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