‘Henry VIIIs actions as king destroyed Henry VII’s legacy’
PARA 1 - FINANCIAL SECURITY
- Henry VII - reputation of a miserly king due to his strategic approach to royal nances
and his close control of royal revenue
- Henry VII - reformed system of corn lands to ensure increased control and pro t by
administering it through chamber rather than courts of exchequer, rising income from
£12,000 to £42,000.
- £300,000 inheritance spent quickly by Henry VIII on foreign policy, especially after
Battle of Flooded 1513
- 1540-1547 - war cost £2.1mil
- England without su cient money to ght Spain led to trade embargo against Spain -
Spain controlled Netherlands as part of burgundy, so hugely a ected Englands trade of
cloth to Netherlands, biggest market
- French War 1545 - cost £2mil resulting in Henry borrowing, selling monastic lands and
debasement of coinage causing long term in ation that lasted decades
- Financial legacy and security that Henry VII spent many years building ultimately
destroyed after H8 carelessly spent on warfare, leading to multiple issues
- H8 didn’t place same focus and emphasis on nancial regulation as his father did,
making H8 desperate for money later on in his reign.
PARA 2 - GOVERNMENT
- HVII - councillor approach to gov, surrounded himself with councillors like Sir Reginald
Bray who could advise him
- HVIII - preferred a gov ruled by chief ministers, Wolsey and Cromwell evidently
dominated gov.
- 1512 - Wolsey organised expedition to France with 30,000 strong army, success and
was drawn into peace negotiations that followed
- ‘Alter Rex’ - secular and ecclesiastical powers, immense power, use of star chamber to
challenge nobility power and controlled council
PARA 3 - FOREIGN RELATIONS/PEACE
- HVII - careful to maintain peace within his kingdom
- HVIII - ‘warrior king’, recognised that England was relatively small and weak compared
to its foreign counterparts such as France or Spain
- 1512 H8 engaged in war with France, destroying his fathers legacy as this essentially
displaced H7 French alliance following treaty of eTAPLES 1492
- H8 ignored the councils desire to comply with the Treaty of Etaples and joined the Holy
league against France 1511
- Sent army of 10,000 to France
- H8 actions against France contributed to 1517 treaty of Cambria between Charles V,
Maximilian and Francis I - left England isolated
- Due to desire of wanting to be a warrior king led to him overestimating Englands power
and in uence, Charles V refused to join invasion of Northern England
- HOWVER - H8 still maintained peace with Spain during his early reign and unlike his
father, secured the marriage alliance
PARA 4 - SECURING TUDOR DYNASTY
- H7 key aim in early years consisted of establishing his status among European
monarchs and creating alliances
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, - Continued by H8 due to desire to secure Tudor dynasty
OVERALL
- Henry VIII did destroy his father's legacy. Foreign relations were no longer peaceful and
nances became poor but it is still important to note that government was not radically
changed in the early part of Henry VIII's reign and that Henry also changed the negative
aspects of Henry VII's reign; namely corrupt treatment of the nobility
‘Henry VIII was content to allow ministers to rule for him’
PARA 1 - WOLSEY - PURSUED HIS OWN AGENDA AND DEEMED ALTER REX
- Conciliar gov paved way for Wolseys meteoric rise to power
- Introduced reforms to judicial system in creation of the Court of Chancery which he
oversaw as Lord Chancellor, and the reforms to the Star Court from 1516 onward.
- These reforms demonstrate the rule of ministers and shows how Wolsey create policy
rather than Henry
- Reduced number of privy chamber members attempting to gain control over
government.
- Amicable Grant 1525 - attempting to gain 1/3 of the clergy goods in benevolences,
Wolsey in charge of di cult jobs
- Alter-Rex
- HOWEVER - Henry also dictated policy to Wolsey - Tudor Subsidy 1523 changed way
taxes were introduced by creating national committee (headed by Wolsey) to prove
more realistic assessment of wealth, direct result of henrys desire to go to war with
France in same year, shows that Henry was largely in control.
- Shows Henry was in control as his wish to go to war caused Wolsey to change his
nancial policy in order to meet his demands.
PARA 2 - CROMWELL - FINANCIAL AND RELIGIOUS
- Cromwell set up the Court of First Fruits and tenths 1540 to deal with nances
previously sent to Rome.
- 1533 Act in Restrain of Appeals
- Responsible for the dissolution of the monasteries
- Cromwell diminished popes in uence
- Cromwell who suggested that Henry place himself as head of the English church, was in
charge of the dissolution of monasteries.
- Used parliament to declare that England could take charge of the divorce proceedings
without the approval of the pope. Achieved by the acts of parliament that prevented
Catherine appealing to the popes jurisdiction.
- HOWEVER - Henry was ultimately in charge, his decision to make religious changes as
he was the one who desired a separation from Catherine of Aragon and set about
attempting his annulment at any cost.
PARA 3 - FOREIGN POLICY - WOLSEY ASSUMED KINGS DUTIES
- Negotiated Treaty of London 1518 - shows he was the mediator between countries
such as France and the HRE, meaning he was able to appear as the individual keeping
peace among European countries, a job that the king generally has
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