King Henry VIII

After Henry took his dead brother Arthur's bride, he was propelled into the limelight and the foundations were laid for one of the most spectacular reigns in English history. He was the perfect Renaissance prince, but his first wife Katherine of Aragon's failure to produce a male heir brought out his darker side and led to his dismantling of the established church in England. He looted its possessions and set himself up as an absolute monarch. By the time of his death, he had married six times to try to maintain his own magnificent dynasty.