June 2009 marks the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII's coronation. Renowned for his defiance of papal authority, his matrimonial trials and considerable stoutness, Henry is seemingly a very familiar historical figure. However the idea that he was also a highly educated and widely read monarch is less well known and sometimes overlooked.
Henry had his marriage to Catherine of Aragon annulled in 1533 on the grounds that she had been the wife of his late brother Arthur. In order to formulate the theological and legal arguments against his first marriage he accumulated a vast library that reflected the burning questions of the day.
Lambeth Palace Library holds Invicta Veritas (1532) by Thomas Abell, which once belonged to the King and is currently on display at the British Library as part of the exhibition, ‘Henry VIII: Man and Monarch'. On the title page, shown here, Henry has written in his distinctive hand, ‘Fundamentum hujus libri vanum est' - the basic premise of the book is worthless. In several places throughout the volume he has made marginal annotations, expressing his disapprobation with the text. He is particularly concerned with Thomas Abell's interpretation of the matter of consanguinity, which is at the heart of the annulment question. It is perhaps unsurprising that Abell, who was also one of Catherine of Aragon's chaplains, was eventually convicted of high treason, hanged, drawn and quartered in 1540.
The King's tendency to make notes in the books he owned indicates that not only did he read the text carefully, he also thought critically and engaged in the arguments that they presented. Therefore the books that filled the royal shelves have the potential to provide us with a more intimate insight into his desires and whims, as well as a deeper understanding of the revolutionary changes in ideas that took place during his reign.