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30 interesting facts about King Henry VIII
King Henry VIII founded the Anglican Church, married six wives, two of whom were executed, divorced two more, and hunted and bribed, all before the age of 55.
You may have heard of Henry VIII, but this bizarre character is more than just the abundance of his wives.
In a way, he contradicted: A devout Christian whose two wives were executed and a faithful Catholic renounced his country from the Catholic Church.
There is certainly more to know about this important historical figure.
If you want to remember what happened to each of Henry's wives, there is a memo device for that.
Henry VIII is said to have called his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, ‘A Flanders Mare’.
Henry's shortest marriage was to Anne of Cleves, which lasted only 6 months and 3 days before it was canceled.
His oldest marriage was to the Catherine of Arahttgon, which lasted for nearly 24 years.
His wives were executed.
Henry VIII may have written a theological treatise called The Defense of the Seven Sacraments.
Pope Leo X declared Henry the Guardian of the Faith in 1521 for Defending the Seven Sacraments.
King Henry VIII allowed the Great Bible, the first authorized edition of the English Bible, to be read aloud in the church.
Henry was excommunicated from the Catholic Church in 1538. Being excommunicated meant refusing someone to receive Communion and not allowing them to join the Church.
Henry hung 2,000 rugs in his palaces while James V of Scotland hung only 200 in his palaces.
He was an excellent and funny hunter - and a skilled lute player.
Henry can read and write in three languages: English, French and Latin.
He can read music with his eyes.
Henry VIII enacted a tax on the beard, which varied according to the social status of the bearer.
In 1509, Henry became king at the age of 17.
Henry has written a number of songs, with his most famous being "Pastime With Good Company".
Henry VIII has boiled a legitimate form of capital punishment.
He improved the navy, in part by investing in large cannons to replace smaller snakes in warships.
Henry has a weapon collection, including 6,500 shotguns.
Anne Boleyn, his second wife, is said to have an extra finger on her right hand.
Between 1536 and 1541, Henry VIII disbanded monasteries and other Catholic churches and appropriated their income.
Henry's last words were said to be “Monks!
A common misconception about Henry is that he wrote the song Greensleeves, when in reality this is unlikely.
Henry VIII founded the Anglican Church by separating from the Catholic Church mainly because the Pope refused to let Henry cancel his marriage with Catherine of Aragon.
King Henry VIII gambled and played dice.
Henry was given a bear by the King of Norway, described as a "white bear".
At the end of Henry's life he became obese due to not being able to exercise much because of a bad motorcycle accident, it recurred and exacerbated previous injury he had previously had in
Henry's courtiers wore thick padded clothes to emulate Henry in the later stages of his life when he gained weight.
Henry's waistline was 54 inches during the obesity phase of his life.
In August 1527, John Rut - an English sailor - sent the first known overseas letter from Newfoundland to King Henry VIII.
Yes, we have it, King Henry VIII certainly lived an eventful life with many of his wives, some of whom he beheaded because of his huge weapons collection and huge guts.
One thing is for sure, I am definitely glad we haven't taxed the beard yet!
