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King Henry VIII

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King Henry VIII

after Unknown artist
line engraving, published 1628
6 3/4 in. x 4 1/2 in. (172 mm x 113 mm) paper size
Purchased with help from the Friends of the National Libraries and the Pilgrim Trust, 1966
Reference Collection
NPG D9452

Sitterback to top

  • King Henry VIII (1491-1547), Reigned 1509-47. Sitter associated with 98 portraits.

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Subjects & Themesback to top

Events of 1628back to top

Current affairs

John Felton, a professional soldier, assassinates George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham.
Lawyer and politician, Sir Edward Coke, leads the demand for a Petition of Right which sets out specific civil liberties while curbing Royal power. After much debate, it is reluctantly accepted by Charles I and passed in Parliament.

Art and science

Aged ten, poet Abraham Cowley writes his epic romance, Pyramus and Thisbe; it would appear in his first publication, Poetical blossoms, 1633, a collection of five poems.
Charles I purchases a substantial art collection from the Duke of Mantua, initially overseen by diplomat, Sir Isaac Wake.

International

The Huguenots surrender in La Rochelle to Catholic royalist forces. Attempts are made by England to assist the city; a final, unsuccessful expedition is dispatched by Robert Bertie, Earl of Lindsey, now head of the fleet since the death of George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham.

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