Henry VIII

1. Henry Tudor was the third child and second son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York.

2. Henry VII died on 21 April 1509, and the 17-year-old Henry succeeded him as king.

3. In 1510, France, with a fragile alliance with the Holy Roman Empire in the League of Cambrai, was winning a war against Venice.

4. During his first marriage, to Catherine of Aragon, Henry conducted an affair with Mary Boleyn, Catherine's lady-in-waiting

5. In the winter of 1532, Henry met with Francis I at Calais and enlisted the support of the French king for his new marriage

6. The day after Anne's execution in 1536 the 45-year-old Henry became engaged to Seymour

7. In 1538, the chief minister Thomas Cromwell pursued an extensive campaign against what his government termed "idolatry"

8. The 1539 alliance between Francis and Charles had soured, eventually degenerating into renewed war.

9. Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England from 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and, in particular, his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled.

10. Domestically, Henry is known for his radical changes to the English Constitution, ushering in the theory of the divine right of kings. He also greatly expanded royal power during his reign.

11. Henry's obesity hastened his death at the age of 55, which occurred on 28 January 1547 in the Palace of Whitehall