Henry VIII The King and His Court by Alison Weir

Another English historian has proved dry and lackluster. Alison Weir has tons and tons of detail in this biography of Henry the VIII (1491-1547) but very few summations or discussions of overarching themes that define Henry’s era and his reign.  The reader is on one’s own to read and read and read and infer from the details what the core ideas might be. Weir writes in a chronological style, shares little to no opinion of her own, is only occasionally enthusiastic about her subject and supplants imagination with abundant detail. We read and read and read but, I do repeat myself. Actually I often didn’t read.  I did a lot of skimming. 

Henry VIII, whose reign extended from 1509-1547 is of course known for his six wives and his role in establishing the Church of England.   The book did dig in a bit where the wives were concerned and provided a closeup view of each and the sort of relationship each had with Henry.  I was glad to read that his first wife, the beleaguered Catharine of Aragon--oops that’s Katherine with a “K” for the Brits--was not as forsaken and ill-treated as I had thought.  She and Henry did have some good years together during which there was a fondness and attachment.  

Of the six wives, I found the last Katharine, Katharine Parr, to be of particular interest at least in part because her queenship reflected the progressive vs. conservative religious tension of the day.  Katharine Parr was something of a thinker and activist, a participant in the controversies of the day. She wrote and published at least two books about prayer.   She had about her a group of like-minded women among whom was perhaps Anne Askew, a Protestant who was eventually arrested and tortured on charges of heresy.  Katharine also fell solidly into the progressive/Protestant camp but, like Henry himself and so many other members of the court, Parr was outwardly Catholic.  Though not necessarily due to her connections with Askew, conservatives of the court suspected Katharine of heresy and issued a warrant for her arrest on charges of the same. Henry rather unwittingly gave his signature to the warrant, but nothing came of it.

 As for Henry himself? Ms. Weir credits Henry VIII with a long list of accomplishments---founding The  Church of England, advancing parliamentary government, enriching the “standing” of the monarchy, guiding England “courageously through a religious revolution,” and reconstructing “the machinery of state.”  He was a lover of art, he “created the most magnificent court in English history” and he “took England from medieval to modern.”  Quite a resume for a man who could scarcely bury one wife before marrying the next.     

Any accomplishments of Henry VIII’s reign are vastly overshadowed by his central interest---himself.  I would describe him as impulsive, self-absorbed and self-indulgent. He lacked leadership ability and was not as a rule particularly compassionate or kind. Though said to be intelligent and even scholarly, he seemed unaware that his actions were sowing the seeds for the death of the Catholic faith in England and the division of Christendom in Europe. He also failed in a large way to appreciate that his rejection of papal authority was diametrically opposed to his identity as a Catholic. Henry VIII persecuted his share of Protestants while he also presided over the destruction of the Catholic monasteries, the Annates Act of 1532 (which re-directed taxes paid to the Vatican to Henry instead) and The Act of Supremacy of 1534 which clinched the separation of England from the Church of Rome. Yet he died a “Catholic” with his burial mass given by Bishop Gardiner, the more conservative Catholic wing of the religious controversy.  

Ms. Weir writes that history has typically portrayed Henry VIII as an ogre who killed his wives and mis-treated his subjects, but such should not be our conclusion.  Given the “wealth of modern research” we can now see the “charisma” of the real Henry VIII who so capably reigned.  With all due respect for Alison Weir’s extensive scholarship, I go with the outdated Henry-as-ogre. At the end of the day, Henry VIII was a shallow man, an uncaring father, a fickle husband and a feckless leader. 

Reading History No 5 Video

Late Summer Clouds

Here’s the link to my most recent video. I’m branching out a bit to topics other than reading history and I’ll also be having specially chosen guests! 

In the video I mention the author Elizabeth Janet Gray Vining. Besides retiring in my hometown of Kennett Saure, PA, Mrs. Vining was a very remarkable woman who wrote a book about her years as English tutor to the Crown Prince of Japan after WWII.  Here is my commentary on Mrs. Vining’s book.