Henry VIII Divorcing Catherine and Becoming Head of the Church of England

Was Henry VIII justified in divorcing Catherine and making himself head of the Church of England?

Henry VIII was the king of England during the time of 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry had eight wives during his lifetime and split the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church. Henry married his brother’s widow soon after his father died, which was forbidden under Catholic law. In 1533, Henry and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, were divorced. Henry believed that his marriage with Catherine was cursed, and he also became smitten with another lady by the name of Anne Boleyn. Because the Church of England was not agreeing to what Henry wanted and would not annul his marriage with Catherine, Henry made himself head of the Church of England. Henry was justified in divorcing Catherine but was not justified in making himself head of the Church of England. (Letters from Anne, 1526)

Henry and Catherine of Aragon were married on June 11, 1509. Their coronation took place, “The following day being a Sunday, and also Midsummer's Day, the noble prince with his queen left the palace for Westminster Abbey at the appointed hour.” “His grace and the queen were anointed and crowned by the archbishop of Canterbury in the presence of other prelates of the realm and the

nobility and a large number of civic dignitaries.” Henry VIII and Catherine were happy for a while. Catherine bore six children, but only one of them survived, and this child was a daughter named Mary. Catherine and Henry were married for about twenty years before he divorced her in 1533 (Hall, 1509.)

If Henry was truly convinced that his marriage with Catherine was cursed, then his divorce with her was justified, but doing it in secret, however; was not. Henry could be married to whomever he wanted to be married to. Catherine was not able to bear a male heir, and because of this and emotional differences, the pair separated. Henry sent Catherine to a castle. He became infatuated with Anne Boleyn. Henry met Anne because Anne was invited to serve at court as lady-in-waiting to Catherine of Aragon. Anne wrote her first letter to Henry in 1526, when Henry was still married to Catherine (Cavendish). If he did not want to be married to Catherine of Aragon anymore, then he should not have to be.

Henry VIII wanted to be the head of the Church of England because the Church was not agreeing with Henry. The Act of Supremacy, a Parliamentary act under King Henry VII written in 1534, “gave legal sanction to Henry's assumption of those clerical powers.” Henry was in charge of Parliament and therefore was able to produce the Act of Supremacy. He signed this Act of Supremacy because the Pope would not annul his marriage. Henry used his selfish reasons for becoming head of the Church of England and forever changing the church. He caused the Church of England to separate from the Roman Catholic Church. (Koeller, 2005)

Henry did not have any right to become the head of the Catholic Church. Selfish reasons were all that led him to do this. Henry married his deceased brother’s wife, and got special permission to do so, which forbidden under Catholic law. Henry did not have to stay married to Catherine, but he also did not have to become the head of the Church in order to leave her. He was justified in divorcing Catherine, but not in becoming the head of the Church.

Works Cited:

Hall, E. (n.d.). 1509, the coronations of henry viii and katherine of aragon. Retrieved from

http://englishhistory.net/tudor/h8crown.html

Koeller, . (2005). The act of supremacy. Retrieved from http://www.thenagain.info/Classes/Sources/ActSupremacy.html

Letters from anne boleyn to king henry viii. (1526). Retrieved from http://englishhistory.net/tudor/letter6.html

Cavendish. (n.d.). The romance between anne boleyn and henry percy. Retrieved from http://englishhistory.net/tudor/ab-percy.html

Image Source:

(2009, December 20). Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/mademoiselleboleyn/4199880355/