How did the power of the king change between the reigns of Henry VIII and William iii?

Answer 1

Henry VIII was the son of Henry VII; the first King to break the long reigning line of thePlantagenet's and the last king to be part of the War of the Roses: a series of struggles in which 7 of the English Kings, from Richard II to Henry VIII, fought for the crown. The term Wars of the Roses was coined from the red and white roses that each signified the two houses of Lancaster and York, from whom the ^ kings prior to Henry VII came.

Henry VII was well known and received, b/c he was technically one of the first kings to claim the throne through merit and not through noble birth~ the legend and story reads that he literally picked the crown up off the battlefield and put it on his head.

Henry the VII was a frugal and stern leader, and determined to restore peace to the nation. While his claim to the throne itself was somewhat shaky, he stabilized it somewhat by marrying Elizabeth of York, bringing some respect and nobility to the pairing. While his reign was often challenged by usurper's Henry VII had a fairly successful reign, in which he put a stop to the fighting between the Crown and the Barons; and through heavy taxation and fines for misdemeanor's he brought the nobility to heel~ "bridging the transitional period between the Middle ages and the Renaissance" (Kings and Queens of Great Britain Eric. R Trovial et al).

King Henry VII had 4 children; 2 girls, 2 boys. Of his boys, The eldest was Arthur, named for the nostalgia and famed court of Camelot; a reign which Henry VII hoped his son, upon being crowned, would usher back in. Arthur was raised from his birth to be a King; groomed, educated and prepared for all the tumultuous tasks and responsibilities that awaited him~ Henry VII, aware that even his son's hold to the crown was still remain shaky at best, pre contracted his son Arthur with Catherine of Argon princess and daughter of the infamous Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain.

At the time, France, England and Spain were the three superpower's England, having always been at odds with France, attempted to align themselves under the security of Spain, and this marriage with the epitome of Henry's lifework: not only did he secure his country's safety (France would not likely declare war on England, or try to claim it, while under the protective jurisdiction of Spain); but he also provided his son's reign with a secure claim to the throne, as well and a dynamic marriage that would be consider a pairing of the greats.

Henry VIII was raised in a different environment than his brother, Arthur~ he was a bright, well rounded young man who craved education and had a deep interest in theology and was being prepared to enter a life of the cloth. Favored by his mother, he was not groomed to rule, an attribute that later, at least in his early years, only endeared him to the public.

Arthur married his his wife, Catherine, but unfortunately died within a few months of the marriage. Unable to pay back her dowry 9or refusing to), Henry VII, still King, left Catherine of Aragon to languish in England and spent the last 6 years of his life trying to prepare Henry VIII to rule, and getting the affairs of England in order.

It's debatable how Henry VIII came to marry Catherine of Aragon~ when it was initially suggested by Catherine's family, Henry the VII scoffed at the idea, so it most likely Henry VIII made the final choice. Catherine was several years his senior, but still young and beautiful by all account's and most importantly, swore she had not consummated her marriage to Arthur; a deed that would have presented dire problems to the marriage of Henry as his brother.

When his father died, Henry VIII was fairly young, but he was loved and adored by his people, as was his wife. They were considered a magnificent pair; and it wasn't until after 8 miscarriages, only one successful birth Mary that Henry VIII began to start proceedings that would alleviate him of his former wife and allow him to take others.

In his middle and latter years, Henry's popularity waned; and he became known as a monster, eventually marrying a total of six times. Of those 6, he beheaded 2, divorced 2,and lost one to childbirth related infections. his final wife, Catherine Parr, outlived him. Out of all those marriages, he had three living heirs; Mary, his first born daughter by Catherine of Aragon; Elizabeth, his second daughter, born by Anne Boleyn; and Edward, his one and only son; born third by his wife Jane Seymour As a male, Edward bore claim to the throne, and upon his father's death, indeed became King~ however, he was a child, only nine years old, and there for, his uncle, also named Edward, was named Protector, and ruled for him in all but name. Weak even in his youngest years, Edward was a sickly child, and a marriage was considered of the utmost importance, however, he died before one actually went through; dying of tuberculosis at the age of fifteen. From there, a squabble over the throne continued; first Lady Jane Grey took the crown, Henry VIII's great niece followed by Mary; Henry VIII's first legitimate daughter (though deemed a bastard during his life); a reign that was infamous for it's pious and cruelty, and garnered Mary the name "bloody Mary". Upon her passing, Elizabeth; Henry VIII's second daughter (also deemed a bastard during his lifetime) ascended the throne, becoming queen for the next 44 years. She never married, and to this day is considered one of England's greatest rulers.