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AQA A Level Tudors Notes, Henry VIII, Beginning of Reign
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Henry VIII: Ascension to the Throne 1509Marriage
- vital that king should be married in order to secure throne with male heir
- Henry had no living close male relatives
- margaret had married James IV, an uncertain ally
- mary, 13 in 1509, was already a pawn for diplomatic marriages
- After Arthur’s death 1502, Catherine had been kept in england by Henry VII who wanted
to manipulate the spanish connection to make his dynasty more acceptable in european
royal circles
- By 1503, Henry VII had made a new treaty for remaining son to marry catherine BUT law
of church did not allow man to marry his brother’s widow so papal dispensation needed
- 1504 Pope Julius II granted permission
Catherine stayed in England, often neglected, as useful diplomatic pawn against her father:
- King needed to retain Anglo-Spanish connection despite relations between him and
Ferdinand having deteriorated
- as part of marriage alliance, Catherine had brought dowry that Henry refused to repay
- to retain possibility of a marriage between his younger son and Catherine made possible
by papal bull
- However Catherine was not passive victim; she was ambitious and determined to be
queen
- after 1506 she was official spanish ambassador at court for Ferdinand in England,
working for her father to improve anglo-spanish relations and thus her chance of
marriage to younger H
- younger H believed his father’s conduct towards Catherine had been neglectful and
dishonourable
- within a few weeks of becoming King Henry, pressured by his council, married
Catherine of Aragon (11th June 1509)
- CORONATION: 24th June 1509
- quick marriage suited councillors, who thought his marriage would deflect HVIII from
political matters and enable them to conduct councillor business as usual
- marriage initially successful on personal level and in certain level of influence Catherine
had over policy making in first few years
- catherine was 7 years older than Henry
- marriage lasted for nearly 20 years and in 1509 there was no sign that its failure would
change English history so decisively
- from the start, Catherine used her influence in the interests of Spain
- by 1520s HVIII would resent rapidity of marriage once it was clear she could never have
a healthy male heir
Empson and Dudley
-Henry faced problem of supposed tyranny of his father’s later years
, -the work of the Council of the Learned used bonds and recognisances to try to keep the
nobility/gentry loyal to the king but Henry VIII was soon listening to complaints and backlash
against Henry VII’s rule
-Richard Fox, assisted by Thomas Lovell and Richard Weston, secured the arrest of Empson
and Dudley. HVIII not personally responsible for this action but certainly was for the subsequent
executions, which did not take place until HVIII had been on throne for more than a year
-Richard Empson and Edmund Dudley, Henry VII’s most hated enforcers, were soon in the
Tower
-At Henry VIII’s first parliament, Jan-Feb 1510, The CoL was abolished and with it the
cancellation of many bonds and recognisances
-The Council set up special commissioners of Oyer and Terminer to look into grievances against
the former King’s gov and agents throughout the Kingdom
-most complaints were found to be petty and evidence against Henry VII’s gov as oppressive
was lacking
-Henry VIII and close advisors were worried of outburst so Empson and Dudley were convicted
of treason at public ‘show’ trials
-this move allowed H to retain security (by satisfying the people’s thirst for revenge) from HVII
but lose stigma → fresh start with popularity among the nobility and propertied classes who saw
themselves as victims of HVII’s approach to tax
To what extent did Henry VIII follow different policies 1509-11: Relationship with the Nobility
-HVIII had no political experience
-inherited established counsel, unlike HVII who had spent weeks assembling one after bosworth
-counsel had served old king, who was cautious and hard working
-as HVIII desired glory and adventure, relations between the king and counsel were bound to be
strained
-the nobility had largely been frozen out of direct political influence under HVII; few of them had
spent much time at court
-peaceful foreign policy of HVII had denied them trad outlet of pursuit of military glory
-relations complicated by Lady Margaret Beaufort who directed new King’s affairs at start of
reign (died shortly after her son so influence not for long). She disliked Wolsey
-had to rely on HVII’s councillors (most important: William Warham- Archbishop of Caterbury
and Lord Chancellor; Richard Fox- Lord Privy Seal; John de Vere- Earl of Oxford; Thomas
Howard- Earl of Surrey and Lord Treasurer)
-Fox was a bishop and lawyer who had served Edward IV, joined the Tudor court in exile, served
Henry VII and continued to serve Henry VIII. He was keeper of the Privy Seal 1487-1516, often
acted as Councillor and was often sent to represent King as an ambassador. He recognised
Wolsey’s administrative skills and acted as his patron bringing him into Counsel during 1510
-Wolsey played key role in pro-war policy after 1512
-HVIII looked for outlet from affairs of state and Wolsey’s capacity for hard work and
organisation impressed him
-clerics Warham and Fox were especially important and preferred the policy of peace of HVII,
and advised the new king to avoid conflict with France
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