Unfortunately, Jane died from complications of childbirth and was buried in a vault in the quire of St George’s Chapel in 1536.

Three more wives followed Jane: Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr who outlived the king, Henry dying on 28 January 1547.  He is buried next to Jane in the vault in the chapel alongside Charles I who followed him to his grave in 1649.

King Henry VIII was succeeded by his son Edward, followed then by first Mary and then Elizabeth.

Henry’s legacy is twofold.  Firstly, the creation of the Church of England in order to divorce his first wife.  Secondly, the growth of shipbuilding during his monarchy from just five vessels when he became king to a fleet of 50 by the time of his death.  For this reason, Henry has been referred to as the ‘father of the Royal Navy’.  He also created a naval dockyard.  His daughter Elizabeth must have been glad of this legacy in 1588 when England was threatened by the Spanish Armada.