Henry VIII. – Church of England
Henry VIII.(1509-1547)
English king Henry VIII. from the Tudor’s house was born in 1491 and he died in 1547. He reigned from 1509 to his death. As a personality he was well educated and he had varied interests. For example he liked singing and dancing. He had the mind of statesman. It means he was very resolute and strong. But during his life he became very cruel and ruthless and his reign was terrible.
He had six wives. In fact he didn’t marry them because of love but just because of he needed a male descendant. The first one Catharine Aragon was a Spanish princess who was older than him. He had a daughter Mary with her. The second, Anne Boleyn, was younger than him. She was executed officialy because she commited adultery but it was probably because he needed a male descendant. She had a daughter Elizabeth. Henry’s third wife Jane Seymoor died at the delivery of son Eduard. Henry was satisfied because of the son. Henry’s fourth marriage was with Anne Cleve, later he divorced with her. His fifth marriage with Catherine Howard was political. Catherine was just seventeen years old. She was executed because of adultery too. His last wife Catheine Paar outlived him. She was the teacher of his children.
Altough after this he looks like a very primitive man it’s not so. He was very smart and brainy politician and English economy grew very much in that time.
Foundation of English Church Catherine of Aragon
Foundation of Curch of England is connected with the personality of Henry VIII. There had always been some problems between England and Rome. All catholic churches had to pay some taxes to Rome. And also England was politicaly dependent on Rome.
The main pretext for establishing new church was Henry’s offer for divorce with his first wife Catherine Aragon. Climent VII., the Pope, didn’t want to divorce Henry and Catherine. In that time catholic church wasn’t much famous in England because of taxes.In 1533Henry VIII. took the opportunity and established new Church of England which was independent. Just after this Thomas Cranmer, the archbishop of Canterbury, found Henry’s marriage invalid.In 1534 Henry becamethe head of this new church.
The idea of Church of England is nearly the same as the idea of catholic church. It’s built on the Bible. English church is more free than the catholic.English church got some ideas of Martin Luther which are free.
After death of Henry VIII. in 1547 his daughter Mary who tried to establish back the catholic church. She had been brought up by hermother Catherine of Aragon who was catholic. She didn’tmanage and she also caused very bloody conflicts. Because of this she is called Bloody Mary. But his second daughter Elizabeth I.(her mother was Anne Boleyn) ended the reformation.