Henry VIII is one of the most iconic English kings in history. He was the second Tudor monarch and reigned from 1509 to 1547. His reign was marked by some of the most dramatic changes in England’s history. We’ll explore the Top 10 Facts about Henry VIII. From his six wives to the establishment of the Church of England, these facts will provide an overview of his reign and the impact he had. So let’s dive into the fascinating life of Henry VIII!

1. Henry VIII was born in London.

Henry was born in London, in Greenwich, on 28th June, 1491.

He was born in the Greenwich Palace.

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2. Henry was crowned King in 1509.

Henry VIII was crowned King in 1509.

He wasn’t really meant to be King.

Henry became King when his Brother Arthur, Prince of Wales, passed away.

Arthur was first in line to the throne.

Henry was only 18 at the time.

3. He had six wives!

They were:

Catherine of Aragon – Henry divorced her because they had no son.

Anne Boleyn – Henry turned against his wife and had her executed.

Click here to find out more about Anne Boleyn’s execution

Jane Seymour – Jane sadly passed away two weeks after their son was born.

Anne of Cleves – They got divorced after six months!

Catherine Howard – They married when Catherine was only 19. Henry executed Catherine.

Katherine Parr – In 1547 Henry passed away. She stayed devoted to him until then.

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4. Henry VIII was really tall!

Henry was really tall.

He was around 6 foot 2 inches!

That was very tall for Tudor times.. and still quite tall now!

In the Tudor times, the average height for a man was around 5 foot 5 inches.

5. He ruled in the Tudor period.

Henry VIII ruled in the Tudor period.

You can find out more about the Tudor period by clicking here!

6. Hampton Court Palace was one of Henry’s homes.

Thomas Wolsey was Henry’s Lord Chancellor. He built Hampton Court Palace and lived in it.

Hampton Court Palace attracted Henry as he liked to live a luxurious lifestyle and later ended up moving into the palace.

He did major works to it and he rebuilt the rooms up to 6 times!

Find out more about Hampton Court Palace in The Secrets of Hampton Court Palace

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7. Over 70,000 people were executed.

Henry VIII was very well known for his executions.

It is thought that over 70,000 people were sadly executed.

There were many reasons for getting executed but some of the main ones were disagreeing with Henry, if you did something illegal or if you betrayed your country.

8. The Church of England was created by Henry VIII.

Henry VIII created his own church, known as the Church of England.

He broke away from the Catholic church because the Pope wouldn’t allow him to get divorced.

Now that he was the head of the Church of England he was allowed to.

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9. He reigned for 38 years.

Henry reigned for a whole 38 years.

He was King until he passed away.

10. Henry passed away at the age of 55.

Henry passed away on 28th January, 1547.

He is buried in St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.

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Credit: Portrait of Henry VIII. Credit: National Portrait Gallery, London. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Find out more about Henry VIII, the Tudors and Hampton Court Palace in The Secrets of Hampton Court Palace

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