During the Wars of Roses, a European royal house of Welsh origins rose to power, a dynasty, which rules England for the next one-hundred and eighteen years. The powerful and most well known dynasty is the House of Tudor. Henry VII became king in 1485 and took Elizabeth of York as his wife.They had four children Prince Arthur of Wales, Margaret Tudor, Henry VIII, and Mary Tudor.
Henry VIII was born June 28, 1491 at the Palace of Placentia in Greenwich. Being the second born son Henry was raised and educated to take a secular role in life, most likely as the Archbishop of Canterbury. His grandmother Margaret Beaufort supervised his early childhood education. Henry was reported to excel at book learning as well as athletics required by
Henry VIII knew he had to find a way to divorce Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn because of his lust for her and she was pregnant at the time.
Royal divorces was not unheard of at the time but were difficult to obtain. Henry VIII asked Pope Clement VII on several occasions for an annulment of his marriage to Catherine on grounds that it was never legal. He based that fact on the text in the book of Leviticus; found in the 18th chapter on the 16th line. Which states “Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife: it is thy brother's nakedness.” However, the Pope refused; remember an earlier Pope had given Henry VIII a license stating the marriage was legal. This refusal of the Kings wishes lead to a bigger problem.
Henry VIII confides in Thomas Cromwell to present to Parliament the issue and receive an idea on how to fix the problem. Through out this debate over the divorce Catherine of Aragon appeals to the Pope, fighting to keep her and Mary’s position in the English Court. Parliament then puts into effect a series of Acts to sever the Pope’s power in England, before the Pope could do anything. This period of change in Europe is known as the English Reformation. This achievement in the eyes of Henry VIII by Thomas Cromwell in 1532 earned him the title Archbishop of Canterbury, and he was then powerful enough to declare the marriage of Henry VIII