Henry VIII’s Great Matter What was it? And what would you have done?

Recap – the background Problems with the Catholic Church Protests in Germany – Martin Luther (1517) A new Church is formed in Germany – the Protestant Church Many European kings and princes leave the Catholic Church and make the churches in their states Protestant. The English king looks on with interest… who was he?

Today’s lesson Henry VII, the first Tudor king, was a very successful ruler. When he died in 1509, the Crown was rich, and his son, Henry, was able to take over without there being any protests. Today we are going to learn about Henry VIII. We will use a range of sources to find out what kind of a man he was, and how he liked other people to see him. We will then look at the big problem he faced during his reign, and how it led him to cause the Reformation to take place in England. Henry VIII as a young man

Henry VIII: Skills and Talents Henry was England’s most tireless horseman, foremost wrestler and a first class archer. Written by a historian in 1999 He is very talented: a good musician who composes well. He speaks good French, Latin and Spanish. He is fond of hunting, and never takes his sport without tiring eight or ten horses. Written by a close friend of Henry VIII

Henry VIII: Religion Henry is very religious. He hears three masses daily when he hunts and sometimes five on other days. Written by a close friend of Henry VIII

Henry VIII: Appearance He wore a cap of crimson and velvet the French way. The brim was tied with loops that had gold tags. Around his neck was a gold collar from which hung a diamond, the size of the largest walnut I have ever seen. From this hung a beautiful and very round pearl. His cloak was of pure velvet with a train almost six feet long. Written by a foreign visitor to Henry VIII’s court.

How would you describe Henry VIII in this portrait? Do you think he looked exactly like this in real life? What might have been exaggerated, and why?

Henry VIII’s character Strong-minded educated powerful musical weak religious sporty wealthy shy impressive talented ill humble thin

Henry VIII and Religion As he was the second son of Henry VII, it had been expected that the young Prince Henry would eventually be given an important position in the Church. Religious teaching had therefore been important to him as a young boy. When his older brother, Arthur, died, he became next in line to be king, and he married Arthur’s widow, Katharine of Aragon. But he was still apparently a religious man – as we’ve seen, he attended mass up to five times a day and regularly went on pilgrimages. When he heard about Luther’s ideas, he wrote a book defending the Catholic Church. The Pope thought he was such a good Catholic that he gave him the title ‘Defender of the Faith’.

So what did he think? So what do you think Henry’s reaction would have been to news of the Reformation in Europe?

So what changed? Yet despite his previous commitment to the Catholic Church, by the 1530s Henry was seriously thinking about breaking away from the Pope and forming his own, Protestant, Church of England. What had changed? We are going to look at some of the issues which led Henry VIII to make this huge change, which would have an effect on England which has lasted to the present day.

The Great Matter Henry had married Katharine of Aragon, a Spanish princess, in 1509. She had previously been married to Henry’s older brother, Arthur, who had died as a teenager. Henry wanted a son to continue the Tudor line, but by 1530, Henry’s only surviving child was a girl, Mary. Henry said that he thought God was punishing him for marrying his brother’s widow. He convinced himself that God did not approve of the marriage and that this was why he couldn’t have a boy. He decided that he needed to end this marriage and sent his Archbishop, Cardinal Wolsey, to ask the Pope for an annulment (a ‘cancellation’ of the marriage, as if it had never existed – not quite the same as a divorce). He already had a new wife in mind – Katherine’s lady-in-waiting, Anne Boleyn.

Was an unhappy marriage the only reason Henry had for breaking away from the Catholic Church? The Pope was not keen on allowing Henry to end his marriage to Katherine. In his view, the marriage was legal. But perhaps more importantly, he was being held prisoner by Katherine’s nephew, Charles, who did not want his aunt to be humiliated by Henry. To end his marriage, Henry would have to leave the Catholic Church. He could then give himself permission (!) to separate from Katherine. However, there were other good reasons why Henry was considering forming a new, Protestant Church in England. Think back to last week – why else might becoming Protestant have appealed to him? Pope Clement VII

I spy an attractive lady – in-waiting called Anne Boleyn I spy an attractive lady – in-waiting called Anne Boleyn. If only I could marry her instead. Will the Pope give me an annulment? I need a son. I have been married for 20 years and my wife, Catherine of Aragon is too old to have any more children. Who will inherit my throne when I die? The Church is very rich. I need money for my luxurious court. If only I could get my hands on it. The new Protestant ideas are spreading in Germany. Princes there are reforming their churches and throwing out the Catholic Church. The Church takes money out of my country in taxes to help build St Peter’s in Rome. What do I get in return? Some people in England like the new Protestant ideas. They believe that the Bible should be in English not Latin.

In the end, it was a clear choice... Henry eventually decided that there was no point in waiting for the Pope to change his mind. Anne Boleyn was now pregnant and he needed to marry her before the child was born to ensure that the child would legally be able to inherit the throne. Plus, the temptations of the huge wealth of the Church were just too great to resist... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdE7LyxdTAg Horrible Histories – Henry VIII online 

What did Henry do next? He made himself Supreme Head of the new ‘Church of England’. He rid himself of his old Catholic Archbishop, Wolsey, and appointed a new Protestant archbishop, Cranmer. He annulled his own marriage to Katherine and married Anne Boleyn (who was already pregnant – he hoped with a son). He bullied anyone who opposed his break from the Catholic Church – even executing men he had previously trusted. He closed all of the monasteries and nunneries in England and took over all of their lands and wealth.

Homework What should I do? This week’s homework asks you to think about how making himself head of the Church in England solved Henry’s problems. Please hand in your work by Friday evening at the latest. Thanks! What should I do?