Dr David Starkey: Henry VIII and the Reformation: From Defender of the Faith to Supreme Head of the Church

Dr David Starkey: Henry VIII and the Reformation: From Defender of the Faith to Supreme Head of the Church

In 1517, Martin Luther, a German priest and professor of theology, wrote his ‘Ninety-Five Theses’ and nailed them to the doors of All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg. Luther’s simple act of defiance against Catholic teaching and practices heralded the Protestant Reformation. It would thus have profound consequences for religion, society and culture in Europe and beyond. In England, Henry VIII, frustrated over his lack of a legitimate male heir would result in him seeking a divorce from Katherine of Aragon and marriage to Anne Boleyn, a decision that would lead Henry to reject papal authority and initiate the English Reformation.

In this special evening lecture, Dr David Starkey will reveal the dramatic causes, and far-reaching effects, of this momentous period in history, arguing that it was the ‘Tudor Brexit’. His new programme, Reformation, will be aired on BBC2 in the autumn.