Henry is known for his six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. Many of the existing buildings which he improved were properties confiscated from Wolsey, such as Christ Church, Oxford, Hampton Court Palace, the Palace of Whitehall, and Trinity College, Cambridge.

Although Henry's marriage to Catherine has since been described as "unusually good", [29] it is known that Henry took mistresses.

In 1493, at the age of two, Henry was appointed Constable of Dover Castle and Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. Following Wolsey's downfall, Henry took full control of his government, although at court numerous complex factions continued to try to ruin and destroy each other. Do rywalizacji o koronę stanęły wówczas Maria Tudor, starsza siostra monarchy a córka Henryka VIII, oraz Jane Grey, prawnuczka Henryka VII. Wiadomo jednak, że po krawym maju 1536, w małżeństwie Boleynów doszło do kryzysu – mozemy się jedynie domyslać, że powodem była nadmierna ambicja Tomasza, pragnącego wysokich stanowisk dla swych pociech.

Instead, Henry's will designated 16 executors to serve on a regency council until Edward reached 18. Certainly, by 1527, he had convinced himself that Catherine had produced no male heir because their union was "blighted in the eyes of God". He achieved many of his political aims through the work of his chief ministers, some of whom were banished or executed when they fell out of his favour. This exhibition draws on oil paintings, works on paper, books, manuscripts and decorative arts from the Royal Collection to explore the way in which the garden inspired artists and craftsmen between 1500 and 1900.

In June the same year Anne was anointed and coronated as Queen, and on September she gave birth to a daughter – Elizabeth. The result was eight years of war between England and Scotland, a campaign later dubbed "the Rough Wooing".

The marriage was subsequently dissolved in July 1540, and Anne received the title of "The King's Sister", two houses, and a generous allowance. The prominence and influence of faction in Henry's court is similarly discussed in the context of at least five episodes of Henry's reign, including the downfall of Anne Boleyn.Each chapter gives information on the women's family backgrounds and lineage, their upbringing, their personalities, how they became Henry's wives, what their experiences were like as consort, and how they met their ends.

I've often wondered how members of the Anglican church look at the origin story of their separation from the papacy.

By contrast, Henry's view of the House of York – potential rival claimants for the throne – was more moderate than his father's had been. It was this argument Henry took to Pope Clement VII in 1527 in the hope of having his marriage to Catherine annulled, forgoing at least one less openly defiant line of attack.