Cardinal Wolsey's fall from power

Cardinal Wolsey's fall from power

1. Domestic policies

   • Eltham Ordinances
     • Created enemies in royal court due to changes such as cutting the Privy Chamber in half
       • Additionally, most noblemen didn't like Wolsey due to his background
         • Angered the rich and powerful
   • Amicable Grant
     • Angered citizens
       • Increased unpopularity
     • Wolsey created this direct tax without consulting or gaining the approval of Parliament
       • Risked rebellion; Parliament's purpose was to make sure citizens were not taxed too much
         • Revolts broke out in Suffolk
           • First significant rebellion of Henry's reign
             • Henry was unaware of the tax and stopped its collection
               • Henry started to doubt Wolsey after the humiliation they suffered
   • Solutions for the Enclosure policy
     • Ultimately achieved nothing of substance
   • Taxation
     • Extremely unpopular amongst both rich and poor
       • The rich had to pay the most tax due to subsidy
       • Taxation rates were heavy and accounted for a huge amount of expense in poorer families
   • Fairer Justice system
     • Supported poor vs. rich cases
       • Increased resentment against Wolsey amongst rich
         • People thought he wanted to attack the upper class because they often treated him badly
     • Star Chamber Court
       • Royal court set up to give out justice on King's behalf

2. Failure to acquire annulment

   • Reasons
     • Couldn't find sufficient evidence in Bible
       • Leviticus argument
         • Attempted to argue that the Pope's dispensation should not have been granted because it broke God's law
           • Tried to argue that was incorrectly worded
             • Challenging the pope's decision resulted in failure
             • Supporters found correctly worded Spanish version
           • Catherine denied that the marriage had been consummated
             • Leviticus argument only worked if their marriage was "real"
       • Deuteronomy argument
         • Book of the Bible
           • Suggested that a man could marry his brother's widow and have children with her
           • "When brethren dwell together, and one of them dieth without children, the wife of the deceased shall not marry another; but his brother shall take her, and raise up seed for his brother
     • Cardinal Campeggio
       • Instructed by Pope not to reach a final verdict
       • Delayed arrival to England
       • Broke up court in summer of 1529 without a final decision being reached
       • Old
         • Could not be pressured into making a decision
           • Henry takes out anger on Wolsey

3. Other reasons outside his control

   • Charles V had made the Pope a virtual hostage after the Habsburgs infiltrated Rome
     • If the Pope wasn't captured and under Charles' control he may have agreed to the annulment
   • Anne Boleyn
     • Boleyns rose to power as the relationship between Anne and Henry (VIII) developed
       • They attacked Wolsey and argued that he was deliberately slowing down the proceedings
     • Nobles who resented Wolsey sided with the Boleyns

4. Foreign Policy