Before Henry VIII, there were seven (7) other kings named Henry. What's their story?
There is one monarch of England people love to talk about over and over: Henry VIII.
Henry the Eighth! Henry the 8th! That's all we ever hear about! Doesn't matter what he accomplished during his reign. All anybody ever hears about is him getting rid of all of his wives in a desperate attempt church to sire a male heir for the throne.
Well! In order for there to be a Number 8, there had to be 7 other guys named “Henry” who came before him. What's their story?
* * *
Henry #1 (Reigned from 1100-35):
He stole the throne from his older brother. His son and only legitimate heir drowned. He tried to secure the throne for his daughter, Matilda, but after he died, his nephew, Stephen, invaded and made himself king.
Henry #2 (Reigned from 1154-89): Guess who his mother was? Matilda! PAYBACK! He had to clean up the mess Stephen left behind. There had been a lot of civil wars. Other stuff happened during his reign but his final years were spent wrestling with his own sons. They revolted! (Man! That sucks!)
Henry #3 (Reigned from 1216-72): Not much to say about him, other than he seemed to be a spoiled brat, who always wanted everything his way. When he wasn't spending money on war, he was excessively indulging himself spending money, living large and lavishly. They tried to control him by tightening his purse strings. It did not work! In the end, he did have it his way.
Henry #4 (Reigned from 1399-1413): This guy never had a chance. He was banished. His supporters tried to bring him back. They were defeated. The End.
Henry #5 (Reigned from 1413-22): Best way to describe his reign? Wars. Death. Debt. Bills left behind for others to pay off.
Henry #6 (Reigned from 1422-61): Were it not for Joan of Arc, he could have been king of France and England. It's just as well. The guy was nuts! NO really. He suffered from mental illness. First he was deposed. Then he was imprisoned. The his supporters tried to restore him to the throne. Then he was murdered. Paving the way for Number 7!
Henry #7 (Reigned from 1485-1509): Finally! The guy BEFORE Henry the Eighth! Borrowing quotes from an old lexicon in my home library:
* “His reign is notable for the restoration of royal power and the rule of law after the Wars of the Roses.”
* He organized an “efficient tax system” and when he died, instead of leaving a pile of debts, he "left considerable financial reserves”.
Yes! Now that's the kind of king you want to rule over you! I mean … that is IF you want a king. I would much rather have elected leaders that are not given “a rope” long enough to hang everybody! But if I'm going to live under a king, Henry VII seemed alright!
👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑
Next in line? Henry VIII. We all know his story. If I had been writing the historical record, I would written that he got away with murder just because he was a king!
