Henry VIII, 1509–1547- A* A Level Summary Revision Notes AQA
Henry VIII:
Reaction to Henry VIII Marriage in the early years:
Catherine of Aragon:
• He married Catherine of Aragon merely 6 weeks into his reign at 17.
• She gave birth to 6 children but only Mary survived.
• Early 1520s he had become infatuated with Anne Boleyn so he filed for an
annulment which would mean he could remarry
• The pope and the Charles V were not supportive of Henry’s divorce and it was
argued that the marriage was against Gods will
• Henry had worried that his marriage to Catherine was Cursed by God because
of the Old Testament ban on marrying the widow of one’s brother
• Henry therefore decided to take England out of catholic power and instead set
up the church of England.
• Monasteries were sold and closed.
Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour:
• Two of Anne's pregnancies ended in miscarriage, in the summer of 1534 and
in January 1536
• Had a child that was not a boy
• Henry thought his marriage was cursed
• 1537 Jane Seymour had a boy - Edward VI, meaning that Henry VIII had
finally got a male heir.
Reaction:
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,Henry VIII, 1509–1547- A* A Level Summary Revision Notes AQA
• Henry's desire for a male heir was to lead him to divorce two wives and had
two wives beheaded
• Led to a religious revolution and reformations
• Decisions that Henry made during his reign were to modern Britain
Education:
• Early Years taught the English alphabet grammar with a horn book (a wooden
board, parchment and Lord Prayer)
• Originally taught by Margaret Beaufort
• Expected to learn various subjects: languages, grammar, theology, history,
• Tutor five educations to John rhetoric, logic, philosophy, arithmetic, logic,
literature, geometry, and music and taught Latin, Greek, French, Italian and
Spanish
• Passion for sporting activities and included riding, jousting, tennis, archery,
hunting and dancing.
• John Skelton – The Poet Laureate who taught Henry VII literature, rhetoric
and languages
• Bernard Andre – Latin Teacher, Giles d’Ewes - French tutor
• Richard Croke – Greek
• Thomas More and Erasmus influenced the education of Henry VIII as a young
boy.
Princes Early Life:
• Steered toward a church career, with a broad education in theology, music,
languages, poetry and sports.
• Importance placed on his education
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,Henry VIII, 1509–1547- A* A Level Summary Revision Notes AQA
• Released a book (20 editions in Europe and England)
• 1493- Lord Warden of the Cinque ports. 1494- created Duke of York. Later
appointed Earl Marshal of England and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland through still a
child. Created Prince of Wales when his brother died. In 1509 Henry became King
of England and Lord of Ireland.
Reactions to Arthurs death:
• Henry VIII was sad
• Elizabeth reminded Henry that God helped him become King
• Changed: obsessed with medical science, and developed his own treatments
and tinctures that he believed would help keep him healthy and free of sweating
sickness
• Led Henry to endow the first medical college in England
• Arthur impacts Henry VIII married Catherine of Aragon – divorced after
nearly 25 years kept good relations Spain.
Who were his friends:
• Charles Brandon (1484-1545) closest to the King and made Duke of Suffolk.
Henry’s aristocratic companion in the joust and the hunt and in court activities.
After a brief banishment from court here was rehabilitated and remained at
Henry’s side on campaigns in France, often in command of the army units. Got on
poorly with Wolsey and Anne Boleyn
• Thomas Boleyn (1476-1539): Earl of Wiltshire and Earl of Ormond and
famously father of Anne. Made a knight in bath in 1509. A diplomat. 1525 he was
elevated to peerage as Viscount Rochford, by which time both of his daughters
were at the English Court. 1529 was part of Henrys inner ring of councillors and
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, Henry VIII, 1509–1547- A* A Level Summary Revision Notes AQA
promoted to Earl Winchester and Earl of Ormond until Anne Boleyn's fall in
1536.
• Francis Bryan (1490-1550) Swapped sides in court if necessary, however was
local to Henry.
• Nicholas Carew (1496-1539) gentlemen of the privy in 1518, accompanied
Henry VIII to France. Friends with Catherine of Aragon and Thomas Cromwell.
Arrested and beheaded for suspected treason.
• William Compton (1482-1528) 1510 became the groom of the stool, served
the military campaign of 1513 and on Scottish border in 1523
• Henry Guildford (1489-1532) Was the King’s companion in arms in France
and became the master of horse and then controller of his household in 1522.
Wolsey courted him due to influence with the King and didn’t get on with Anne
Boleyn.
• Edward Howard (1476-1513) Fought at Sluys in 1492. Companion of Henry
when he was the Duke of York
• Thomas Knyvett (1485-1512) Bearer of kings standard in 1509, Given master
of the horse in 1510.
• Thomas Parr (1478-1513) and William Parr (1480-1547): Catherine Parrs
family. William became Cromwell's chief.
• Thomas Wyatt (1503-1542) poet and diplomat, Career at court from 1524.
Helped Henry marry Anne Boleyn. Spent time in a tower of London due to
Thomas Cromwell but was rehabilitated in 1542.
Behaviour of the King:
• Born in Greenwich Palace
• Passionate about art and music.
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