Henry VIII (1491-1547)

Henry VIII, a king of England, greatly influenced English history by separating the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church.

Henry is often remembered for his pleasure-seeking life style, his cruelty, and his six wives.

Henry was born in Greenwich, near London.

Henry was 17 years old when he came to the throne in 1509.

The King denied that the pope had authority over England.

In March of 1533, Parliament passed the Act in Restraint of Appeals, which declared that England was independent of all foreign authorities, including the pope, and that the king was England's highest judicial authority.

In 1534, the Act of Supremacy recognized the Church of England as a separate institution and the king as its supreme head. In the years that followed, Henry dissolved the monasteries in England, primarily to obtain their wealth.

Return to Christian History from Henry VIII