King Henry VIII was one of England's most famous monarchs, known for his six marriages and establishing the Church of England.
As a young king, Henry received excellent education in languages, music, and theology. He was athletic and stood around 6'2" tall, though his weight later became problematic - estimates suggest he reached over 300 pounds (136 kg) in his later years due to a jousting accident that limited his mobility.
The story of his six wives is often remembered through the rhyme "Divorced, beheaded, died; divorced, beheaded, survived." His first wife, Catherine of Aragon, was divorced after failing to produce a male heir, though she did give birth to Mary I. Anne Boleyn, his second wife, gave birth to Elizabeth I but was executed on charges of treason. Jane Seymour, his third wife, died shortly after giving birth to his only surviving son Edward VI. Anne of Cleves was divorced after a brief marriage, while Catherine Howard was executed for adultery. His final wife, Catherine Parr, outlived him. The most significant outcome of Henry's marital troubles was the establishment of the Church of England. When Pope Clement VII refused to annul Henry's marriage to Catherine of Aragon, Henry broke away from the Roman Catholic Church and established himself as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. This created the Anglican Church, which combined Catholic traditions with Protestant reforms. The Anglican Communion continues today as a worldwide family of churches, with the British monarch serving as its Supreme Governor. This religious revolution transformed England's spiritual and political landscape, establishing a unique English form of Christianity that balanced Catholic traditions with Protestant reforms. Henry's children - Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I - would each rule England and further shape the religious identity of the nation, though it was Elizabeth I who finally established a more stable Anglican Church that largely resolved the religious tensions of the era.
