On this day in Tudor history, 11th October 1521, Pope Leo X conferred on King Henry VIII the title of Fidei Defensor, “Defender of the Faith”.

This was a reward for Henry VIII writing his pamphlet Assertio septem sacramentorum adversus Martinum Lutherum, “Declaration of the Seven Sacraments Against Martin Luther”, which was dedicated to the Pope. The pamphlet defended the Catholic Church against Reformer Martin Luther’s work, “De captivitate Babylonica”, “On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church”, which had been published in 1520.