Over the course of his 37-year reign, Henry VIII demanded many executions and is thought of as one of England’s deadliest monarchs. Victims were either executed under his rule or killed in his name in battle.
The Tudor king made many enemies during his reign, executing rivals, two of his six wives (Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard) and their alleged lovers, advisors (such as Thomas Cromwell), members of the clergy, protesters or objectors.
This was particularly rife during his dissolution of the monasteries and breakaway from the Catholic Church to establish the Church of England.
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Execution methods included beheading, drowning, and hanging, drawing and quartering.
It’s impossible to know for sure how many deaths Henry VIII was responsible for, but historians have estimated the number to be between 57,000 and 72,000. There’s a good chance this could be inaccurate though, and the number could be much lower.
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Top image: Historic engraving from 1876 showing Henry VIII meeting his second wife Anne Boleyn (credit: Getty Images)