King Henry Viii Of England Essay

2135 Words Dec 12th, 2016 9 Pages
On June 28, 1491, in Greenwich, England a second son was born to King Henry Tudor VII and Elizabeth of York; they named him Henry VIII. Henry VII paid very little attention to young Henry, and only after his two older siblings Arthur and Elizabeth died, did his father approve of him. Among the many traits Henry VIII received from his father were good business habits, a fondness for show, and a bad temper. His father died in April of 1509 leaving Henry VIII the throne of England (“Young Henry VIII”). King Henry VIII of England was one of the most successful, but ruthless, rulers in English history. He is best remembered for his “pleasure-seeking life style,” his cruelty, his many wives, and for creating the Anglican Church (Greaves 188). Henry VIII influenced England and literature in many ways through his life choices and experiences.

After taking the throne at seventeen, Henry VIII left the majority control in Cardinal Thomas Wolsey’s hands, because like any other teenager, he had a short attention span and no propensity for hard work (Sommerville). Even though he stayed well informed about different issues, he had no real interest in the day-to-day management of running a country (Scarisbrick 738). Throughout his reign, Henry made many decisions that contributed to England’s future as a world power. He instigated major restructuring of the government including the establishment of a bureaucracy (Greaves 188). His transformation of the navy into a fleet of…

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