Читать книгу World History For Dummies - Peter Haugen - Страница 46

King Henry VIII, who ruled pre-UK England from 1509–1547, provides a particularly colorful example of a contradictory character. If you’re reading about the history of Christianity, you’ll note Henry’s role as founder of the Church of England. In military history, his attention to building a strong navy stands as an important factor leading up to the English fleet’s celebrated victory over the mighty Spanish Armada in 1588. If you’re interested in his personal life, you’ll remember him as being handsome and athletic in his youth, but obese and diseased in later life. You’ll certainly remember that the most famous thing about Henry is that he married six times and ordered two of his wives to be beheaded for treason.

Like any other person, Henry changed. He contradicted himself. He had good qualities and bad ones. The bad overwhelmed the good as the king got older, but his life still illustrates how multifaceted a historical figure can be. (You can read more about King Henry VIII in chapters 10, 14, and 22.)