Why Is Henry Viii Bad

Was Henry VIII a good or bad king of England? There are many reasons to explain whether Henry VIII was a good king or a bad king. Henry the VIII is known for his six wives and legendary appetite. He is known for the significant wars he fought in and he is one of the most written about kings in English. He was mostly known for his extreme punishment. Henry the VIII was crowned as the worst monarch in history. He was inconstant and dangerous to everything, including the country.

Henry the VIII is known for his significant wars, but sometimes it wasn’t that significant and more irrational. Henry VIII fought many wars, against the French, the Scots, Gaelic lords of Ireland, rebels in his own realms, and even his own allies in the Netherlands.

Trade was usually disrupted due to the war and foreign policy. England was damaged by a trade ban restraint in the late 1520s against Spain. This ushers in a fall in exports and contributes to unemployment in England. Henry VIII was not interested in exploration which made him miss out on many economic opportunities, which led him to disregard the discoveries made by countries such as Spain and Portugal. England’s economy was largely affected by Henry VIII’s costly wars. Since the population was raised in the Tudor era, which led to more food, land, and goods. This caused an increase in inflation. He decided to reduce the amount of silver in coins, which made them less valuable and so more were needed to purchase things. Due to the inflation and increase in population, many people were unemployed and this made people move to urban areas. Though many who moved to towns and cities lived in poverty. England was impacted with poor harvest between 1520-1521 and 1527-1529, and the cost of foodstuffs doubled. Henry spent £960,000 in 1511-13 and £430,000 in 1523-5 on warfare. He spent £1.4 million fighting wars between 1511 and 1525. His ordinary income was about £110,000 a year. Henry VIII is known for his six wives and the experiences he went through with them. Since he had many wives he also had a least

In 1534 however, Henry pushed through the Act of Supremacy. The Act made him, and all of his successors, Supreme Head of the Church of England. Catholics didn’t let people divorce. This was one of the most far-reaching events in English History. This caused a rancorous divide between Catholics and Protestants. But why did Henry make such a drastic split? In 1509 Henry married his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Catherine of Aragon was the wife of Henry’s older brother, Arthur, who had died aged 15. When Arthur died, Henry became first in line to the throne. Henry’s father, Henry VII died in 1509, a few months later, Henry was married and crowned King. Catherine of Aragon was pregnant seven times but only one baby survived (Mary). Henry wanted a male heir to continue the Tudor line, and he did not see his daughter as an heir at all. For a Tudor King, and having massive success, a male heir to the throne was crucial. Catherine ‘failed’ to give birth to a male heir. Henry got interested in one of Catherine’s ladies-in-waiting, Anne