HENRY VIII
1509 – 1547
,HENRY VIII’S BACKGROUND
Accession of Henry VIII
Henry VIII succeeded the throne at the age of 17.
It had been 7 years since his brother, Prince Arthur, died. In this time Henry had time to prepare for his
new role as King of England.
Henry VIII’s accession was welcomed as a breath of fresh air after the sinister atmosphere associated
with the influence of Empson and Dudley in the final years of Henry VII’s reign.
Henry had no experience in government or public affairs.
Henry’s version of kingship differed from that of his father’s as he had a dislike for the business of
government and found reading state papers tedious.
Henry could intervene suddenly in government, in the process of contradicting decisions or actions
which had already been taken.
Henry VIII’s Character
Henry was well educated and had some acquaintance with the new learning of humanism.
He was described as extrovert, affable and charming.
The early impression he created was very positive.
Henry lacked work ethic, preferring to spend his time in good company.
Structure of Government
Because Henry VIII was rarely engaged directly with the business of government, the structure of
government evolved differently compared with the reign of Henry VII.
In the short term, there was a renewed emphasis on governing through a council in the later stages of
the reign (1529-1532 and 1540-1547).
For two periods of the reign, Henry relied upon the work of a chief minister who shaped the structures of
government to meet his own needs.
The Legacy of Henry VII
Henry VIII had essentially a fourfold legacy from his father.
o Money – it was believed Henry VII left around £300,000 upon his death.
o Unpopular mechanisms for extracting money.
o A peaceful foreign policy.
o A conciliar form of government. This was where decisions were made through a council.
The money that Henry inherited would vanish as a result of paying for an aggressive foreign policy
against France.
The conciliar form of government would disappear in the short term as the result of the emergence of
Thomas Wolsey as the focus of government.
The members of Henry VIII’s Council were able to dispose of others and establish themselves in power.
The key person in this process was Richard Fox, who assisted by Thomas Lovell and Richard Weston,
secured the arrest of Empson and Dudley.
Whilst Henry was not responsible for their arrest, he was responsible for their executions.
Henry not only distanced himself from his father’s regime, but he also ensured his own popularity
amongst the nobility and the victims of his father’s approach to taxation.
, AIMS OF HENRY VIII’S GOVERNMENT
Early Aims
In addition to dismantling the less popular aspects of his father’s legacy, Henry VIII had a number of
other key aims in the first years of his reign.
He wanted to establish his status amongst European monarchs through marriage.
He wanted to re-establish the role of the nobility.
He wanted to establish himself as a warrior-king through success in battle.
Henry’s Marriage to Catherine of Aragon
A marriage between Henry and Catherine of Aragon had been discussed since Arthur’s death, but not
been finally agreed while Henry VII was King.
Henry VIII was anxious to conclude the marriage as quickly as possible. This suited Henry’s councillors
who wanted to deflect him from political matters so they could conduct conciliar business as usual.
Henry and Catherine married on the 11th June 1509.
The marriage was initially successful on a personal level, but Catherine also exercised some influence
over foreign policy in the first few years.
However, Henry would soon regret marrying a woman who was older than him, especially when it was
clear she could never present him with a healthy male heir.
Re-establishing the Nobility
Under Henry VII, the nobility had little direct political influence.
Henry VII’s largely peaceable foreign policy had also denied the nobility’s traditional outlet of the pursuit
of military glory.
This changed with the accession of Henry VIII, who shared the tastes and dominant military culture of
the aristocracy.
The sons of the nobility, who were slightly older than the King himself, often partnered with Henry in
sports and revels at the start of his reign.
These were also the men who accompanied Henry to wars in northern and south-west France or the Earl
of Surrey to Scotland.
However, the nobles did not have the political domination that they hoped for because Henry chose to
promote the interests of Thomas Wolsey, the churchman who had organised the war in France on his
behalf.
The execution of the Duke of Buckingham indicated Henry’s ruthlessness towards the nobility, early in
his reign.
Foreign Policy
Henry sought to overthrow his father’s foreign policy legacy.
The desire for military glory, which fitted in with his rehabilitation of the nobility, led directly to war in
France, something which would recur regularly throughout his reign.
In these wars with France, huge amount of energy were spent with small gains and little to no strategic
significance.
Henry occasionally allied with France, against Spain and the Holy Roman Empire.
Later Aims
He had comprehensively destroyed his father’s legacy through warfare and extravagance.
Henry did not have a consistent approach to his aims in government.
Some themes recurred, like his pursuit for of glory and the need to secure the succession.
He had very little interest in the business of government, except on an occasional and impulsive basis.
Henry’s reign brought about the broadening of the use of statute law (Acts of Parliament), the
destruction of traditional religion and the plundering of the Church’s wealth.
