| Henry VIII | |
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 | |
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Real Name |
Henry VIII |
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Born |
June 28, 1491 |
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Died |
January 28, 1547 |
Origin[]
Henry VIII was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disagreement with Pope Clement VII about such an annulment led Henry to initiate the English Reformation, separating the Church of England from papal authority. He appointed himself Supreme Head of the Church of England and dissolved convents and monasteries, for which he was excommunicated by the pope.
Henry brought radical changes to the Constitution of England, expanding royal power and ushering in the theory of the divine right of kings in opposition to papal supremacy. He frequently used charges of treason and heresy to quell dissent, and those accused were often executed without a formal trial using bills of attainder. He achieved many of his political aims through his chief ministers, some of whom were banished or executed when they fell out of his favor. Thomas Wolsey, Thomas More, Thomas Cromwell, and Thomas Cranmer all figured prominently in his administration.
Henry was an extravagant spender, using proceeds from the dissolution of the monasteries and acts of the Reformation Parliament. He converted money that was formerly paid to Rome into royal revenue. Despite the money from these sources, he was often on the verge of financial ruin due to personal extravagance and costly and largely unproductive wars, particularly with King Francis I of France, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, King James V of Scotland, and the Scottish regency under the Earl of Arran and Mary of Guise. He founded the Royal Navy, oversaw the annexation of Wales to England with the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542, and was the first English monarch to rule as King of Ireland following the Crown of Ireland Act 1542.
Henry's contemporaries considered him an attractive, educated, and accomplished king. He has been described as "one of the most charismatic rulers to sit on the English throne" and his reign described as the "most important" in English history. He was an author and composer. As he aged, he became severely overweight and his health suffered. He is frequently characterized in his later life as a lustful, egotistical, paranoid, and tyrannical monarch. He was succeeded by his son Edward VI.
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of Henry VIII from before January 1, 1930 are public domain in the US.
Some notable appearances are listed below:
Public Domain Film Appearances[]
- Henry VIII (1911)
- Cardinal Wolsey (1912)
- God's Outlaw (1919)
- Anna Boleyn (1920)
- The Prince and the Pauper (1920)
- When Knighthood Was in Flower (1922)
Public Domain Theater Appearances[]
- The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eighth (1613)
Public Domain Comic Appearances[]
- Jumbo Comics #76: Stuart Taylor, Laura, and Dr. Hayward encounter Henry VIII & Queen Catherine Parr while time traveling.
- Giggle Comics #62:Spencer Spook goes to England to help the decapitated ghost of Ann Boleyn. He also encounters Henry VIII.
- Famous Funnies #11, 75: The feature Fisher's Foolish History focused on Henry VIII in issue 11. Where as in issue 75, the text article Royal Pawns discussed King Henry VIII, Lady Jane Grey, Edward Seymour the Duke of Somerset.
- More Fun Comics #16:The feature Just Suppose include Henry VIII and Andrew Jackson.
Public Domain Animated Appearances[]
- Three's a Crowd (1932): An old man in a rocking chair is reading Alice in Wonderland. He blows out his candle, puts his book aside and heads towards his bedroom. Alice comes out of the book, runs across the table, and turns on a radio to hear a crooner performing the title song. Dozens of book characters get up and dance. Such other characters as Napoleon, Omar Khayyam, and Henry VIII also appear.
- Have You Got Any Castles (1938): Emily Post (Here billed as Emily Host) berates Henry VIII for his lack of table manners. Irritated, Rip tries to cut off more of Uncle Tom's hair, only to be beaten back. Diamond Jim comes along pitching mortgage payments as the Drums Along the Mohawk beat louder. Henry VIII becomes even more gluttonous with Emily Post ironically joining him and Oliver twists.