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Astrological Birth Chart for Henry VIII

An engraved astrological birth chart cast for Henry VIII, showing his birth details surrounded by zodiac signs and planetary symbols.

An astrological chart cast for Henry VIII, reflecting how his birth and fate were interpreted through astrology.

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Engraved astrological birth chart in an oval frame. Central oval portrait of a man in a feathered cap and high collar, labeled HENRY VIII King of England, Born June 28.10 H.40 m.A.M. 1491. Zodiac signs and planetary symbols with numbers surround the portrait.
Astrological birth chart for Henry VIII, King of England. Wellcome Collection.

About this source

What it is

This engraving shows an astrological birth chart made for Henry VIII, King of England, with a central portrait labelled with his birth date and time, surrounded by zodiac signs and planetary symbols. It is held by the Wellcome Collection.

Why it matters

Astrology was taken seriously in Henry VIII's time, and casting a birth chart for a king reflects how his contemporaries tried to understand his character and destiny through the stars. It shows the close connection between astrology, science, and royal power in this period.

Look closer

  • Why might someone create a detailed astrological chart for a king rather than an ordinary person?
  • What does the care taken in recording Henry's exact birth time suggest about beliefs of the period?
  • How does this source differ from a modern scientific view of a person's character?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Henry VIII on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Black-and-white photograph of a painting: a crowned king in ornate robes sits on a throne holding a scepter, with a line of men in dark robes and caps standing to the right, beneath a leaded window.Painting

Secondary source

Henry VIII Presiding at the Barber-Surgeons Act of Union

Hans Holbein (style of) · 1540 (depicted event); painting later

Stipple engraving of a group of five people in Tudor-style dress standing or seated behind a table draped with a curtain. On the left, a heavyset man in a fur-trimmed robe and jeweled cap holds a staff. Behind him, a man peers from the shadows. Three young people sit at the table: a boy in a dark cap and two young women in lace collars and hoods. Signed Hans Holbein Del. and F. Bartolozzi R.A. Sculpt.Painting

Secondary source

Henry VIII and His Three Children with Will Summers

F. Bartolozzi after Hans Holbein the Younger · c. 1800

Hand-coloured woodcut print of a bearded man in a black hat with white feather plume, wearing a fur-trimmed black and gold robe over a pink doublet, holding a gold-hilted dagger. A crowned coat of arms with a Latin motto and a Dutch-language inscription at top are visible against a green backdrop.Painting

Secondary source

Portrait of Henry VIII of England

1547

Scanned black-and-white page of an early printed book in dense black-letter type, headed 'SERENISSIMO INVICTISSIMOQUE ANGLIAE' with a small woodcut decorative initial at left. The text is a Latin dedication, and a handwritten marginal note appears at the bottom left.Document

Primary source

Dedication to Henry VIII in Compendiosa Anatomiae

Thomas Geminus · 1545

Two facing pages of a handwritten 16th-century manuscript draft, with the heading '1539. ββ Articles' at top left. Lines of cursive text contain strikethroughs and interlineal corrections, with marginal notes on the right page.Document

Primary source

The Act of Six Articles

1539

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