Second monarch of the Tudor dynasty who reigned from 1509 to 1547 and separated the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church. The Showtime original series The Tudors, where he is portrayed by Jonathan Rhys Meyers, is based on his reign.
Due to the fact that his elder brother was to assume the throne, he was prepared for a clerical career.
His inability to stick to one wife led to the creation of the Anglican Church because the Roman Catholic Church prohibited divorce.
He is perhaps best known for marrying six different women, including Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour, in an attempt to get a male heir to the throne.
He was succeeded as King of England by his son Edward VI.
