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Of all the English monarchs Henry VIII (June 28, 1491 – January 28, 1547) stands out as a colossus in history and with good reason. Perhaps he is best known for his six marriages, two of which ended in divorce and two in the execution of the unfortunate women. However, it was the policies he enacted during his reign that have continued to have a huge impact on the country as a whole, and London in particular. His break from the Roman Catholic Church altered the course of British history and the subsequent land grab against the religious houses, the dissolution of the monasteries, changed the face of much of England and London in particular. His actions set Britain on a collision course with Europe, established the Church of England with the Crown at its head, and he is even credited with the country becoming a naval superpower resulting in the subsequent creation of the British Empire. He has been described as “one of the most charismatic rulers to sit on the English throne” and his reign as the “most important” in English history. This is one of a cluster of New Addington streets, built in about 1946, that are named after some of Tudor England’s most prominent figures in reference to the fact that Henry VIII used to own a hunting lodge for the duration of his reign on what became the grounds of Addington Palace. According to Addington Palace’s website it is rumoured, although never conclusively proved, that the king held clandestine meetings with Anne Boleyn there, during which time he taught her to hunt among other things.
