Sarah Mitchell
King Henry VIII of England, who died on 28 January 1547, is known for his break with the Catholic Church, one of the most significant events in English history. Initially a devout Catholic, Henry fell out with the Pope when he refused to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, his brother's widow, with whom he had no male heir. Henry went on to marry five more times and in 1534, he passed the Act of Supremacy, declaring himself Supreme Head of the Church of England, thereby removing the Pope's religious authority in England. Despite this, Henry died a Catholic, holding the hand of his Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of death | 28 January 1547 |
| Age at death | 56 |
| Cause of death | "Old age", syphilis, overeating |
| Religious affiliation at death | Catholic, but in schism from the Church of Rome |
| Succeeded by | Son Edward VI, who ruled as a Protestant king |
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What You'll Learn
Henry VIII's break with the Catholic Church
Henry VIII initially supported the Catholic Church and was even titled Defender of the Faith by the Pope after repudiating the arguments of Protestant Reformation leader Martin Luther in 1517. However, by the 1520s, anticlericalism was emerging in England, and Henry's failure to produce a male heir with his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, became a significant issue. Henry also became infatuated with Anne Boleyn, one of Catherine's ladies-in-waiting. Anne encouraged Henry's attention but refused to become his mistress, and Henry sought to divorce Catherine.
When Pope Clement VII refused to annul the marriage, Henry and his advisors, including Thomas Cranmer and Thomas Cromwell, both Protestants, took steps to break with the Catholic Church. Cranmer was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury and granted Henry's divorce, after which Anne Boleyn was crowned queen. The English Reformation began in earnest with the passage of the Act of Supremacy in 1534, which solidified the break from Rome and made Henry the Supreme Head of the Church of England. This act, along with the Act of Treason, was designed to root out and liquidate dissent.
The break with Rome had major political, economic, and religious implications. It led to the dissolution of England's monasteries and the redistribution of their vast property holdings to the Crown, which Henry used to reward his counselors, both Protestant and conservative. It also resulted in the adoption of some Protestant practices, such as the translation of the Bible into English. The English Reformation was part of a wider European movement, influenced by Martin Luther and other reformers, that led to the creation of Protestant Christianity and the establishment of a new church in England.
Henry VIII had multiple wives after Anne Boleyn, including Jane Seymour, Catherine Howard, and Catherine Parr. Despite the break with Rome, England did not immediately become a fully Protestant nation. Henry's daughter Mary I, a Catholic, attempted to restore the old church, and there were efforts to reunite with Rome during her reign. However, Henry's religious settlement was ultimately repealed, and the Church of England continued to evolve, becoming a department of the Tudor state.
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Defender of the Faith
Henry VIII, King of England, was born on 28 June 1491 and died on 28 January 1547. In the early part of his reign, he was a devout and well-informed Catholic. In 1521, he wrote a book attacking Martin Luther and defending Roman Catholic doctrine, for which Pope Leo X bestowed upon him the title 'Defender of the Faith' (Fidei Defensor).
Henry's relationship with the Catholic Church, however, would become strained. In 1509, he married Catherine of Aragon, his elder brother Arthur's widow. Catherine had been pregnant seven times, but only one baby—their daughter Mary—survived past infancy. Henry wanted a male heir to continue the Tudor line and did not consider his daughter as a suitable heir. In 1527, he requested an annulment of his marriage, but Pope Clement VII refused. Henry responded by breaking with the Catholic Church and declaring himself head of the Church of England, thereby removing the pope's religious authority in England and allowing him to divorce Catherine. This act caused a bitter divide between Catholics and Protestants in England.
Henry's break with Rome was facilitated by his chief minister, Thomas Cromwell, and was achieved through parliamentary legislation. He passed laws abolishing papal authority in England and confiscating church lands and possessions, which were then sold off. Henry's religious reforms caused resistance, most notably in the Pilgrimage of Grace, a large uprising in northern England in October 1536. Henry promised to pardon the rebels but later went back on his word, executing the leaders and about 200 others.
In the last years of his life, Henry's health declined, and he became overweight and irascible. He died in his bed at Greenwich, his hand squeezed by his Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, a crypto-Protestant who would soon emerge as a leading force in the Protestant Reformation under Henry's son, Edward VI. Despite his schism with the Church of Rome, Henry died a Catholic, having received the last rites of the Catholic Church.
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Henry's death and succession
Henry VIII died on 28 January 1547, at the age of 56. Although the exact cause of his death is not known, it is believed that old age, overeating, and ill health were contributing factors. Henry died a Catholic, but he was in schism from the Church of Rome, having created his own title of Head of the Church of England. As he lay dying, he held the hand of his crypto-Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer.
Henry was succeeded by his only son, Edward VI, who was only nine years old at the time. A Council of Regency was formed, and Edward Seymour, the 1st Earl of Hertford and brother of Edward's mother, Jane Seymour, was chosen as Lord Protector of the Realm. Edward was raised as a Protestant, and his protectors ensured that his reign saw the continued enforcement of Protestant doctrine. Catholic bishops were imprisoned, and Edward's reign further entrenched the anti-papal nature of the English Reformation.
Upon Edward's death, the throne passed to Henry VIII's eldest child, Mary, who had been passed over as heir due to her gender. Mary was a devout Catholic, and she repealed the Act of Supremacy, restoring Catholicism in England. She earned the nickname 'Bloody Mary' due to her persecution of Protestants. After Mary, the throne passed to her half-sister, Elizabeth I, who attempted to strike a balance between the two faiths, restoring the Act of Supremacy but naming herself the ''Supreme Governor' rather than the Head of the Church of England.
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The English Reformation
On January 28, 1547, Henry VIII died a Catholic, despite his lifelong efforts to reform the Catholic Church in England and break away from the Pope's authority. His death did not reconcile the English Church with Rome, and his reforms had lasting consequences, shaping the religious landscape of England for centuries to come. This period, known as the English Reformation, was a complex and tumultuous time, driven by a combination of political, personal, and religious factors.
Henry VIII's reign marked a significant turning point in English religious history. It began with him as a devout Catholic and "Defender of the Faith," a title bestowed upon him by Pope Leo X for his defense of the Catholic Church against Martin Luther's teachings. However, Henry's desire for a male heir and his frustration with the Pope's refusal to annul his first marriage led to a series of events that changed the course of English Christianity. The King's quest for a divorce from Catherine of Aragon set in motion a chain of events that ultimately led to England's break from the Catholic Church and the establishment of the Church of England, with Henry as its head.
The second phase of the English Reformation occurred during the short reign of Henry's son, Edward VI. Under Edward, who was only nine years old when he ascended the throne, England moved further away from Catholic doctrine and embraced more Protestant ideas. This period saw the introduction of a more radical Protestant theology and the first Book of Common Prayer, which was largely Protestant in nature. However, Edward's early death in 1553 brought his half-sister, Mary I, to the throne, and with her, a determined effort to return England to Catholicism.
Mary I, known as "Bloody Mary" for her persecution of Protestants, sought to undo the reforms of her father and brother. She reinstated England's relationship with the Pope, and her attempt to return the country to Catholicism was marked by the burning of nearly 300 religious dissenters at the stake. Mary's efforts, however, were ultimately unsuccessful, and her death in 1558 brought an end to this brief Catholic revival.
The final phase of the English Reformation occurred under the reign of Elizabeth I, who sought a middle way between Catholicism and Protestantism. She re-established the Church of England, with herself as its Supreme Governor, and enforced a more moderate form of Protestantism, seeking to create a more inclusive national church. Elizabeth's religious settlement, combined with the political and social changes of the time, largely settled the religious conflicts that had plagued England for decades, and the Church of England became the dominant religious force in the country.
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Henry's religious settlement repealed
Henry VIII's religious settlement was repealed by his daughter, Queen Mary I, who succeeded the throne after King Edward VI's death. Mary was a devout Catholic and earned the nickname 'Bloody Mary' due to her persecution of Protestants. She repealed the Act of Supremacy, which had made Henry and his heirs the Supreme Head of the Church of England, and restored Catholicism in England.
During Henry's reign, he broke with the Catholic Church, becoming the Supreme Head of the Church of England and dissolving the monasteries, seizing their properties. This marked the beginning of the English Reformation, which saw England become a Protestant nation. Henry's actions were motivated by his desire for a male heir to carry on the Tudor line, as his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, had only given him a daughter, Mary.
Henry asked Pope Clement VII to annul his marriage to Catherine, but the Pope refused, leading Henry to separate the Church of England from the Catholic Church. He secretly married Anne Boleyn, for whom he had developed an infatuation, and this led to his excommunication from the Catholic Church. Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury, granted Henry's divorce from Catherine, and Anne was crowned queen in 1533.
The Act of Supremacy was passed in 1534, solidifying the break from the Catholic Church and making Henry the Supreme Head of the Church. This gave him the power to divorce Catherine and free rein to pursue his quest for a male heir, marrying four more times after Anne. The dissolution of the monasteries and seizure of their properties was "the greatest redistribution of property in England since the Norman Conquest in 1066," enriching Henry and allowing him to reward his counselors.
Despite Henry's actions, Catholicism still enjoyed widespread popular support in England. The repeal of his religious settlement by Mary I, who was influenced by her cousin, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, reunited England with the Catholic Church and reversed the religious policies of her father and brother.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Henry VIII died a Catholic, albeit one in schism from the Church of Rome. He had broken away from the Catholic Church and created his own title of Head of the Church of England.
Henry VIII broke with the Catholic Church because he wanted to annul his marriage to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, which the Pope refused. Henry wanted a male heir to carry on the Tudor line, and Catherine had only produced a daughter, Mary.
Henry VIII was succeeded by his only son, Edward VI, who was just nine years old at the time. A regency council was formed to rule until Edward turned 18, and Edward Seymour, the 1st Earl of Hertford, was chosen as Lord Protector of the Realm. Edward ruled as a Protestant king, with the aid of 'protectors'.
