Henry VIII, no talk about English (or Welsh history) would be complete without him!
Famous for marrying 6 wives, executing 2 of them and divorcing another too.
Father of Elizabeth I.
To many English & indeed foreigners, if you ask them to name a king or queen of England - Henry Viii springs to mind.
This larger than life character, who reigned for 37 years is almost a badge of England.
Join my Supporter's Club
And that may be it…because Henry Viii defines Englishness - a sense of independence and national identity.
And it has nothing to do with having 6 wives, and being a bloody tyrant, and a lot more to do with his break with the Roman Catholic Church and establishment of the Church of England.