English Reformation

Henry VII Takes the Throne

Apr 21, 1509

Henry VIII grew up with his mother, since his older brother was expected to be the king. As the second son, Henry always wanted to prove himself, to show that he was every bit as good as his elder brother, Arthur. When Arthur and Elizabeth, his mother, died, Henry VIII and VII's relationship became strained. Once Henry VIII took the throne, he promptly reversed many things put in place by his father.

Henry VIII's Reign - Death of Elizabeth I

Period: Apr 21, 1509 to Mar 24, 1603

Marriage to Catherine of Aragon

Jun 11, 1509

Catherine was married to Henry VIII's older brother, Arthur, and married Henry when Arthur passed away. She had around seven pregnancies. Two resulted in sons that lived, but neither lived beyond a few months of age. Mary was the only child who lived to be an adult. Their marriage lasted for 24 years, throughout which she was faithful and Henry was not. Henry married Anne Boleyn before he divorced Catherine. The two fought for 6 years about the annulment.

Mary I is born

Feb 18, 1516

Mary I of England is born to Catherine of Aragon in the Palace of Placentia, Greenwich. Mary was the oldest of the three children of Henry VIII. Despite her father reforming the church in England, Mary remained a devout Roman Catholic, and upon becoming queen, she persecuted protestants, which is where she earned the name "Bloody Mary." Mary ruled England for five years following Edward VI's death.

Marriage to Anne Boleyn

Jan 25, 1533

Anne spent many years in France, and developed a taste for all things French, as well as learning the language. Before Anne and Henry were married, Henry gave her lavish presents trying to woo her. The two were finally married about 4 months before he divorced Catherine, since Anne had become pregnant with Elizabeth. Anne's three subsequent pregnancies resulted in nothing.
There is a myth that Anne had 6 fingers, but this is unfounded and almost certainly false.

Divorce of Catherine of Aragon

May 23, 1533

Henry and Catherine fought about the divorce for 6 years. Each contacted the Pope, Henry asking for the annullment, Catherine arguing against it. The Pope never gave consent, but the marriage was annulled by Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Pope's refusal led to the Act of Supremacy.

Birth of Elizabeth I

Sep 7, 1533

See: Mary Dies, Elizabeth I takes the Throne.

First Act of Supremacy

Jan 22, 1534

Henry VIII did not like that the Pope had refused to annull his marriage to Catherine, and that he had to 'illegally' divorce her. So he took action. In 1534, Parliament declared Henry VIII the head of the church in England. Due to this Act of Supremacy, England remained Catholic, but the Pope no longer led them. Henry then went on to dissolve the monasteries throughout England.

Death of Catherine of Aragon

Jan 7, 1536

Henry VIII is said to have thrown a banquent upon hearing of her death.

Beheading of Anne Boleyn

May 19, 1536

Anne Boleyn was sentenced on charges of adultery, incest, and plotting to murder the King. She had an option of being burned at the stake or beheaded, and chose beheading, since an expert swordsman was in town.

Marriage to Jane Seymour

May 30, 1536

Jane and the king began to have a bit of a relationship as soon as Henry lost intrest in Anne, who had not provided him with a son. The two were formally betrothed in under 24 hours from the time of Anne's execution. They were married about 10 days later. Jane became pregnant a year or so later, and bore a son, Edward, who lived to be King. However, she died soon after this pregnancy. Jane was buried in Henry VIII's tomb, as the only one of his wives to be buried with him.

Edward VI is born

Oct 12, 1537

Edward VI, son of Jane Seymour and Henry VIII was born on October 12th, 1537. Like his father, Edward proved to be a devout protestant, and spent much of his short reign as king dealing with religious matters. Before his death, he attempted to prevent Mary and Elizabeth from succeeding him in an effort to ensure that England remains protestant, however these efforts failed. Edward's rule lasted a mere 6 years due to his contraction of a terminal disease.

Jane Seymour Death

Oct 24, 1537

Jane Seymour died shortly after giving birth to Henry VIII's only son who survived to adulthood, Edward. She only lasted for two weeks after the birth. She was buried in the tomb Henry had been preparing for his own eventual death.

Henry VIII marries Anne of Cleves

Jan 6, 1540

On January sixth, 1540 Henry VIII married Anne of Cleves at Greenwich Palace. Anne of Cleves was a German noblewoman and the 4th wife of Henry VIII. The marriage lasted only a few months, and was the shortest of of Henry VIII's marriages.

Anne, despite her annulment, was not beheaded. After the annulment she was given Richmond Palace and Hever castle, the home of the late Boleyns. Anne lived in England the rest of her life, and lived the longest of any of Henry vIII's consorts.

Anulment between Anne of Cleves and Henry VIII

Jul 9, 1540

The marriage between Anne of Cleves and Henry VIII lasted only a few months. The exact reason why the marriage was so short is unknown, but many historians believe that Henry didn't like her 'bad' looks. The attached image is Anne of Cleves's arms while she was the queen consort.

Marriage between Kathryn Howard and Henry VIII

Jul 28, 1540

Kathryn Howard married Henry VIII on July 28th, 1540 at oatlands Palace. This happened almost immediately after his annulment with Anne of Cleaves. She was later beheaded on grounds of treason for commiting adultery while married to the king.
Kathryn Howard was the cousin of Anne Boleyn, one of the king's previous wives. Kathryn served as a lady-in-waiting for Anne of Cleaves, which is how she came to meet Henry vIII.

Anulment between Kathryn Howard and Henry VIII

Nov 23, 1541

Kathryn Howard's marriage was invalidated on grounds that she commit adultery. She would later be imprisoned along with all of her family, then beheaded.

Catherine Howard Beheaded

Feb 13, 1542

Catherine Howard was beheaded on February 13th, 1542. Those who she admit to commiting adultery with were executed in December of 1541.

When news reached Henry VIII that Catherine commit adultery, he initally didn't believe it, showing that Catherine was one of his favorite wives, and one that he trusted. She very well could have remained his last wife had she remained faithful.
The attached image is Catherine Howard's arms while she was the queen consort.

Henry VIII marries Katherine Parr

Jul 12, 1543

On July 12th, 1543, Henry VIII married Katherine Parr. This would be his sixth and final marriage. Katherine is most famous for her involvement in the lives of Henry's children. She became good friends with all of them, and was able to help them reconcile with Henry.

The exact birth date of Katherine Parr is unknown, but it is believed to be some time in1512. Her parents were Sir Thomas Parr and Maud Green, who were english nobles.

Death of Henry VIII

Jan 28, 1547

On January 28th, 1547 Henry VIII died. His exact cause of death is unknown, but it is believed to have been a natural death caused by his severe medical issues. At his time of death, Henry VIII was 54 inches around the waste, and around 300 pounds. He also is believed to have suffered from diabetes and boils all over his skin. Both of these can be potentiall traced back to a jousting accident he had in 1536.
Edward VI succeeds him.
The attached image is Henry vIII in 1545.

Death of Katherine Parr

Sep 5, 1548

Katherine Parr was the only one of Henry's wives who outlived him.

Death of Edward VI, Mary I succeeds him.

Jul 6, 1553

On July 6th, 1553, Edward died of an unknown terminal disease. Despite his efforts to ensure that his Roman Catholic half-sister Mary I didn't succeed him, Mary formed an army and deposed Lady Jane Grey, beheaded her, and was recognized as the queen.

The attached image is Edward VI's arms during his reign.

Mary Dies, Elizabeth I takes the throne

Nov 20, 1558

Elizabeth was Henry's second surviving child. Upon becoming queen, she repealed the Catholic Legislation that Mary had introduced.
Never married, she was known as the Virgin Queen. England prospered under her reign, and explored the New World. The Spanish Armada was defeated during her rule. Elizabeth I has been called "the greatest of all England's Kings and Queens."

Second Act of Supremacy

Jan 22, 1559

In 1554, the First Act of Supremacy was repealed by Henry VIII's first daughter, Mary. However, in 1559, Elizabeth, the second daughter, and a Protestant, reinstated the Act, making herself the head of the Church in England.

Death of Elizabeth I

Mar 24, 1603

Elizabeth I died of blood poisoning.