Biography of Henry VIII for Kids: Famous Kings from History for Children - FreeSchool

Today we're going to learn about the famous monarch, King Henry VIII. Henry VIII, King of England from 1509 to 1547, was the second monarch in the Tudor dynasty, and is most famous for his six marriages. He also made many important changes during his reign, which had a big impact on England and the world, making King Henry VIII one of the most memorable monarchs in history. Henry VIII was born on June 28, 1491 in Greenwich, England. He was the second son of King Henry VII, and his wife, Elizabeth of York. He was originally not expected to be king, but his older brother Arthur died when Henry was only ten years old, and he became the heir to the throne. His father, King Henry VII, died a few years later, and Henry VIII became king in 1509, at only 17 years old. Shortly afterwards Henry married 23-year-old Catherine of Aragon, a princess from Spain. Catherine had been married to Henry's brother Arthur before he died, but they did not have any children. Henry married Catherine to strengthen England's alliance with Spain. Together they had six children, but unfortunately only one of them, a girl named Mary, survived infancy. This was a big problem for Henry. He needed a son to be king after him. His wife, Catherine, was nearly 40 and was not able to have any more children. He decided to divorce her and marry someone younger. At the time, he would need permission from the pope to annul his marriage, but he thought the pope would allow it because Catherine had been married to his brother before she married Henry. When the pope refused to annul their marriage, Henry declared that he was the head of the church in England, not the pope, and broke away from the Catholic church. This was a major turning point in English religious history, and it had consequences that would shape England for years to come. Now that he had broken with the Catholic church, Henry annulled his own marriage, sent Catherine away, and declared Mary illegitimate so that any children he would have with his new wife could inherit the throne. Catherine and Henry had been married for 24 years. In 1533 he married Anne Boleyn, a former lady-in-waiting, and quickly gave birth to a daughter named Elizabeth. Despite the fact that Elizabeth was healthy, Henry was disappointed. He had been sure that Anne was going to have a son. Anne later had two miscarriages and no more children, and Henry was tired of waiting. He accused Anne of adultery and treason and had her executed in 1536, after only three years of marriage. Her daughter Elizabeth was declared illegitimate too, so that she could not inherit. Less than two weeks later, he married his third wife, Jane Seymour. Jane had been one of Anne's ladies-in-waiting. Just over a year after their marriage, Jane gave birth to a healthy son named Edward, finally giving Henry VIII the son and heir that he had been so desperate for. Sadly, Jane died 12 days later, less than 18 months after her marriage. She was given a queen's funeral, and Henry wore black for three months. For Henry's next marriage, his advisors urged him to make a political alliance with Anne of Cleves, a member of a powerful German family. Henry agreed to marry Anne without meeting her, with only a painting to tell him what she looked like. When Anne arrived in England, Henry thought she was not as pretty as she looked in her painting. He tried to get out of marrying her, but he couldn't. What he could do was annul the marriage later, and that's what he did, after they had been married for only six months. Anne of Cleves lived a comfortable life in England until her death. Henry decided that he would choose his next wife himself, and a few weeks after his marriage to Anne ended, Henry married his fifth wife, Catherine Howard. Young and pretty, Catherine Howard was given her way about anything she wanted, but it didn't last long. She was accused of being unfaithful to Henry, and flirting with his courtiers, and she was executed in 1542. In 1543, Henry married his sixth and final wife, Catherine Parr. She was a widow when they married. Catherine was a strong woman who was able to provide support to Henry as he grew older. She also played a role in reconciling Henry with his daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, and getting them returned to the line of succession. Catherine Parr would safely outlive her husband. On January 28, 1547, Henry died, leaving his son Edward to inherit the throne and to rule the country that he had changed so much. Henry VIII left his mark on England and changed it forever, shaping the course of history and setting the stage for future monarchs to follow. I hope you enjoyed learning about King Henry VIII. Goodbye till next time!