Biography

Henry VIII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 22 April 1509, and King of Ireland from 18 June 1542, until his death in 1547. Born in Greenwich, Henry was the second son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. His elder brother, Arthur, Prince of Wales, had been the heir apparent, but died in 1502 at the age of 15. Henry VII died in 1509, and Henry took the throne at the age of 17. He married Catherine of Aragon, who had been Princess of Wales and became widowed from Arthur. Henry had sought a male heir from Catherine, who produced the future Mary I but no surviving male children.