“Henry VIII, a Dazzling Renaissance Prince and the Great Matter”
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UNIVERSIDAD DE MAGALLANES FACULTAD DE HUMANIDADES Y CIENCIAS SOCIALES Y DE LA SALUD Departamento de Educación “Henry VIII, a Dazzling Renaissance Prince and the Great Matter” By: Jessica Alvarado Guerrero Gustavo Leal Navarro Jimena Montenegro Gallardo Pablo Torres Barrientos Tutor: Alicia Triviño Punta Arenas- 2010 0 ABSTRACT As the title of this monograph suggests, this research focuses on King Henry VIII’s “Great Matter”, and how relevant it was to the whole process of the English Reformation covering a period of 17 years (1530-1547). Through this analysis, this work evidences the whole process of Reformation that England went through during the XVI century. As a result, the English Church becomes independent from the authority of the Pope. The main purpose of this investigation is to carefully examine the primary and secondary facts that prompted the separation from the Catholic Church on the grounds that the Henrician Reformation developed differently, in relation to the European process. Furthermore, this work intends to unveil the true nature of King Henry VIII’s character and the way his actions, way of living, beliefs and thoughts influenced on the separation of the Church and as a result lead to the Reformation era. After all, Henry VIII was one of the most controversial political figures of all times. The most important highlights in King Henry VIII’s life are presented in order to contextualize the reader to the conditions that conducted to the most striking changes that Catholic England had undergone. Together with Henry’s Great Matter, this work also presents a complete account of the King’s personal life, to make the reader understand the decisions made by Henry in critical times, covering from the relationships with his wives, mistresses, children to his medical records, controversial aspects in his life that for most historians turned him into a tyrant while for some other, one of the greatest English Kings ever. All of this with a unique conclusion, he was the King who was able to change the History of England to achieve what he wanted in life. Key words: The Great Matter, King Henry VIII, Reformation, Henrician Reformation, Catholic Church, separation. 1 Index Abstract............................................................................................................................................ 1 Index................................................................................................................................................ 2 Introduction ….…………………………………………………………………………………... 5 Chapter I: The Path to a Dynasty.................................................................................................... 8 1.1 The Tudor Dynasty.................................................................................................................... 8 1.1.1 The War of Roses ...................................................................................................... 9 1.1.2 King Henry VII ........................................................................................................ 11 1.1.3 Consolidation of the English Crown ........................................................................ 14 1.1.4 Henry the VII and his Dream .................................................................................. 16 1.2 King Henry VIII .................................................................................................................... 19 1.2.1 Henry VIII’s Early Life ........................................................................................... 19 1.2.2 Marriage to Catherine of Aragon ............................................................................. 21 1.2.3 Henry VIII’ Personality ........................................................................................... 23 1.2.4 Henry VIII’s Medical Records ................................................................................ 25 Chapter II: The Crash of Catholicism............................................................................................ 28 2.1 The Impossibility of a Male Heir............................................................................................ 28 2.1.1 Medical Theory ........................................................................................................ 31 2.2 Lady Anne Boleyn .................................................................................................................. 32 2.2.1 Anne’s Influence over Henry VIII ........................................................................... 34 2.3 The King’s Great Matter ........................................................................................................ 36 2.3.1 Wolsey’s Struggle .................................................................................................... 36 2.3.2 Anne’s Unpopularity ................................................................................................ 40 2.3.3 Reformation Parliament ........................................................................................... 42 2 2.3.4.1 Act of Supremacy ...................................................................................... 44 2.4 The Situation of the Catholic Church in Europe and England ............................................... 45 2.4.1 The Vices of the Catholic Church ............................................................................ 47 2.4.2 Martin Luther and its Influences .............................................................................. 48 2.4.3 The Printing Press .................................................................................................... 49 2.4.4 The Printing of the Bible ......................................................................................... 50 2.4.4.1 The Translation of the Bible ..................................................................... 51 2.5 The King´s Advisors .............................................................................................................. 53 2.5.1 Thomas Cranmer ...................................................................................................... 54 2.6 Anne Boleyn’s way of Living and Death ............................................................................... 56 Chapter III: Reformation’s Consequences and Henry’s Final Years ........................................... 59 3.1 The Great Matter and the Consequences ................................................................................ 59 3.2 The dissolution of the Monasteries ......................................................................................... 64 3.2.1 The Plan for Dissolution .......................................................................................... 67 3.2.2 The Dissolution of the Smaller Monasteries ............................................................ 68 3.2.3 The Dissolution of the Great Monasteries ............................................................... 70 3.2.4 Consequences ........................................................................................................... 70 3.3 Henry VIII’s Four Last Wives ................................................................................................ 71 3.3.1 Jane Seymour ........................................................................................................... 72 3.3.2 Anne of Cleves ......................................................................................................... 74 3.3.3 Catherine Howard .................................................................................................... 76 3.3.4 Catherine Parr .......................................................................................................... 77 3.4. Medical Records .................................................................................................................... 79 3.4.1 Infections ................................................................................................................. 80 3.4.2 Wrenched Foot ......................................................................................................... 81 3 3.4.3 Varicose Ulcer ......................................................................................................... 81 3.4.4 Obesity and Diabetes Type 2.................................................................................... 83 3.5 Henry VIII Final Years ........................................................................................................... 84 Conclusions .................................................................................................................................. 85 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................. 94 Appendixes ................................................................................................................................... 97 4 Introduction "Well-beloved subjects, we thought that the clergy of our realm had been our subjects wholly, but now we have well perceived that they be but half our subjects; yea, and scarce our subjects; for all the prelates at their consecration make an oath to the Pope clean contrary to the oath that they make to us, so that they seem to be his subjects, and not ours". (Henry VIII, 1532). The King’s “Great Matter” has been a topic of considerable controversy, inviting unlimited interest about the