Henry VIII - Quick facts

 

 

Henry VIII prsided over the beginning of the renaissance.

King from 1509-47.

His six wives in order were Catherine of Aragon, Annne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and catherine Parr.

His motto was Coeur Loyal, meaning true heart which he illustrated on his clothes in the form of a heart symbol accompanied by the word 'loyal'

According to the English chronicler Raphael Holinshed the number of executions in his reign amounted to 72,000!

Two of his wives were beheaded, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. Anne and Catherine were cousins

His fifth wife, Catherine Howard, was just 18 years old when she was beheaded

He had three children. His first Child was Mary Tudor who became Queen Mary I (Bloody Mary). His second Child was Elizabeth who became Queen Elizabeth I (the Virgin Queen) and his third Child was Edward who became King Edward VI

By 1534 King Henry VIII broke with the Church in Rome and passed the Act of Supremacy making King Henry VIII the head of the newly established Church of England

His cause of death has never been established

His doctors were afraid to tell him that he was dying because the Treason Act forbade anyone from predicting the death of the king

King Henry VIII is most often associated with the traditional English song Greensleeves and some believe that he wrote the words and lyrics of Greensleeves for Anne Boleyn during their turbulent courtship

The last set of armour owned by King Henry VIII showed a waist measurement of waist of about 58 to 60 inches which indicated a weight of about 300 to 320 pounds when he was an old man