King Henry VIII

## History

### Early Life

Henry VIII was born on the 28 June 1491, the third child and second son of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. Throughout his childhood, Henry received many titles, though he was not thought of as being the most important child, as he was second in line to his older brother Arthur. Because of his role as the 'spare', there are not as many records of his youth as might be otherwise expected. It is, however, known that he received an excellent education and was fluent in English, Latin, French, and perhaps a bit of Italian.

In 1502, Henry's life was suddenly changed, as his brother died of the sweating sickness, leaving Henry to inherit his titles and responsibilities. However, his father was hesitant to place all of this on Henry, and instead kept him quite sheltered and closely supervised. Henry did, however, inherit one thing from his brother, being a betrothal to Catherine of Aragon. Because Henry was still a child, his fiancee was somewhat left in limbo for a long while. When Henry was 14, he rejected the marriage wholeheartedly.

### Early Reign

Henry VII died on 21 April 1509, and the 17-year-old Henry succeeded him as king. Soon after his father's burial, Henry made it known that he had changed his mind about marrying Catherine, and did indeed wish for her to be his queen. Henry's wedding to Catherine was kept low-key and was held at the friar's church in Greenwich on 11 June 1509, and their coronation followed the day after.

Henry and his new wife were quite happy together, and quickly tried to expand their family. After one miscarriage, the two successfully welcomed a son, who they named Henry. However, their happiness was short lived, as the prince died at only seven weeks old. The couple would continue to try, having two more stillborn children before finally welcoming a healthy baby girl, Mary.

Despite the couple's happiness, Henry was known to take mistresses, the most well known of them being Elizabeth "Bessie" Blount, who was the mother of his illegitimate son Henry Fitzroy.

### Alliances and Battles

Henry engaged in many alliances and rivalries with other rulers. He had a strong desire to claim France for himself, and attempted to achieve this through alliances with Spain, though those were just as strained as the English and French relationships. Most recently, he approached an alliance to France through the betrothal of his daughter to the son of Francois.

## Appearance

Henry is an older man who stands at about average height. He has shoulder length hair and a short beard, both of which are streaked with grey. He wears fine clothing, and has an extensive wardrobe full of doublets and overcoats. He dresses very decadently, and many of his clothes are embroidered with beads, jewels, and pearls. He wears an intricate chain of office that has pearls and rubies, as well as many rings. His crown is gold, and incredibly intricate, being studded with diamonds and rubies. Often he wears a rapier at his hip, with a grip that is wrapped in chain and a scabbard encrusted in gems.

## Personality

King Henry is a man who likes his presence to be known. He enjoys parties, and can be quite boisterous when he is in his element. He is a very proud man, and does not like being proven wrong, much less looking foolish. Despite his reputation for being a playboy and a partier, he is also known to be incredibly charismatic. He was not given much practice dealing with the people, yet he seems to have a natural gift for speaking, and manages to excel.

### Likes and Dislikes

#### Likes

* Jousting
* Tennis

#### Dislikes

* Being told what to do
* Being double crossed
* Being out-shone
* Losing

## Relationships

### Family

#### Catherine of Aragon: Wife

Henry and Catherine have always had a bit of a tumultuous marriage. They first knew one another not as potential spouses, but as in-laws, as Catherine was first married to Henry's brother, Arthur. Their engagement had its ups and downs, as Henry tried to rebel against the idea of marrying his brother's widow, then changed his mind after becoming king. The beginning of their marriage was quite happy, but over time it has become strained by Catherine's many stillborn children, and the fact that to date the two of them do not have a male heir.

#### Mary: Daughter

Henry dotes upon his beloved daughter, ensuring that she never want for anything. However, their relationship is still strained at times, given that he is intent on marrying her off, and does not hide the fact that he would have preferred she been a son.

### Others

#### Francois: Friend...Rival...depends on the day

King Henry and Francois have a bit of a confusing relationship. Although they seem to be friends much of the time, or at the very least allies, they also have a sort of rivalry that often shows when they are walking together in the lanes. They are both very competitive, and neither enjoy losing, so things can often be quite delicate.

Anne Boleyn

William Carey

Sebastien Corgistone

## Interactions

* Ask him about his mistresses
* Ask if he thinks his wife will give him a son.

## Gallery

Henry's SignatureHistorical PortraitArtist's renditionHenry and his Daughter, MaryThe King fighting Sebastien CorgistoneSebastian and the King are bestiesFrom Left to Right: Henry, Mary, Catherine