As well as writing he also had a great love and passion for music. It was said that he owned 10 trombones, 14 trumpets, 5 bagpipes, 76 recorders, as well as 78 flutes! He’s also accredited for creating “Helas Madame and Greensleeves.” His interests in those areas made him widely accepted among the Musicians, Scholars and High Nobility, gaining admires and loyalists among the court from an early age.
After his brother’s sudden death, he was placed as heir, and engaged to the widow Catherine until he was old enough to wed. In 1509 upon the age of 17 he was hurried into the marriage with the woman 6 years his senior, when his father also died. He was crowned King that April and relied heavily upon Catherine of Aragon to help and guide him to lead.
Six years later in 1515 King Henry built the Great Tournament Ground at Greenwich, where knights from abroad gathered to joust for prizes and favor. The Church looked down its nose upon such an idea, condemning jousting as sinful and wrong, however Henry went through with his ideas and completed a center for public as well as noble entertainment.
Meanwhile Catherine had taken with child and soon after in 1516 gave birth to a girl child, whom was named Mary, after Henry’s sister. A young maiden by the name of Anne Boleyn came to court, pulling at his whiles and making him short with Catherine. In frustration and anger he sent Catherine and baby Mary away, each to different locations, later seeking a divorce against the Queen.
Dismayed at seeing the chance for a male heir passing his eyes, he began courting Miss Anne Boleyn. Anne clearly wanted nothing to do with him, unless properly proposed to, so on January 25, Henry VIII married her in secret, while his marriage to Catherine was still waiting to be named invalid. Taking too long Henry VIII separated from the Church, and named himself head of the new Church of England, selfishly granting himself a divorce from Catherine and naming Anne his new Queen.
None dared to challenge a king who commanded the forces of religion, as well as the loyalties of every man he surrounded himself with. The Catholics seeked revenge against Henry VIII for what he had done to their beloved Queen, however it was Catherine’s love that saved him, and she refused to let the forces strike.
At the time of the marriage Anne had been pregnant, later giving birth to another girl, the second daughter for Henry VIII. The king was greatly uneased, A year later news reached him that Catherine had died, a once again the pregnant Anne and Henry rejoiced, seeing the downfall of his “enemy.”
While out riding Henry had taken a fall and had been knocked unconscious, later Anne blamed her next miscarriage on worrying over him. He became infuriated and ordered her locked away. Soon after he had her beheaded for witchcraft and treason with other men, and had his 2nd daughter Elizabeth sent away, the next day engaging the young Jane Seymour.
“The act of uniting with Jane in holy matrimony had brought about a union between England and Wales.” A great boasting could be heard from Henry as it was announced that Jane was pregnant with Henry’s child. On October 12th , 1537 England finally got the male heir they had awaited for. He was named Edward, Henry’s proper son and heir, however 12 days following Jane died of birth complications, leaving Henry a lone widower.
Absolute power had become his. Wifeless, he was free to gallant about for self-pleasure and enjoyment. No longer did he have to worry about securing an heir for the future throne of England. Anyone who dared stand in his way got the axe. This absolute power had also corrupted his manner and judgment. He became paranoid of anyone around him, and quick to anger. Anyone that served for him learned to keep his head bowed and tried to stay out of sight.
With both Anne and Catherine dead, he wasn’t tied into politics, freeing himself to marry who he wanted. He sent court artists far and wide to make portraits of all the available princesses, falling madly entranced with the image of Anne of Cleves from Germany. He sent for her, and upon her arrival was greatly angered and distressed that the maiden set before him was nothing like the picture of the stately woman from the painting. Seeing the need for an alliance he married Anne anyway, knowing he could get rid of her as he did the others.
At the wedding Henry VIII had been seen flirting with one of Anne’s maids of honor, Catherine Howard. He ordered his Church advisor Cromwell to get a divorce from Anne, thinking to make the king stay with Anne he delayed the annulment, costing him his life.
The King arranged for his own divorce himself, being the soul earth appointed head of the Church of England. He divorced Anne on good terms, and even was seen dining out with her. Six months later he married the 19-year-old Catherine Howard. Traveling to Scotland he hoped to find some peace among his people and the Scots, but returned home never making it to Scotland. On his homecoming, evidence was brought forth of Catherine having cheated on him, he put her to the executioner’s block and had done with it.
He married one more woman, by the name of Catherine Parr. This marriage however was far loveless. Catherine cared for Henry VIII in his last years, uniting all his children under the same roof with him. His last act was to name his heirs, “naming Edward first, then Mary, and finally after that Elizabeth.”
Henry died on January 28th, 1547. He reined with first love and compassion, then in later years coldness and cruelty for 38 years. With 6 wives behind him, Henry VIII takes the label as being one of the coldest leaders to of taken the early English throne. Once a fair, gentle youth, power had slowly warped himself and his ideas, making the rest of England at his whims and mercy.
The idea of power is influence and people to follow you in your cause, the knowledge to figure out more strategies to gain more power over others, and the cunningness to carry out what needs to be done to satisfy the needs of power. Through Henry VIII’s life, the yoke of power became the weight on his back, slowly tearing him down into an empty, hollow shell that was once a person. If anything can be learned from Henry’s life, it would be to always take care; with power comes responsibilities, and some people are and never were truly meant for power.
* An emotional reflection to an event happening in Henry VIII’s life. See Key below:
Bibliography
Direct Quote, Robert Green, King Henry VIII, Page 2, 1998
Frank Dwyer, Henry VIII, Page 13, 1988: “…to the throne of England in 1509 came a young king of seemingly infinite promise, handsome and athletic, his life filled with laughter and music, with dancing and hunting, and tilting with a lance...”
A letter from Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn, page 6-7 of King Henry VIII; Robert Green, 1998.
Source: http://www.brims.co.uk/tudors/henry.html
Frank Dwyer, Henry VIII, Page 79, 1988: “At the time of the marriage Anne had been pregnant, and Henry eagerly awaited that male heir he so desperately wanted. On September 7th, 1533, Anne gave birth to a girl child. The king did not even try to hide his dismay, not even attending the child’s christening, naming her Elizabeth after his mother.”
Direct Quote;Frank Dwyer, Henry VIII, Page 83, 1988.
Robert Green, King Henry VIII, Pages 55-57, 1998; “naming Edward first, then Mary, and finally after that Elizabeth.”