Hey, this is Heather from the Renaissance English History Podcast, and this is your Tudor Minute for November 3.
Today in 1534 the English Parliament accepted the First Act of Supremacy and acknowledged Henry VIII as the Head of the Church of England. The way it was worded, it was acknowledged as an accepted fact, rather than something that Parliament was giving to Henry, and could thus take away. The act declared that the king was "the only supreme head on Earth of the Church of England" and that the English crown shall enjoy "all honours, dignities, preeminences, jurisdictions, privileges, authorities, immunities, profits, and commodities to the said dignity." Henry appointed himself and his successors as the supreme rulers of the English church.
This would be the start of the English Reformation in law, and was followed three years later with an Irish supremacy act that outlined Henry as the head of the church in Ireland as well.
That’s your Tudor Minute for today. Remember you can dive deeper into life in 16th century England through the Renaissance English History Podcast at englandcast.com.
Episode link: October 2017 was Reformation Month