Research Biography on

King Henry VIII

Portrait of Henry VIII

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The Middle Ages were initially represented as a period of stagnation and ignorance. Medieval
England has been shaped by turmoil between its nations, and tension between state and church.
Centuries of conflict, though, would forge the power at the heart of the largest empire the world has
ever seen.

Henry VIII has influenced Medieval England to a great extent. This research biography will show the
extent of Henry VIII’s influence over Medieval England. This will be made evident by providing insight
into his background, his changes of the English Reformation, how he is the father of the Royal Navy
and how he started the Royal Mail.

Firstly, Henry VIII’s heritage influenced the actions during his reign. Henry VII was the first if the
Tudor king’s after he defeated Richard III in the War of the Roses (BBC Teach, 2023) [Appendix 2].
Henry VII had only four children survive until adulthood (Elton & Morrill, Britannica, 2023) [Appendix
2]. Arthur was Henry VII eldest son and was the next heir to the throne but died, allowing Henry VIII
to become next male heir in line. (BBC Teach, 2023). This gave Henry VIII an opportunity to gain the
throne without his siblings interrupting (Henry VIII’s Family Tree, Scribd, 2023). Henry VIII like
fencing, hunting, archery, tennis and wrestling just like his father did (Henry the VIII’s hobbies, 2023).
Both kings loved sports, so they built large sporting fields for sports they liked (Elton & Morrill,
Britannica, 2023). This shows that Henry VIII was influenced by his heritage which influence his
actions during his reign.

Secondly, Henry VIII was Medieval England because he created the English Reformation that changed
the future of his reign. The English Reformation began with Henry VIII of England who broke the rules
of the Catholic Church and decided to take control of the Church and marry Anne Boleyn as his
second wife (Cartwright, English Reformation, world history, 2023) [Appendix 2]. He wanted to
divorce with his 1st wife Catherine of Aragon (Hopkins, Factors that led to English Reformation, 2023)
[Appendix 3]. This impacted England’s relationship with Spain and triggered England’s transition to
being a Protestant country (Cartwright, English Reformation, world history, 2023). Having an alliance
with Spain at that time gave England power and money (Cartwright, English Reformation, world
history, 2023). The divorce with Catherine of Aragon lost the alliance with Spain losing money and
power. The English Reformation was truly an important change to Medieval England.

Thirdly, Henry VIII changed Medieval England by strengthening England’s military. The Royal Navy
was founded in 1546 by Henry VIII (sage-answer, 2023). Henry VIII was given 7 warships by his father,
but he increased it to 24 warships during his reign (sage-answer, 2023). This later created a very
strong naval army which was England’s major defences at that time (Britannica, 2023). Henry VIII
made a fleet of fighting ships armed with large guns and created a naval administration (Britannica,
2023). This spread the British Empire around the globe (Britannica, 2023). The Royal Navy was a big
change that Henry VIII made to Medieval England.

Finally, Henry VIII was influential because he changed the way people communicated in Medieval
England by creating the Royal Mail. In 1512 Henry VIII made the first National Postal Service for mail
(History of the Royal Mail, direct mail, 2023) [Appendix 4]. Even today the royal mail is still an
important part of society and day-to-day life showing how it was able to stand the long time after his
reign (History of the Royal Mail, direct mail, 2023). Henry VIII commanded all towns to have a fresh
horse available for anyone carrying mail from the Tudor Court (Facts about Royal Mail, fun kids live,
2023). This convenience of mail has evolved and has let the public send mail to post offices
[Appendix 4]. This shows that Henry VIII changed Medieval England by using royal mail.

In conclusion, Henry VIII influenced Medieval England to a great extent. This is shown through his
creation of the English Reformation, the establishment of the Royal Navy and improvements to

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communication. This research biography has showed Henry VIII’s influences during his reign. The
changes he made at the time of his reign changed the way we live in the world today.

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 Appendix
Appendix 1

Portrait of Henry VIII

Hans Holbein drew this picture of King Henry the VIII

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Appendix 2

Henry VIII Family Tree

This shows Henry VIII family tree with his sisters and brothers

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Appendix 3

Henry VIII diagram

This shows Henry VIII timeline of when he married and divorced his
wives

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Appendix 4

Information about the Royal Mail

The text shows information about the Royal Mail and its history

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Appendix 5
English Reformation book and Henry VIII

A book of the English reformation with Henry VIII

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 Bibliography

Cartwright, M. (2023) English reformation, World History Encyclopedia. Available at:

https://www.worldhistory.org/English_Reformation/ (Accessed: 29 August 2023).

Elton, G.R. (2023) Henry VIII, Encyclopedia Britannica. Available at:

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-VIII-king-of-England (Accessed: 29
August 2023).

Hopkins, S. (2013) Henry VIII & the English Reformation, prezi.com. Available at:
https://prezi.com/p6ef1e5i87zs/henry-viii-the-english-reformation/ (Accessed: 29
August 2023).

Admin (2019) Who invented the Royal Navy?, Sage. Available at:
https://sage-answer.com/who-invented-the-royal-navy/ (Accessed: 31 August 2023).

How the Tudor dynasty shaped modern Britain (2019) BBC Teach. Available at:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/how-the-tudor-dynasty-shaped-modern-britain/zrhdbdm
(Accessed: 31 August 2023).

History of the royal mail (2020) 121 Direct Mail. Available at:
https://www.121directmail.co.uk/a-short-history-of-the-royal-mail/ (Accessed: 31
August 2023).

Henry the 8ths hobbies? (2012) Answers. Available at:

https://www.answers.com/Q/Henry_the_8ths_hobbies (Accessed: 31 August 2023).

Henry VIII’s Family tree (no date) Scribd. Available at:

https://www.scribd.com/doc/58641522/Henry-VIII-s-Family-Tree# (Accessed: 31
August 2023).

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica (no date) Royal Navy, Encyclopædia Britannica.
Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Royal-Navy (Accessed: 31 August
2023).

Top 10 facts about Royal Mail! (no date) Fun Kids - the UK’s children’s radio station.
Available at: https://www.funkidslive.com/learn/top-10-facts/top-10-facts-about-royal-
mail/ (Accessed: 31 August 2023).

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Key Inquiry Questions and Hypothesis

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