How much do you know about the young King Henry VIII? Find out with this fun quiz. Grab your favourite beverage and snack and let’s get started! Good luck!
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The Young Henry VIII Quiz
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Livechat transcript – Seamus O’Caellaigh – Henry VIII’s Health
Thank you to the wonderful group of people we had in our live chat on Friday night. Seamus answered lots of questions about Henry VIII and his health, and also let us know some of the remedies that he had personally tried.
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Congratulations also to the winner of a copy of Seamus’ book Pustules, Pestilence and Pain. -
Claire’s bookcase – Books on the Six Wives of Henry VIII
Thank you so much to Tudor Society member Anthony for inspiring today’s Claire Chats talk. Anthony asked if I’d do another of my “bookcase” chats so today I thought I’d focus on my collection of books on the six wives of Henry VIII.
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31 January 1547 – Henry VIII’s death is announced and Edward VI is proclaimed king
On this day in history, 31st January 1547, Thomas Wriothesley, Henry VIII’s Lord Chancellor and one of the executors of his will, announced the death of Henry VIII to Parliament. The late king’s nine-year-old son was proclaimed king, becoming King Edward VI.
Chronicler and Windsor Herald Charles Wriothesley recorded:
“The 31 of Januarie my lord major [mayor] was sent for to the Perliament Chamber at Westminster, before the lordes of the Kinges Majesties Privie Counsell, and their was declared to them by my Lord Chauncelor and other the death of the Kinges Majestic Henrie the Eight, our Soveraigne Lord, which deceased to Almightie God on Fridaie last, being the 28th of Januarie, and straig[ht]ly charging them to keepe the Kinges peace and to loke to the savegarde of the Kinges Majesties Chambre of London, and so they departed.
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Henry VII and Henry VIII Quiz
How much do you know about the first two monarchs, father and son Henry VII and Henry VIII? Get your brain working with these ten questions.
Grab your favourite beverage and snack, make yourself comfortable and test yourself. Good luck!
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Happy times for Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon
With Henry VIII’s Great Matter, his six-year quest for an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon and his harsh treatment of her in the 1530s, we tend to forget that Henry was once besotted with Catherine. He had chosen to marry her in 1509, he wasn’t forced into it by diplomatic negotiations, and they were happy for over fifteen years.
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Henry VIII: a tyrant? Live chat transcript
Thank you to all those who came to the informal live chat on Henry VIII the Tyrant. We all had a wonderful time and this was an incredibly lively chat.
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Anne of Cleves Part 2: Her marriage to Henry VIII and its annulment
In today’s Claire Chat’s video talk, I look at Anne of Cleves’ marriage to Henry VIII and what happened between 6th January 1540, her wedding day, and 28th July 1540 when Henry VIII married Catherine Howard, his fifth wife.
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Informal live chat: Henry VIII, tyrant? – 13 January 2018
This month’s informal live chat is on Saturday 13th January and the topic is Henry VIII – tyrant? Yes, we’re discussing that iconic monarch and whether or not the label “tyrant” can be used to describe him. It should be a very interesting debate and I’m looking forward to it.
With our informal chats, we don’t have an expert to ‘grill’, we just all bundle into the chatroom and have fun debating the topic for an hour. The moderator is just there to check that it runs smoothly, and to join the debate too. Feel free to share book recommendations, to pose questions, to share your views…
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January 2018 – Tudor Life – Henry VIII
Here is the full version of our 86-page January edition of Tudor Life Magazine. This month we have many articles about this fascinating king – all the way through to his final days.
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13 November 1537 – Margaret Tudor writes to Henry VIII
On this day in history, Margaret Tudor, the former Queen of Scotland, wrote a letter to her brother, Henry VIII.
The following letter is one of a collection of letters written by Margaret to Henry in the 1530s. Margaret was desperately unhappy. She had married her third husband, Henry Stewart, 1st Lord Methven, in 1528, and was intent on divorcing him because not only did he have a mistress, he was also spending and wasting Margaret’s money. Margaret’s own son, James V of Scotland, was siding with Methven and Methven had control of Margaret’s lands and money, so Margaret wanted her brother’s support and help:
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Quiz – Anne of Cleves, fourth wife of Henry VIII
Anne of Cleves was the fourth wife of King Henry VIII, but how much do you actually know about her? Test your knowledge and have some fun with our Sunday quiz on Anne – good luck!
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Anne of Cleves, fourth wife of Henry VIII
Today is the anniversary of the death of Anne of Cleves and to mark the occasion Claire looks at some texts associated with her.
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12 July 1543 – The marriage of Henry VIII and Catherine Parr according to a primary source account
On this day in history, 12th July 1543, the fifty-two-year-old King Henry VIII married thirty-one-year-old Catherine Parr, Lady Latimer, in the Queen’s Closet of the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace.
Here is a primary source account of Henry VIII’s sixth, and Catherine’s third, marriage. It is the notarial attestation by Richard Watkins, the King’s prothonotary, and can be found in Letters & Papers:
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30 June 1541 – Henry VIII’s Progress to the North
On this day in history, 30th June 1541, Henry VIII and his fifth wife, Catherine Howard, set off on their royal progress to the North.
Royal progresses meant that the monarch and his consort to get out of London, away from the smell and disease of the summer months, and also show themselves to their people. This progress, though, had two other aims: for Henry to meet his nephew, King James V of Scotland, at York in September, and also “to emphasise the extent of his defeat of the Pilgrims [from the Pilgrimage of Grace] and the Percy interest, and to humiliate utterly all but the most clearly loyal elements”.
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Happy Birthday Henry VIII!
To celebrate the anniversary of Henry VIII’s birth on this day in history, 28th June 1491, I thought I’d give you some links to some talks, articles and resources on this iconic king. Happy 526th birthday to King Henry VIII.
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Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon Crossword
As yesterday was the anniversary of the coronation of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon in 1509, we’re going to have some fun and exercise our brains with a Henry and Catherine-themed crossword – enjoy!
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24 June 1509 – The coronation of King Henry VIII and Queen Catherine
On this day in history, Sunday 24th June 1509, Midsummer’s Day and the Feast of St John the Baptist, King Henry VIII and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, were crowned king and queen by William Warham, Archbishop of Canterbury, at Westminster Abbey.
You can read all about the coronation and coronation banquet in Edward Hall’s chronicle…
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22 June 1509 – Henry VIII creates 26 Knights of the Bath
On either 22nd or 23rd June 1509, before his joint coronation with Queen Catherine of Aragon on 24th June, King Henry VIII created twenty-four Knights of the Bath at the Tower of London.
Letters and Papers names the knights as “Richard (sic) Radclyff lord Fitzwater, the lord Scroop of Bolton, the lord Fitzhugh, the lord Mountjoye, the lord Dawbeney, the lord Brooke, Sir Henry Clyfford, Sir Maurice Berkeley, Sir Thomas Knyvet, Sir Andrew Wyndesore, Sir Thomas Parr, Sir Thomas Boleyne, Sir Richard Wentworth, Sir Henry Owtrede, Sir Francis Cheyny, Sir Henry Wyotte, Sir George Hastynges, Sir Thomas Metham, Sir Thomas Bedyngfeld, Sir John Shelton, Sir Giles Alyngton, Sir John Trevanyon, Sir William Crowmer, Sir John Heydon, Sir Godarde Oxenbrige and Sir Henry Sacheverell.”
Who were these men?
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Why did Henry VIII get so fat?
Thank you to Ana for asking “Why did Henry VIII get so fat? Was he really obese because he ate too much? Or because he was ill?”. Here is Kyra Kramer’s answer:
Henry was a man of large appetites, in so many ways. Until he was in his late 30s, he was an Adonis and Olympic-level athlete, and he ate to match the calorific needs of his muscular, 6’2″ body. Like many athletes, he continued to eat this way even when middle age slowed down his metabolism, meaning that while he still rode and jousted as much as ever, he was getting a bit thick in the middle. We’ve all, I believe, seen this happen to formerly strapping men. They call it the “dad jeans” phase in America; when men start wearing jeans a little bigger, a little looser, and with a little more room in the backside. They are by no means obese, but they are no longer the ab-showing gods of their youth.
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Did Henry VIII ever intend that Mary should be queen?
Thank you to Lisa for asking this question. Here is an answer from Conor Byrne…
I think until 1527 Henry VIII may have tentatively regarded his daughter Mary as his heir. Obviously, it’s impossible for us to say, but he did appoint her with a council in Wales and she had the same authority and rights that the Prince of Wales traditionally enjoyed, although she was never formally appointed Princess of Wales.
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26 May 1520 – Henry VIII and Charles V meet at Dover Castle
On 26th May 1520, King Henry VIII met with Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, at Dover Castle on the south coast of England.
Here is an account of this event from chronicler Edward Hall:
“The king intending and perseveryng in purpose to mete with Frances the Frenche kyng, greate and riche provisions were made, wherfore the noble Kyng and the Quene with all the noble courte removed the twentie and one daie of May beyng on Mundaie, from their maner of Grenewyche towardes the Sea side, and so on the Fridaie beeyng the twentie and five daie of May, arrived at the citee of Canterbury, intendyng there to kepe his Pentecoste.
Sone after whiche commyng to Cantorbury, tidynges wer brought that Charles Emperor electe, was on the sea, in sight of the coast of England, wherfore officers of the kyng were sent with great diligence to the Castle and toune of Dover to be there in a redines against the arrival of the Emperor.
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11 May 1532 – Henry VIII attacks the clergy
On this day in history, 11th May 1532, King Henry VIII sent for the Speaker and a delegation from the Commons and accused the clergy of being “scarce our subjects”, attacking their oath to the Pope.
Here is chronicler Edward Hall’s account of this:
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21 April 1509 – The accession of Henry VIII
On the 21st April 1509, following the death of his father, Henry VII, seventeen-year-old Henry VIII became king. His accession was greeted with joy. The Spanish envoy Gutierre Gómez de Fuensalida wrote that “The people are very happy and few tears are being shed for Henry VII. Instead, people are as joyful as if they had been released from prison” and William, Lord Mountjoy, wrote to Desiderius Erasmus, the renowned humanist and scholar, saying:
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28 January – Henry VII, Henry VIII and Edward VI
This day in history involves Henry VII, Henry VIII and Edward VI; grandfather, father and son. For it was on this day in 1457 that Henry VII was born, this day in 1547 that Henry VIII died, and this day in 1547 that Edward VI became king. What a day in history.
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Ten of the Best Henry VIII Locations to Visit with Children in 2017 and a Book Giveaway!
A big welcome to historian Amy Licence who is joining us today to kick off her book tour for her children’s book All About Henry VIII. It’s a wonderful book, as are the others in the series, and you can enter the giveaway to win a copy of this book by leaving a comment before midnight on 27th January 2017. Simply comment below this post saying which historical place linked to Henry VIII you’d like to visit and why. One comment will be picked at random and the winner contacted.
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1510 – Henry VIII’s first joust as king
On 12th January 1510, eighteen-year-old Henry VIII jousted for the first time as king at a private joust at Richmond Park. He’d become king following the death of his father, Henry VII, on 21st April 1509.
Henry and his good friend William Compton attended the joust on 12th January in disguise, but this led to panic when one of the disguised knights was seriously injured in the joust and a man who knew that the king was taking part cried out “God save the king!”
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Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall, Who’s the Most Renaissance of Them All? Part III: Henry VIII of England
This is Part III of a four-part series, which seeks to look at what were considered the attributes of a Renaissance prince, and who of our four princes embodied the ideals of the Renaissance best. What were some of those themes? The idea of a Renaissance man stood for a person who strove to embrace knowledge and develop himself. This included concepts such as the arts, knowledge, physical achievements, and social ideals. More plainly and for a prince, this could include cultivating a court known for patronising artists, musicians, and the like; establishing educational institutions, a good degree of physical fortitude, and things such as chivalric love or engaging in acts of charity.
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30 December 1546 – Henry VIII signs his will
On 30th December 1546, Henry VIII signed his last will and testament, authorising changes he’d instructed William Paget to make on his behalf on 26th December 1546.
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Henry VIII letter being auctioned
Thank you so much to Jean Pascal for sharing this news with me. A letter written by Henry VIII to Francis I is being auctioned in Lyon on 15th December.
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