Henry VIII- character, aims and parliament

Henry VIII- character, aims and parliament

1. Character

   • Educated to be King as Arthur died 7 years prior & humanism.
   • Charm & humour. Good physic and chivalry.
   • No experience of government or public affairs. Disliked gov and found work boring.
   • Intervene suddenly in gov business to contradict decisions already made- disrupted decision-making. Did not have the same work ethic as father.
   • Short-term- emphasis on governing through the council, which then made two comebacks (1529-30, 1540-47).
     • Consequences oh H rarely involved in business of gov.
     • Wolsey & Cromwell

2. Legacy og Henry VII

   • £300,000-- H spent all on aggressive FP.
   • Dudley and Empson
   • Peaceful foreign policy
   • Councillor form of gov. Disappear as Wolsey comes.
   • Richard Fox secured the arrests of Empson and Dudley - disposed of them to gain own power. H was responsible for their executions over a year later.
   • Council Learned in the Law abolished 1510- abolished bonds and recognisances, ensuring own popularity as people saw victims of H VIIs taxation.

3. Early Aims

   • Establish status in EU through marriage, re-establish role of nobility and be warrior king.
   • Marriage to Catherine. Nt firmly agreed whilst VII king.
     • Councillors wanted their marriage to distract H from business. 11 June 1509- Catherine had some influence over policy making in first few years.
   • Re-establishing nobility- shared the taste for military action that novels had lacked during H VII.
   • Generally sons of nobles who played with Henry when sporty. These were whom partnered him during wars.
     • Nobility did not gain political power they wanted as Wolsey dominated.
   • FP- vast amount to achieve painfully small gains. Never foolish enough to go to war with Charles V.

4. Later aims

   • Broadening use of statute law=growing importance of parliament.
   • Effects on church were merely consequence of break with rome.
   • Ruthless- as shown through treatment of Epson and Dudley. Also shown with execution of two wives.
   • Impulsiveness- speed to marry catherine of aragon.
     • Regrets impulsive decision to execute cromwell

5. Government 1509-1540 (Wolsey)

   • Before 1530s, H had same view as his father, P job was to grant extraordinary revenue and pass laws. Wolsey had distaste for P.
   • P meet much more under Cromwell as exploit legislative responsibilities.
   • Wolsey provided effective management as Hs relationship with councilmen broke. Conciliar approach adopted between 09-14 but broke down because:
     • H disappointed with fathers councillors reluctancy for war. Asserted own right to decision making. Surrounded himself with younger men, enhancing suspicion of 'old guard'. Wolsey rose.
   • Wolseys main concerns were the legal system, the formulation of domestic policy and political decision-making.
   • Privy chamber- before 1519 was outside of Wolseys control. Hs minions became gentlemen of the privy chamber (role extended).

6. Domestic policy Wolsey

   • Court of chancery (fairness)- Lord chancellor Wolsey oversaw legal system & tried to uphold fairness. e.g. enclosure. Became too popular so justice was slow.
   • Court of star chamber- 1487 centre of justice and gov under Wolsey. From 1516 wanted to increase cheap and fair justice. Also used for private lawsuits - proved to be too successful & set up 'overflow tribunals' - 1519 committee set up.
   • Finance
     • Tudor subsidy(grant made to the monarch)- VII used these but Wolsey changed the way they were collected. Set up national committee to assess taxpayers wealth instead of locals doing it. - raised money for war in france.
     • Eltham Ordinances- 1526 reform finances of PC. Reduction of household expenditure & reduce gentlemen in PC. Removed Hs groom of stool (sign.) and replaced with Henry Norris. All in fear that amicable grant 1523 would ruin him. (Starkey)

7. Establishment of Royal supremacy

   • The great matter- No male heirs & loved Boleyn. Papal dispensation for annulment.
     • Bible- against man marrying brother sister BUT says man should take brothers wife after death. Catherine had never consummated marriage with Arthur.
       • Catherine appealed to pope. Under Charles V influence to not give annulment
   • Wolseys fall- Campeggio sent after 2 years- ages to arrive and very ill so much delays. Adjourned case 30th July 1529.
     • Amicable grant, praemunire (church interfering with rights of crown). Enemies made e.g. Boleyn

8. Domestic policies cromwell 1532-40

   • Cromwell ended three year conciliar gov after Wolsey. - suggest break with Rome. 1532 he was chief minister
   • Duke of Norfolk hostile to Cromwells religious reforms- he didn't have as much influence as Wolsey did.
   • Ps role in gov developed between 1529-36 due to the great matter.
   • Divorce
     • Weakened church- by humanist criticism from Erasmus. Christopher St German put english law above canon law (masterminded by cromwell.
     • Collectanea Satis Copiosa-- works to justify divorce by Cranmer and Foxe. H sought expert opinions from unis abroad-- he humiliate More by making him present the favourable ideas in P.
   • Pressuring the pope
     • 1531 all clergy accused of praemunire and fined.- forced acknowledgment of supreme head.
     • 1532- conditional restraints of annates- payments to pope
     • 1532 Supplication against the ordinates- GOOGLE & publication of the clergy- provoked resignation of More (surrender independent law making function.)
   • Marriage to Anne
     • Anne gambled with sex with H & conceiving would press matters.-- requiring open defiance of the pope.
     • Situation helped by Cranmer becoming ABoC- leader of Reformation. - secret marriage to Anne Jan 1533 as preggo but seen as invalid by catholic church.
     • Annulment may 1533 & crowned.
     • Fall- Relations w/Cromwell fell so he convinced H that she'd been having an affair & many backed as people disliked her.
   • Acts of P
   • Cromwells fall- Protestant Anee of Cleves & annulled. Norfolk enter with Catherine Howard. Executed 1540 & married same day.

9. Government 40-47

   • Fall of Cromwell saw fixed membership PC & formal record of proceedings kept.
   • Catherine Howard, already sexually active & young and rumours of an affair. Devastated H and executed her 1542. Norfolk wounded politically Katherine Parr, protestant, threat to Norfolk ambitions.
   • Political rivalries intensified in Hs last years (who would govern Edward?) Norfolk son exeuted for treason and Norfolk was to follow but H died before, leaving him in the tower.

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