Henry VIII, The Father Who Devoured His Family (16th Century England)
Henry VIII wanted a son so badly he destroyed two wives, traumatized three children, and split an entire church — yet all three of his kids became monarchs who spent their reigns undoing his damage.
Tudor England (1491–1547)
Henry VIII is remembered as the king who had six wives.
But he was also a father to three children — Mary, Elizabeth, and Edward.
The way he treated them is a masterclass in how NOT to be a dad. 👇
Henry declared his daughter Mary illegitimate when she was 17 — humiliating her publicly — because he wanted to erase her mother Catherine of Aragon.
He then did the SAME thing to Elizabeth after executing her mother Anne Boleyn. Elizabeth was 2 years old.
Two daughters. Both declared “bastards.”
Henry finally got his son Edward. He doted on the boy — but kept him isolated, surrounded by tutors and guards, terrified of illness.
Edward became king at 9. He died at 15, having never really known his father as anything but a distant, terrifying figure. 😔
Mary became queen and executed hundreds — earning the name “Bloody Mary.” Elizabeth became the greatest monarch in English history — but never married, never had children, and reportedly flinched at the mention of her father.
Henry’s legacy wasn’t power. It was trauma passed down.
The lesson: When a father treats his children as tools for HIS legacy, those children spend their lives either repeating his mistakes or running from his shadow.
Your kids are not your second chance.
They’re their OWN first chance. 🖤
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