This is King Henry VIII.
- Henry VIII was King of England in the 16th century.
- Henry wanted to look rich and strong. He had jewels sewn into his clothes and ate the finest foods.
- He had six wives. Two of them were beheaded!
- He started the Church of England.
Watch: Henry VIII's life
Find out about the life of Henry VIII.
Sometimes, history is shaped by big events like battles or earthquakes. Sometimes just one person changes things, like Henry VIII.
When Henry was 18, he became King of England. He loved music, dancing and playing sports, like jousting and archery. But he got angry if he couldn't have his own way!
At the time, most people in England belonged to the Catholic Church run by the Pope who lived in Rome.
Some people said it was run badly and needed to change or ‘reform’. But the Pope was so powerful, he could even tell Henry what to do!
Henry wanted a son to be king when he died. But he and the Queen, Catherine of Aragon, only had a daughter.
Henry wanted to divorce Catherine and marry Anne Boleyn instead. But the Pope said, "No!"
Henry was furious! He made everyone agree that in England, he, not the Pope was in charge of the Church.
His new church was called the Church of England. The people who wanted the church to change began to do this. This was called ‘The Reformation’.
Now Henry could do what he liked!
He divorced Catherine and married Anne. They had a daughter, Elizabeth. But Anne was accused of working against Henry, so he cut off her head!
Then Henry married Jane Seymour. They had a son, but Jane died.
Henry then married Anne of Cleves. He didn't like Anne, so he divorced her!
Next he married Catherine Howard, but he cut off her head too!
Finally, he married Catherine Parr. But he was old now, and died.
Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived! Henry VIII changed things for his six wives, but by starting the Church of England, he changed history!
What did Henry VIII do?
- Henry VIII became king when he was eighteen years old.
- Henry VIII wanted a son to be king when he died. Henry's first wife, Catherine of Aragon, only had a daughter. Henry wanted to divorce her but the Pope didn't allow it.
- Henry started the Church of England. He was head of the new Church and he could do what he liked. He divorced Catherine and married Anne Boleyn.
- Henry married so many times because he was desperate to have a son.
Did you know?
- King Henry VIII liked to get his own way and was a bit of a show off.
- Henry had a fool to make him laugh. The fool told jokes and did funny things, like a clown.
- Henry VIII enjoyed archery and jousting on a horse.
- When Henry died, he owned 50 different palaces. The most famous is Hampton Court.
- Henry had a bowling alley and tennis courts at Hampton Court!
Activity 1 – Sort the events in Henry VIII's life
Activity 2 – Henry VIII quiz
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