The Absolute Monarchies Of King Henry VIII

Absolute monarchies ruled the powerful world between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries and are characterised by strict laws and harsh punishment if you are to disobey. Many absolute monarchs became power hungry and greedy as their term continued, and began to have a negative influence on their people (if they did not already have one). Although there are many absolute monarchs which fit some of these characteristics, I believe the one that best exemplifies the definition is Henry VIII. Henry VIII is most likely best known for his many marriages, of which he had six. These relationships, however, were not of love, but born from a craving of control over other powerful countries.This could be used to portray the extent of which Henry …show more content…
This was, however, a great controversy due to royalty being discouraged from divorcing their partners in most situations. This consequence cause a great dispute between Henry VIII, the state, and the Catholic church. After Henry VIII went directly to the Pope hoping the divorce would more efficient than if he had gone to the state, he made the decision that he desired to have the church and the state separate from each other, and not have one influencing the other and vice versa. Power was not the only reason Henry VIII married so many times though, he was also extremely obsessed with his need for a male- “legitimate”- heir to his throne. His goal was futile though, as his first two wives (Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn) were only able to give birth to daughters, thus he had them divorced and beheaded respectively. His third wife Jane Seymour gave birth to a much desired son, however she devastatingly passed away during childbirth. Ironically enough it was not his son, but his daughter with Anne Boleyn who ended up succeeding as possibly the most well respected monarch in British (or perhaps the world's) history; Elizabeth I. This obsession with the production of a male heir to the throne is just another example of Henry VIII’s craving of as much power as possible, no matter who or what got in his way. For instance if his wife was giving birth to only daughters, he had the power to …show more content…
This was highly disapproved by large sums of people throughout England, except those who he believed were challenging or getting in the way of his power, were executed under accounts of treason. A number of other people were also executed for “getting in his way” including people in the families of Courtenay and Pole, reportedly for threatening his possession of the throne. These many executions display how harsh and insecure he was as a king, and of the power that held with his position. The other monarchs were often very secure with their position as monarch, and did not feel the need to execute so many people to have their way. Elizabeth I, for example, did not even want Mary executed, despite her having conspired to have Elizabeth