Why was henry viii obsessed with a son heir?

Question

Why was henry viii obsessed with a son heir?

Answer 1

At the time there was no precedent for a female ruler.  He probably thought that letting one of his daughters succeed him would invite someone to try and steal the throne from his family line.  He did in fact have a son who ruled for a short time and was succeeded by his half sisters "Bloody" Mary and Elizabeth I.

Answer 2

i`m related to him!

Answer 3

kings always pass down their thrown to their first born son, or the most able because their daughters will be married off to other families, but men carry on their own lineage

Answer 4

I dont know but luckily he didnt got it so that Elizabeth I got to the throne,she was a great queen.

Answer 5

Yes.  Before Henry's daughters became queens, there had only been one queen in England, Matilda (or Maud), and the country immediately fell into civil war upon her ascension to the throne.  Henry's father, Henry VII had ended the Wars of the Roses at the Battle of Bosworth, where Richard III was killed.  It was assumed that without a male heir, the kingdom would return to a state of civil war.  Many of his courtiers had lived through the Wars, and also wanted a male heir.

Answer 6

Males were still recognised as the stronger/better s*x at this time in History so a female queen would make his country which he took pride in seem feeble for having a weak monarch.

Answer 7

Because, on his death bed, his father made him promise to do his damnedest to produce a male heir, for reasons already stated.  Told him it was his first obligation as king.  The father, (was he Henry VII?) was so devastated by the loss of Arthur, his number one son, just after his marriage to Catherine of Aragon (starting to understand the soap opera, here...it's really fascinating stuff!)

Answer 8

he needed a son to inherit his throne at that time it was uncommon for women to inherit thrones they either had to get married and their new husband would become king or the throne would go on to the next male in the family line

Answer 9

He wanted a male heir in order to continue the royal bloodline and someone to wear the crown. People usually frowned upon the idea of a "woman" sitting on the throne, thinking that they are incapable of running a country effectively and efficently. The irony is, although he had a son, only two daughters survived to adulthood and each had a turn being crowned "Queen" of England and made their own legacy in English history. One was Mary I of England who was nicknamed "Bloody Mary" who prosecuted 300 Protestant during her short Catholic rule, and Elizabeth I of England, the Virgin Queen who devoted her entire life to her nation during the famous Golden Elizabethan Age.

Answer 10

Sexism and the trend was and is still now probably or yes it still is that men should lead whatever it is.  And they think women are useless.  which is stupid because if there was no men there is enough sperm in the sperm banks to keep up the human race, but with no women around they would have to create an artificial womb and by the time they figured that out they would be extinct.

Answer 11

because it was the only way to pass down power directly - only male children could inherit.

a lack of a male son would usually lead to a major war between competing possible kings

Answer 12

To carry on his ancestral line of course. Nothing to do with women being the (weaker) s*x.

Answer 13

In those days females would not be heirs and a man's male offspring was his highest honor.

Answer 14

Because In Them Days

A Son Was More Valuable Then A Daughter

Its Something To Do With The Patriarcle World That Was Around Then

=D

Answer 15

All good answers, however there was a real and true reason other than preferring males.

Henry was proud of his daughter Mary and thought she'd make a fine Queen. However, up to that point, no Queen in England's history had ever ruled successfully. Only a few women had reigned as Queens in their own right and they were killed and/or forced out of power. Henry felt that in order to carry on the Tudor legacy, and to secure Tudor power in England - that he MUST have a son, because of this history of week women queens.

Answer 16

to a lot of ppl even now, males are more highly prized than females - after all, the male's last name is carried on when the female changes her name in marriage

in Asia today and then, female infants are abandoned and left to die if the parents cannot afford her. girls are more expensive than males, they need a dowery to marry and parents can't pay it - if they have a son, they would recieve money from his bride's family - plus, males are stronger and can work harder in the fields

its not right, but that's how a lot of ppl see the difference in the two sexes

Answer 17

the reason Henry wanted a son was simple, it was assumed that his daughter a princess would marry a prince then move to his country or that she would marry an englishman but then one family would be set above the tudors not somthing henry who was only the 2nd generation tudor king would like. As for his children all three ruled England, Edward ruled after Henry and brought prodisant religion to the forefront, edward died of tb and mary took over sending the english back to catholic  and finally elizabeth who ruled for 40 years. so much for the boys huh?

Answer 18

I think all men are obsessed with having a son and heir,but when Henry viii was around it was more important to keep the linage going.