When I was a child in primary school, we first learnt about Henry VIII & his infamous way with the ladies (divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived) as well as little bits & pieces about his reign: the Mary Rose ship, relationship with the catholic church & the founding of the Church of England so he could divorce Catherine of Aragon, Thomas Cromwell, Henry's children etc.
I've seen innumerable things about Henry's life & reign: The Tudors, The Other Boleyn Girl, Wolf Hall, Henry VIII & his six wives etc (now there's yet another documentary series on Channel 5 about him). However all of these shows seem to simply rehash what the majority of the public already know. What are some interesting things about Henry VIII that isn't common knowledge?
What are the current historiographical debates surrounding this infamous king & his reign? How have they developed over time?
Hi, I can't give a full answer, but you mentioned the infamous way with the ladies and how things have been rehashed with the same information. However, I think tv shows rehashing and pushing of the playboy king image can obscure a key fact, so I think this may be relevant and I hope allowed (if it's not I'm really sorry).
Henry was married to Catherine of Aragon for 24 years, 1509-1533. All the rest of his marriages together make up only 10 years spanning 1533-1547. This means he was married to Catherine nearly 2 and a half times as long. Further, she was 6 years older than Henry and they split when she was 47 (Henry lacking a direct legitimate heir and Catherine due to age probably unable to provide one). If you are not aware of this information, then I think it can give you a better understanding of the annulment and Henry's personality. To conclude, Henry really gave Catherine a lot of time as Queen before the annulment.
Is there much research into his relations with Scotland? I only recently learned that the Scottish King, James V, died in a battle when Henry sent soldiers to invade Scotland because he was angry with James. But I don't know the details. I think, unfortunately, English history classes (and TV screens) are very Anglo-Centric, with little in terms of Scottish history. Even the recent series Reign, whose protagonist is the Queen of Scotland, virtually never shows anything going on in Scotland.
Keep in mind that a lot the literature out there on Henry VIII (and Tudor monarchs generally) are pseudo-histories and should not be taken seriously.
The focus put on Henry's marital relations are studied for their important impact on state and religious matters of the time.
Current debates will make constant reference to the late king's marriage status because of how these relationships dramatically impacted England's policies. Having said that, attention has shifted to studying aspects beyond these relationships. For example, some historians (Elton, et al.) choose to study the growth in the use and importance of Star Chamber as an extra-judicial mechanism of royal justice as attributed to Thomas Cromwell's secretariat. Others disagree, citing that the same growth should be attributed to Wolsey ("The Cardinal's Court", J.A. Guys).
Multiple studies have recently focused on religious climate in England pre-1533, trying to assess the "catholicity" and heresy before the Anglican shift. For instance, on average, subjects in England received a higher gross number of papal dispensations than other European realms. Moreover, England at the time had a relatively lower number of domestic heresies (the primary native heresy was Lollardy). Despite these anecdotes, nativist historians like to find pockets of discontent and a-normative practice as evidence that England was brewing for a break with Rome before the family drama of Henry VIII (this thesis is not widely accepted).
These are just a few of the current ongoing disputes. If you are looking to learn more about these controversies, I would direct you to the work of Geoffrey Elton. A historiographical rebellion led by Elton's students have caused the majority of his original theses to be reevaluated and sometimes rejected. This will expose you to multiple views on various Tudor-related issues.
Are there other books about Catherine of Aragon and what role she played prior to the divorce?