- •Early britain
- •Prehistoric Britain
- •Cultural Focus: Stonehenge
- •Celtic Invasions
- •Cultural Focus: The Druids
- •The Roman Conquest and Occupation
- •Early History
- •The Romans and the Celts
- •Early History
- •The Fall of Britannia
- •The Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms
- •The Anglo-Saxon Culture
- •The scandinavian invasion First Raids and Battles
- •Danelaw
- •Cultural Focus: King Alfred the Great
- •Restoration of the Saxon Kings
- •The norman conquest The Norman Invasion
- •The House of Normandy
- •The Effect of the Norman Conquest
- •Cultural Focus: The Canterbury Tale
- •Magna Carta. The First Parliament
- •Cultural Focus: Prince of Wales
- •The Wars of the Roses
- •England in the 16th century. The tudor monarchy
- •Henry VII
- •Henry VIII — Beginning of the Reign
- •Henry VIII and the Reformation
- •Edward VI
- •Bloody Mary
- •Mary, Queen of Scots
- •Elizabethan Times
- •Cultural Focus: English Renaissance
- •England in the 17th century. The stuart dynasty
- •James the First
- •Charles the First
- •Civil Wars. Execution of the King
- •Republic of Commonwealth
- •The Restoration Period
- •Glorious Revolution
- •William III
- •The Union with Scotland
- •Building the Empire
- •George III. The American Revolution
- •The Industrial Revolution
- •4) Negotiate, negotiable, negotiator, negotiation
- •7) Stipulate, stipulation
- •8) Smuggle, smuggler, smuggling
- •Britain in the 19th century
- •The Period of Napoleonic Wars
- •Britain after the Napoleonic Wars
- •The Victorian Age
- •British Empire
- •Britain in the first half of the 20™ century
- •The Beginning of the Century
- •Fighting for the Vote
- •Death of Edward VII. King George V
- •The First World War
- •Britain after World War I
- •Britain in World War II: 1939-1943
- •The Crown in World War II
- •Britain in the second half of the 20th century
- •The Commonwealth
- •Domestic Affairs
- •Cultural Focus: Welfare in Britain
- •Britain and Her European Neighbours
- •The Royal Family Today
- •1. Geographical factors:
- •2. Historical factors:
- •Bibliography
Henry VIII and the Reformation
In 1529, Henry's foreign and domestic policy got a new turn — the struggle for the Reformation of the Church began. The common assumption is that the main cause of the Reformation was Henry's wish to get divorce with his wife, but the whole process was much deeper — Henry, advised by Cardinal Wolsey, wanted to make the Royal Power absolute, so he used the Reformation Parliament to accomplish this.
The Reformation Parliament (1529—1536) stayed in session for seven years until the separation from Rome was almost completed. The Act of Supremacy in 1534 recognised the Anglican Church as the official church in the country with Henry VIII as its head. Archbishop Cranner pronounced Henry's marriage with Cathrine invalid and Henry married Anne Boleyn. The Pope replied by excommunicating Henry, but Henry had already got great power in the state.
The Reformation Parliament also forbade any appeals to the Pope. Henry as Head of the Church could now appoint church leading officials and determine its doctrine. The English Church was no longer a part of international organisation, so its fortune and power now became a part of the state.
In 1536, the Crown began to attack the monasteries, a bigger part of which was dissolved. The squires, merchants and lawyers who had supported the King in the Parliament received most of the lands.
In the churches the service was to be in English instead of Latin, and every parish church was to have an English Bible. In 1539, the English translation of the Bible appeared, it encouraged a freedom of thought and eased the next stage of the Reformation.
In 1533, Princess Elizabeth was born. Henry, dissatisfied by not having a son, soon fell out of love with Anne and fell in love with a lady Jane Seymour. Anne Boleyne was accused of unfaithfulness to the King and executed. The King married Jane Seymour the very next day.
Jane gave birth to a son, who was christened Edward, soon after this she died. After Queen's death, Henry married Anne of Clevens, a Protestant Princess from Germany. Though this marriage was of political importance, very soon Anne of elevens was divorced.
After the divorce Henry married Catherine Howard, then Catherine Parr. Two of the six wives of Henry VIII were beheaded (Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard), the last of the wives, Catherine Parr, survived him.
Edward VI
Henry VIII died in 1547, after the stormy years of the Reformation, marriages, divorces and fighting with the Pope. He was succeeded by Edward, who was the only male heir for throne. As Edward was only ten years of age on his father's death, his uncle, the Earl of Hertford was appointed Protector under the title of the Duke of Somerset.
The activities of the Protector were aimed at the religious Reformation. In 1547, he ordered to print the Book of Common Prayers and placed it in all the churches. The Act of Uniformity was passed to compel adherence to the new religion.
The following decade saw a growing struggle between extreme Protestantism and Catholicism. Religious changes caused numerous rebellions; the most important of them was a Prayer Book Rebellion in Devon and Cornwall. The Duke of Somerset was discredited and replaced by John Dudley, the Duke of Northumberland, who understood Protestantism as a source of huge profit.
Under the Duke of Northumberland's direction churches again were deprived of bigger portion of their lands, priests were allowed to marry, a second Prayer Book was introduced, non-attendance at church was made punishable by fine or imprisonment.
Edward VI as a fanatical protestant with the help of Protectors made a lot for the development of Protestantism in his country, but his bad health suggested quick death, so it was necessary to choose the heir.
Next in succession to the throne were Mary Queen of Scots and Mary Tudor, both Catholics. The Duke of Northumberland tried to prevent their coming, so he persuaded Edward VI to make a will in favour of Lady Jane Grey, the great-granddaughter of Henry VII. But when Edward died in 1553, the nation preferred Mary, daughter of Henry VIII by Catherine of Aragon.