Henry VIII and Edward VI's policies and impact

Henry VIII and Edward VI's policies and impact

1. Foreign Policy

   • Field of Cloth and Gold
   • End of Henry's rule England was diplomatically isolated and he made the foreign Catholic threat worse
   • Using war to gain land money and resources
   • Wanted war with France to expand territory into Calais
   • Both pursue France but both reigns end in Peace Treaties.
   • Edwards Treaty of Boulogne with France- France obtain town in return for Edward getting subsidy
   • Continuation of problems with Scotland
   • Edward was pulling back slightly compared to Henry who was more aggressive.
   • England had finance problems after Henry so had to pull back with France
   • Still issues with enclosure

2. Power of Monarchy

   • Power of monarchy expanded with Henry VIII
   • Royal Supremacy act consolidates power
   • War of Roses got rid of power of nobles so less nobles to deal with
   • More taxes and land from taking land from church
   • Henry VIII ruled on his own but Edward had Northumberland behind him ruling for him

3. Religion

   • Henry was still quite Catholic and so were the majority of rural areas
   • Reformation
   • Dissolution of monasteries
   • Break from Rome
   • Considerable move towards Protestantism
   • Dissolution of Monasteries
   • Dissolution of Chantries authorised by Parliament
   • Henry VIII's reformation was more balanced where Edwards VI's was more anti-Catholic. More for Protestantism for Edward
   • Far more radical Protestant compared to Henry VIII's more Catholic Protestantism

4. Government

   • King in Parliament. Henry was involved in day-to-day government
   • Government had more protestant advisors adding to legitamacy to the break from Rome
   • Expansion of Tudor Government. Star Chamber expanded on and Privy council expanded on to become more of a modern state
   • Both Henry and Edward's government had factionalism
   • Edward had Dudley to get rid of Somerset just like Henry had the Boleyn Faction to get rid of Seymore