Essay

AQA A Level History example essay A* standard - Henry VIII government and Privy Council

0 purchase

Course
The Tudors

Institution
AQA

Book
AQA A-level History

To what extent was the reform of the Privy Council the most important development in government and administration in the reign of Henry VIII up to 1540? A* standard essay

[Show more]

Preview 1 out of 2 pages

View example

Uploaded on May 27, 2024
Number of pages 2
Written in 2020/2021
Type Essay
Professor(s) Unknown
Grade A+

aqa
a level
history
henry viii
tudors
example essay
government
privy council

Book Title:AQA A-level History

Author(s):David Ferry, Angela Anderson

Edition:juni 2015
ISBN:9781471837586
Edition:1

Study Level
A/AS Level
Examinator
AQA
Subject
History
Unit
The Tudors

rachelrevises

Member since 4 year 48 documents sold

$4.23

Add to cart

Add to wishlist

100% satisfaction guarantee
Immediately available after payment
Both online and in PDF
No strings attached

To what extent was the reform of the Privy Council the most important development in
government and administration in the reign of Henry VIII up to 1540?

During the reign of Henry VIII, many changes occurred in the way England was governed, this
included development in the role of Henry's closest support - the Privy Council and more widely
in the role of Parliament. Many of the changes came about due to propositions from the King’s
two closest advisors during his reign: Wolsey and Cromwell, both of whom were keen to
streamline government and allow more of their influence onto the King.

An important Privy Council reform came in 1526 through the Eltham Ordinances, which were
enacted by Wolsey who had been Henry’s Chief Minister since 1515. The purpose of this
change was to cut down the number of people in the Privy Chamber, all of whom were
competing voices for the King’s attention, therefore meaning that Wolsey had more influence
himself. Though, of course, this reform was disguised as a reform of the Council’s finances -
reducing costs was just another way to reduce the number of members A very influential
member of the Council who was forced out by Wolsey was the King’s Groom of the Stool, his
most intimate courtier, Sir William Compton, who was replaced by Henry Norris - a man who
was much more compliant to Wolsey. By reforming the Privy Council, Wolsey had enabled
Henry to become more reliant on his closest ministers ie. himself so he was able to gain more
influence over the King thus enabling him to make many more radical changes to the functions
of government during the first part of Henry's reign.

Furthermore, the Privy Council changed a lot because the nobles who composed it changed. At
the start of his reign, the inexperienced King relied heavily on those who had been members of
his Father’s inner circle such as Heron however as his reign progressed he switched the noble
members of the Council for men of more humble backgrounds who became close allies such as
Wolsey, the son of an Ipswich bButcher and Cromwell, a poor boy from Putney. By changing the
fundamental makeup of the Privy Council the direction of government changed, instead of
jealous nobles who wanted to be King, Henry was surrounded by hard working men who
wanted to please him in order to receive patronage. This meant that reform of the Privy Council
was an important change to government and administration in the reign of Henry VIII due to the
change in priority of the Council.

However, there were other factors which allowed government and administration to develop in
Henry’s reign up to 1540 such as the use of the Court of the Star Chamber. Wolsey made much
more use of the Chamber than it had been before and it became the most important law
Chamber in England. In 1516, when Wolsey had started using it, it went from seeing 12 cases
per annum to 120, meaning that there was an increase in Justice being brought. This was
especially true because the Court was also used to try Nobility as well as ordinary people - this
meant that Henry had an easy way to ensure that his Nobles would behave as they could quite
easily be sent to the Tower of London as a punishment like Sir Robert Sheffield who was found
guilty of aiding and abetting homicides. Therefore the use of the Court of the Star Chamber was
a way in which Henry allowed greater law and order in England which in turn eased his
government and administration.

The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:

Guaranteed quality through customer reviews

Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.

Quick and easy check-out

You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.

Focus on what matters

Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!

Frequently asked questions

What do I get when I buy this document?

You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.

Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?

Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.

Who am I buying these notes from?

Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller rachelrevises. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.

Will I be stuck with a subscription?

No, you only buy these notes for $4.23. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.

Can Stuvia be trusted?

4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)

68175 documents were sold in the last 30 days

Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 15 years now

Start selling

Essay

AQA A Level History example essay A* standard - Henry VIII government and Privy Council

Document information

Subjects

Connected book

Written for

Seller

Reviews received

Content preview