Henry VIII ruled England for 37 years – 281 days. Once I started thinking about all the events in Henry’s life I wanted to see what they looked like in timeline form. Please keep in mind these are not all the events in his life, but some of the most important events that, in my opinion, shaped who he was at the end of his life.

 

Timeline

1491

• June 28 – Birth of Prince Henry Tudor

1492

• June 8 – Death of Henry’s grandmother dowager Queen, Elizabeth Woodville.

1494

• 31 October – Prince Henry was created Duke of York.

1495

• December 21 – Death of Henry’s great-uncle Jasper Tudor, Duke of Bedford

1500

• Death of Henry’s younger brother Edmund, Duke of Somerset (born Feb. 1499)

1502

• Became Duke of Cornwall
• April 2 – Death of Henry’s older brother (and heir to the throne), Arthur, Prince of Wales.

1503

• Became Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester
• February 10 – Death of Henry’s infant sister Katherine. She was 8 days old.
• February 11 – Death of Henry’s mother,Queen Elizabeth (of York)
• June 23 – A treaty was signed for the marriage of Katherine of Aragon and Henry, Prince of Wales
•  June 25 – The couple were officially betrothed
• August 8 – Marriage of Henry’s older sister Margaret to King James IV of Scotland was celebrated in person at Holyrood Abbey. (By proxy marriage was performed January 25th at Richmond Palace)

1509

• April 21 – Henry VII died and Henry succeeded to the throne of England
• June 11 – Marriage of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon
• June 24 – Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon were anointed and crowned together.
• June 26 – Two days after Henry’s coronation, he arrested his father’s two most unpopular ministers, Sir Richard Empson and Edmund Dudley. They were charged with high treason  and were executed in 1510
• June 29 – Death of Henry’s grandmother, Margaret Beaufort

1510

• January 12 – Henry enters his first joust as King
• January – Queen Katherine gave birth to a daughter (stillborn)

1511

• January 1 – Queen Katherine gave birth to a son (Prince Henry)
• February 22 – Newborn Prince Henry dies

1513

• Queen Katherine gave birth to a son (stillborn)

1514

• October 9 – Henry’s sister, Princess Mary married King Louis XII of France

1515

• January 1 – Death of King Louis XII of France – leaving Henry’s sister dowager Queen of France
• February - Queen Katherine gave birth to a son who died soon after

1516

• February 18 – Birth of Princess Mary (daughter of Katherine of Aragon)

1518

• November - Queen Katherine gave birth to a daughter (stillborn)

1519

• June 15 – Birth of Henry’s illegitimate son with Elizabeth “Bessie” Blount – Henry Fitzroy

1521

• October – Pope Leo X awards Henry VIII the title of Defender of the Faith for his writings against Luther and Reformation

1530

• November 29 – Death of Cardinal Wolsey

1532

• November 14 – Secret wedding of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn

1533

• January 25 – Henry VIII married Anne Boleyn publicly
• June 25 – Death of Henry’s younger sister Mary, dowager Queen of France
• September 7 – Princess Elizabeth is born to Henry and his queen, Anne Boleyn

1534

• November – Act of Supremacy passed in Parliament. Henry is now the supreme head of the Church of England

1535

• July 6 – Execution of Henry’s long-time friend, Thomas More

1536

• Dissolution of the monasteries begins
• January 7 – Katherine of Aragon died
• May 19 – Anne Boleyn is executed
• May 20 – Henry VIII becomes betrothed to Jane Seymour
• May 30 – Wedding of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour

1537

• October 12 – Birth of Prince Edward (Edward VI) to Henry and Jane Seymour
• October 24 – Jane Seymour died

1539

• September 4 – Betrothal of Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves

1540

• January 6 – Marriage of Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves
• June 10 – Thomas Cromwell was arrested
• July 9 – Annulment of the marriage of Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves
• July 28 – Henry VIII weds young Katherine Howard, & Thomas Cromwell is executed

1541

• Irish Parliament proclaimed Henry VIII as King of Ireland
• October 18 – Death of Henry’s older sister Margaret, dowager Queen of Scotland

1542

• February 13 – Katherine Howard is executed
• November – Scotland’s King James V is defeated by Henry VIII at the Battle of Solway Moss. James dies and his infant daughter Mary Stuart becomes Queen of Scots

1543

• July 12 – Henry VIII married Catherine Parr

1547

• January 28 – Henry VIII died and was succeeded by his son, Edward VI

Henry VIII History Henry VIII