If Henry VIII wanted a son so badly, Why did he not acknowledge his only son?

Question

He wasn't married to some of the ladies he had children with, but still made them legitimate.

Answer 1

If you're talking about henry Fitzroy, he made him duke of Richmond, but Henry VIII was still a constitutional ruler and couldn't establish a b*****d in the line of succession.  Richmond died anyway.

The attempt of the Duke of Northumberland to alter the succession in 1553 in favour of Jane Grey show what would have happened if Henry had tried.  A Tudor monarch had scarcely any troops of his own, so he had to rely on the support of the notables.

Answer 2

He did. Edward, Prince of Wales (Henry's son with Jane Seymour), became Edward VI in 1547, when he was about 10 years old. He died before his 16th birthday, in 1553, and was succeeded very briefly (9 days) by Lady Jane Grey and then by Mary, Henry's daughter with his first Queen, Catherine of Aragon.

Answer 3

He  did but he died before he took the throne.  Then Mary took the throne then Elizebeth - so it worked out fine ;)

Answer 4

Henry had many sons, however few survived infancy.

I think your talking about Henry's Illegitimate son:

Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset (15 June 1519–18 June 1536)

who's mother was Elizabeth Blount, a mistress.

Henry was about to acknowledge his illegitimate son as his heir, (as he was illegitimate he wasnt automatically an heir) but as an act was about to pass through parliament, Fitzroy died possibly of Tuberculosis and so he was never acknowledged, he was 17 when he died