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Stevenâ
Vidler/Eurasiaâ
Press/Corbis
Henry became heir to the crown:
as the firstborn son
when his older brother died
And boy, did his brother Arthur's death set in motion a series of world-changing events.
after a bloody revolution
The young Henry could be described as physically:
borderline obese
tall and athletic
Henry was tall for the time (over 6 feet) and quite fit.
unusually short
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Henry married Catherine of Aragon, who had previously been married to …
the king of Spain
his father
his brother
Trust this will come up again.
When did Henry ascend the throne?
1501
1509
After his father died in 1509, Henry took the throne.
1520
By most accounts, Catherine and Henry's early marriage was:
marked largely by a complete lack of contact
extremely stormy
happy
For nearly 20 years, Catherine and Henry seemed a good match.
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Catherine's only surviving child was:
Elizabeth
Mary
Princess Mary was born in 1516, the only surviving child of Catherine's six births.
Arthur
An important early counselor for Henry was Thomas Wolsey. What was Wosley's position?
cardinal
Wolsey became cardinal in 1505 and was an influential minister in Henry's early reign.
prime minister
personal priest
What caused Henry's disillusionment with Catherine?
a big fight they had about finances
his love for Anne Boleyn
the lack of male heir
Although Henry no doubt carried on affairs throughout his marriage to Catherine, it was ultimately his concern for a male heir that caused the divorce to be pursued.
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How did Henry convince himself (and attempt to convince the pope) that his marriage should be annulled?
The vows were never spoken clearly enough.
The marriage was never consummated.
It was against biblical law to marry your brother's widow.
Pope Clement VII wasn't about to give that argument credence.
Henry also had a strong advisor in Thomas More. What were More's most pressing concerns?
More wanted to raise taxes.
More wanted England to become Protestant.
More wanted England to stay Catholic.
More didn't approve of a divorce and was devoted to making sure Lutheranism didn't spread.
What advisor finally succeeded in helping Henry get his divorce -- by separating England from the Catholic church?
Thomas More
Thomas Cromwell
Cunning Cromwell got the king what he wanted, but the result was a complete severing of England and papal authority.
Thomas Boleyn
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What other Cromwell policy did Henry benefit from?
The monastic holdings were transferred to the crown.
Remember that the church was quite wealthy; by making them the property of the king, the crown became enormously rich.
He made sure the king could divorce without cause.
He named Henry King of Ireland.
Henry married Anne Boleyn in 1533. How long did the marriage last?
three weeks
three years
It wasn't long before Henry grew tired of Anne.
seven years
Why did Henry pursue divorce with Anne Boleyn?
She had produced no male heir.
He heard she was having affairs.
both, but probably the first one more than anything
Although she bore him Elizabeth less than a year after their marriage, no male heir meant suspicions were aroused -- rightly or wrongly.
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Anne was executed in May 1536. When did Henry marry Jane Seymour, his third wife?
May 1536
11 days after Anne was beheaded, Jane was Queen.
September 1536
May 1537
Jane gave Henry a male heir, but their marriage ended a bit more than a year after their marriage due to what?
rumors of Jane's adultery
Jane's death after childbirth
Edward VI lived until the age of 15.
the baby died soon after
Three years after Jane's death, Henry married Anne of Cleves -- a strategic move designed to what?
to rule the Netherlands
to unify Ireland
unite Protestant leaders against the Catholic powers in France and the Holy Roman Empire
It was Cromwell's idea and seemed pretty promising.
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Unfortunately, Henry divorced Anne just six months afterwards because of what?
He didn't think she was as pretty as her picture.
Seriously, he thought the picture he saw of her was more attractive than the real thing.
He fell in love with someone else.
She confessed she was barren.
Who else was a casualty of Anne of Cleves and Henry's marriage?
Thomas Cromwell
Never one to have much patience, Henry executed Cromwell for treason and heresy.
Princess Mary
Anne of Cleve's brother
After the Anne of Cleves disaster, Henry rebounded with whom?
Catherin Parr
Catherine Howard
But alas, Catherine was beheaded two years later.
Anne Hathaway
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What was Catherine Howard's crime?
adultery
impurity before marriage
A bill was passed that no unchaste woman should marry the king.
heresy against the Church of England
By Catherine's death in 1542, Henry was increasingly:
unhealthy
unpredictable
both
Henry grew quite overweight and made erratic and unwise decisions.
Catherine Parr married Henry in 1543. How did their marriage end?
with another divorce
with Catherine executed for treason
with Henry's death in 1547
Catherine was Henry's last wife.
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So all in all: How many wives did Henry VIII have?
six
Three Catherines, two Annes and one Jane
seven
eight
What wives of Henry survived him?
Catherine Parr
Anne of Cleves
both
Anne of Cleves (like Catherine of Aragon, who died of natural causes in 1533) was merely divorced from Henry and actually lived the longest of Henry's wives.
Henry died in 1547. Who succeeded him on the throne?
Edward VI
Henry's son with Jane Seymour was made king at the age of 9 but died when he was 15.
Elizabeth I
Mary I
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What was Henry's last name?
Tudor
Henry's father was first of the Tudor line of the monarchy.
Windsor
Cambridge
Henry had one illegitimate son he acknowledged. What was his name ?
Henry Blount
Henry FitzRoy
They really weren't even trying to hide the son, as the name he was christened with means "son of the king."
Henry Tudor
What rhyme can help you remember the fate of Henry's wives?
"Dead, divorced, survived/survived, divorced, died"
"Divorced, beheaded, died/Divorced, beheaded, survived
Meaning: Catherine of Aragon was divorced, Anne Boleyn beheaded, Jane Seymour died, Anne of Cleves divorced, Catherine Howard beheaded, Catherine Parr survived the king.
"Beheaded, divorced, died/survived, died, lied."
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婉
Stevenâ
Vidler/Eurasiaâ
Press/Corbis