Henry VIII - Man, Monarch, Monster

King Henry VIII - this king has had more documentaries and TV shows about him than....  I would say the current queen but that's not true.  It's fascinating to see the endless angles the various historians take on this most famous English King and we will still be talking about him in 3030. 

A new documentary was released on Henry VIII in 2020 called Henry VIII - Man, Monarch, Monster.  The first episode covers Henry VIII as a man and how his childhood impacted the way he ruled.  The historians cover how his mother influenced him growing up, that he grew up in a female environment and how is mother's death changed his life.  He wasn't meant to be king, but then his brother Arthur died.  His childhood changed and he started to learn what would make him a king and how to govern according to the rules and traditions of England.

Henry VIII's first acts as king was to have some of his father's oldest advisors arrested, which signaled a new start for the English and they called the start of the reign as a new dawn in England.  It was fascinating to learn that they waited 48 hours before proclaiming Henry VIII King.  Nowadays, that would be unheard of if a political leader died.  Everyone was thrilled with the new King.  His second act was to marry Catherine of Aragon and together they would oversee a new England.  The historians go over old documents in order to get into the mind of Henry VIII.

If you need some research into Henry VIII for a class lecture, I recommend you use this documentary just for the fact it offers another perspective on Henry VIII, more so than the typical "Henry VIII was a madman."

I created several questions to go with this documentary.  Just copy and paste them into a word document to distribute in the classroom just in case you decide to use this series in the classroom.  Since there's a lot available out there on Henry VIII, I want the student to have a chance to reflect on what they learned about Henry VIII.  You can format anyway you want. 

For use in the classroom: just highlight, copy and paste into a word document or a google document for use in the classroom.  You can easily format these questions to your specifications.

Link to the YouTube Video.

Episode 1 - Rise of the Tyrant

1. What was Henry VIII’s childhood nickname?
2. Who was the biggest Influence in Henry VIII’s early life?
3. Who does Henry VIII marry when his father dies?
4. How long did it take to proclaim Henry VIII King?
5. Who were arrested as soon as Henry VIII was King?
6. List three new things you learned about Henry VIII

Episode 1 - Rise of the Tyrant Answers

1. What was Henry VIII’s childhood nickname? - Harry
2. Who was the biggest Influence in Henry VIII’s early life? - His mother, the Queen
3. Who does Henry VIII marry when his father dies? - Catherine of Aragon
4. How long did it take to proclaim Henry VIII King? - 48 Hours
5. Who were arrested as soon as Henry VIII was King? - Richard Empson and Edward Dudley
6. List three new things you learned about Henry VIII