Henry VIII, 1509-1547
How did the early years of Henry VIII’s reign vary to those of his father’s?
Henry VIII had succeeded the throne when he was nearly 18, a young, athletic,
charismatic figure, who, if not born to be king, had known that this was his destiny
since his brother’s death in 1502.
Where Henry VII had endured years of poverty and exile, succeeding to the throne
only through luck and military success, Henry VIII had known only wealth and
expectation.
Early life of Prince Henry
Not initially brought up as heir, though this changed in 1502.
Henry was well-educated; he studied languages, history, astronomy and arithmetic.
He learnt several music instruments and outdoors, he learnt horse riding, archery,
tennis and jousting. He was well-prepared for the role of a Renaissance prince.
However, he does not seem to have been particularly well-prepared for the day-to-
day duties of kingship. Despite this, he showed himself to be intellectually gifted; he
had a brilliant memory for factual details and could argue on subjects such as
religion.
His education had reinforced the notion of the monarch ruling in the interests of the
country and of the Tudor line.
First decisions of Henry VIII
Within days of his accession, he ordered the arrest of his father’s chief financial
enforcers, Empson and Dudley of the Council Learned in Law, and abolished this
hated court.
His second announcement was that he would honour his promise to marry Catherine
of Aragon.
Henry’s court
The royal court was not only the centre of politics and government, it was also a
projection of the King’s personality and the aura of majesty that he sought to create.
Henry VII had maintained a lavish court, with generous hospitality and patronage of
scholars and explorers, whereas the court of Henry VIII was dedicated to pleasure
and refinement.
The King’s favourite activities were hunting, tennis and jousting, though he was
intelligent enough to enjoy the company of scholars steeped in the new learning of
the Renaissance.
He also increased the number of royal residences.
Treatment of the nobility
Henry VII had controlled the nobility more by threatening their status and wealth
than by making concessions to them.
, Henry VIII’s attitude towards them seemed different from the outset. Early gestures
of goodwill included disbanding the Council Learned in Law and cancelling 175 bonds
and recognisances that were still owing.
Henry regarded the nobility as his friends and associates, with whom he could share
his sporting and artistic pleasures- this enhanced the prestige of his court.
However, Henry shared his father’s suspicion of possible rivals among the nobility-
the main candidate was Edmund de la Pole, the Earl of Suffolk. When Henry came to
the throne, Suffolk was already imprisoned in the Tower. In 1513, Henry had him
executed for treason, but his younger brother, Richard, remained free and in French
service until the Battle of Pavia in 1525.
Style of government
Henry VIII adopted some of his father’s tactics. He continued to use JPs to carry out
his wishes in local government rather than rely on the nobility.
He also followed his father’s practice of encouraging talented advisors and
administrators from outside the nobility.
During Henry VIII’s reign, the Privy Chamber became even more important.
Henry had over 30 residences of his own in and near London, but he also travelled
further afield, especially in July and August.
The Privy Council consisted of about 20 men at Court and they gave advice on
matters of state.
However, there were crucial differences between Henry VIII’s attitude towards day-
to-day government and the attitudes of his father. Henry VIII never gave the affairs
of government the personal attention his father had exercised, tending instead to
delegate far greater power to his chief advisers.
The adult years of Henry VIII’s reign were dominated by two men- Cardinal Thomas
Wolsey, between 1515 and 1529, and Thomas Cromwell, between 1532 and 1540.
This was a new development in government.
By allowing ministers to assume more power, Henry also encouraged what his father
had largely avoided- factionalism at court.
Foreign policy at the beginning of the reign
The accession of Henry VIII opened a new phase in foreign policy.
Henry VII’s policy had been one of an insecure adult; Henry VIII’s began as the
actions of a confident teenager.
Aims:
To establish his presence in international affairs and to demonstrate his strength to
his subjects.
To win glorious victories on the field of battle to establish his image as a
Renaissance warrior.
, Relations with France
As part of an international alliance against France in 1512, Henry led an army there
but achieved very little. With rapidly increasing expenditure and little real gain, the
demoralised soldiers, many diseased, returned to England- the campaign was an
embarrassment.
In 1513, Wolsey organised a second expedition to France. The whole campaign was
seen as a huge success. The English drove off the French in an encounter dubbed
‘the Battle of the Spurs’.
In 1514, the achievement was sealed in the Treaty of St Germaine-en-Laye,
negotiated by Wolsey, which left England in possession of Tournai and Therouanne
and Henry with a handsome annual payment for agreeing to give up his claims to the
French throne- boosted Henry’s royal prestige.
Relations with Scotland
Henry also had to face the Scots who allied against the French in 1512. James IV of
Scotland led an army to invade the north-east of England with the intention of
diverting English troops from going to France.
Resulted in the Battle of Flodden (September 1513) which has been referred to as
the last large-scale medieval style battle in England. The English lost 1,500 men, but
the Scots are said to have lost about 10,000, including King James IV- this
tremendous blow served to enhance the reputation of the English army.
The rise of Thomas Wolsey
Wolsey was outstandingly able, receiving a degree from Oxford at the age of 15.
In the last years of Henry VII’s reign, he gained patronage at court under Bishop Fox,
one of the King’s most trusted councillors.
It was his organisational skills and his ability to guess what the King wanted to hear
that allowed him to progress further.
In 1512, Wolsey was entrusted with the organisation of the following year’s
expenditure to France. It was a big task, but Wolsey showed tireless energy and
commitment to achieving it. The expedition went well, and Wolsey was drawn into
the peace negotiations which followed.
By 1514, Henry was referring all major business to Wolsey, confident that it would
be dealt with efficiently.
Wolsey’s rise to high office in Church and State
Within a few years, Wolsey had accumulated ecclesiastical power that had never
happened before in English history.
1515: Made Cardinal by Pope Leo X (a high-ranking position in the Catholic Church,
above any English churchman).
1518: Appointed Papal Legate by Leo X (which allowed him to deputise for the Pope
and exercise papal powers).
