This tradition of painting oneself as an untouchable ruler continued in Henry VII’s second son, Henry VIII. Even though his father had established himself as an unwavering force, Henry VIII was still only the second generation of the tudor dynasty on the throne, and was controversially married to his older brother’s widow, Catherine of Aragon. Nevertheless, Henry VIII was essential in establishing the criteria for all monarchs after him because of his relationship with the Catholic Church. After years of being married to Catherine of Aragon and the birth of their daughter, Mary, Henry decided that he no longer wanted to be married to Catherine because he wanted to pursue a relationship with Anne Boleyn, partly because he thought that she would give him a male heir, which in Henry’s eyes was essential for solidifying the Tudor line (Henry VIII). However, the Church refused to annul Henry’s marriage to Catherine, so in 1534, Henry cut ties with the Catholic Church and declared himself as head of the Church of England and the Defender of the Faith (Abell). In the years following that, Henry VIII took four more wives after beheading Anne Boleyn in 1536. Henry was able to cultivate his father’s image of an untouchable ruler, which allowed for his unusual and erratic behavior that preceded the end of his reign. He was able to surround himself in wealth and powerful people to push his political agenda including Thomas Cromwell, who was instrumental in establishing Henry as the Head of the Church of England (Henry VIII). By carrying on his father’s legacy of propagated power, Henry awarded himself true freedom and power in terms of being a religious figure in addition to being a ruler.
