On This Day… The Day Henry 8th Became King!
Written by: George Chittenden : 27 Jul 2019
It was on this day, 21st April, back in 1509 when King Henry VII died, and his 17-year-old son succeeded him as King. Henry VIII wasn’t born heir to the throne, as that responsibility fell to his older brother Arthur. Sadly, Arthur died at the age of fifteen, five months after he’d married Catherine of Aragon. Arthur’s death changed the course of history, thrust all his duties on his younger brother Henry and eventually it even placed his wife Catherine in Henry’s bed.
King Henry VIII
Following his father’s death, Henry claimed it had been his father's dying wish that he marry Catherine. Marrying his dead brother’s widow had benefits, as it strengthened connections to both Spain and the Holy Roman Empire. Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon were crowned King and Queen of England in a ceremony at Westminster Abbey on June 24th, 1509. It didn’t take long for the new King to show his true colours. Two days after his coronation, Henry VIII had his father's two most unpopular ministers, Sir Richard Empson and Edmund Dudley arrested. Both were charged with high treason and were executed, which was a tactic Henry would use many times in the years to come. Long live the king!
Henry VIII and his wives
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