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Henry VIII

ACTOR · BORN 1491 · DIED 1547

Henry VIII

Born
28 June 1491
Died
28 January 1547

11 archived facts 2 topics

Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was an actor.

11 Interesting Facts About Henry VIII

Interesting Facts (5)

  1. #001

    He brought in the Buggery Act of 1533, which made anal sex between men a crime. The law stayed on the books for more than 400 years, and such acts were legalized only in 1967, for consenting adults over 21.

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  2. #002

    Henry VIII wrote at least 20 or so songs and instrumental pieces, though contrary to popular belief he was not the author of "Greensleeves."

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  3. #003

    Thomas Cromwell convinced Henry that splitting from Rome would serve the realm, which led to the closure of hundreds of monasteries and the transfer of their wealth to the Crown.

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  4. #004

    Cromwell arranged Henry's marriage to Anne of Cleves to strengthen ties with the German Protestant alliance; the union was annulled within months and Cromwell was executed for treason.

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  5. #005

    In 1541 Henry barred anyone earning under £20 a year from playing games for money, wanting them to spend the time on archery instead.

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Life & Family (6)

  1. #006

    At 10 years old, Henry attended the wedding of his older brother Arthur to Catherine of Aragon, where he pulled his sister Margaret out to dance, tossed aside his coat and capered about in his doublet and hose.

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  2. #007

    Henry was said to be a poor player of Primero, his favorite card game and a supposed forerunner of poker; the records show nothing but losses, at times hundreds of pounds in a single day.

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  3. #008

    He met his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, just days before the wedding and was let down by her looks, which he found very plain. The marriage was never consummated and was annulled 6 months later. Anne and Henry went on to become firm friends; he gave her a generous settlement and called her "the King's Beloved Sister". Thomas Cromwell, the minister who had arranged the ill-fated match, was later beheaded on Henry's orders.

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  4. #009

    Henry's 1521 book Assertio Septem Sacramentorum attacked Martin Luther, and Pope Leo X gave him the title "Defender of the Faith" in return.

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  5. #010

    Over his 37-year reign, Henry grew the royal fleet from 5 warships to about 50, established the Navy Board and opened the first British naval dockyard at Portsmouth.

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  6. #011

    Historian Suzannah Lipscomb points out that when Anne Boleyn first arrived at court, Henry was infatuated with her elder sister Mary, and 4 years went by before his attention turned to Anne.

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Sources & editorial notes

Reference databases

  • IMDb IMDb name page (biography and trivia)

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