King Henry VIII Essay example -- Biography

King Henry VIII Born the second son of a royal family, Henry Tudor lived a very interesting life. His future was intended to be the head of the Roman Catholic Church and that fate ended with the death of his brother, Prince Arthur. Henry’s majestic life was full of sports, women, and faith. The young King acceded his father to the throne, married six women, and began the English Reformation when he broke away from the Roman Catholic Church and created his own religion. On the 28th day of June 1491 at Greenwich Palace, Elizabeth of York gave birth to her third child Henry Tudor. Henry was named after his father Henry VII and he was the couple’s second son, which meant that there was no chance for him to reign as King since he had an older brother, Arthur (â€Å"Henry VIII King of England† 1). Henry became the Duke of York in 1494 at age three. Since Henry was the second born son of the King of England, he was to take a secular role in the Catholic Church, probably being the Archbishop of Canterbury. Knowing his future of the role in the Catholic Church, Henry’s education was based on theology (Henry VIII Early Life 1). He received a good education and was very talented. Playing musical instruments, being a good linguist, and playing sports were just a few of his talents. Growing up Henry gradually increased his status and by age ten Henry became heir apparent when his older brother Arthur died from â€Å"sweating sickn ess† in 1502 (Henry VIII Early Life 1). Just a few months before Arthur’s death, Henry played a major role in the joining of marriage of Arthur, Prince of Wales, and Catherine of Aragon (Williamson 1). After the death of Arthur, the heir apparent, King Henry VII wanted to keep a marital alliance between Engl... ... Henry VIII approved for Miles Coverdale to publish an English translation of the Bible from the Latin version. In 1537 Thomas Matthew’s translation was circulated through the church and it formed the foundation for the Great Bible that began its circulation in 1539. The Great Bible was rewritten and edited many times and eventually became the Bible used by the Anglican church (Fry 101). The Church of England that broke away from the Roman Catholic Church was known as the Anglican church, meaning â€Å"of England† (Reid 1). Over the years of his reign, King Henry VIII became famous for his numerous wives and his break from the Roman Catholic Church. Henry accomplished many things, one of which was the beginning of the English Reformation. Most of King Henry VIII’s reign was focused on producing a male heir to the throne, which took him numerous wives to obtain.