Chapter 7 - The character and aims of Henry VIII

Question 1

when was Henry proclaimed King?

Answer 1

23rd April 1509, two days after his fathers death

Question 2

when did Henry VIII marry Catherine of Aragon?

Answer 2

11 June 1509

Question 3

when was Wolsey’s emergence as first minister?

Answer 3

1514

Question 4

how was Henry educated?

Answer 4

after his brother’s death he was educated in how to be a king, his educated included some acquittance with the new learning of humanism

Question 5

what was Henry VIII’s mind like according to John Guy?

Answer 5

his mind was able but second rate

Question 6

was Henry well read?

Answer 6

yes

Question 7

how does Eric Ives describe Henry at the beginning of his reign?

Answer 7

‘extrovert, affable and charming’

Question 8

what was the early impression Henry created like?

Answer 8

very positive

Question 9

how was Henry VIII’s succession welcomed?

Answer 9

as a breath of fresh air after the stultifying and rather sinister atmosphere associated with the influence of Empson and Dudley in the last years of his fathers reign.

Question 10

how did Thomas More describe henry’s accession?

Answer 10

‘the end of our slavery, the fount of our liberty, the end of sadness, the beginning of joy.

Question 11

How did Henry’s style of Kingship differ from his father?

Answer 11

he had a profound dislike for the business of government and found the writing and reading of state papers both tedious and painful. yet he could intervene suddenly in the business of government, in the process contradicting decisions or actions which had already been taken. he also lacked his father’s work ethic, preferring to pass the time with good company.

Question 12

what was the impact of Henry’s dislike for the business of government and tendency to suddenly intervene?

Answer 12

it had considerable implications for the quality of decision making within Henry’s administration.

Question 13

what did Henry VIII place emphasis on?

Answer 13

pageants, revelry, sports, hunting and tournaments.

Question 14

how did the structure of government evolve differently in Henry’s reign compared to that of his father’s?

Answer 14

• in the short term there was a renewed emphasis on governing through council, which then made two comebacks in the later stages of his reign (1529-32, 1540-47).
• for two periods of his reign Henry relied on the work of a chief minister who shaped the structure of government to meet his own needs.

Question 15

why did Wolsey come to Henry’s attention?

Answer 15

as a result of his organisational abilities

Question 16

what was the significance of Wolsey’s appointment as papal legate in 1518?

Answer 16

he now outranked the ageing William warham, archbishop of canterbury, and also gave him control over the religious orders in england

Question 17

what was the legacy of Henry VII that Henry VIII inherited?

Answer 17

• money - believed to be around £300,000
• unpopular mechanisms for extracting money
• a peaceful foreign policy
• a conciliar form of government

Question 18

how did Henry change things after he came to the throne in order to deal with the legacy of his father?

Answer 18

• Empson and Dudley executed
• Council learned in law abolished by an act of parliament in January 1510
• ## cancellation of many of the bonds and recognisances that had been imposed by the council learned in the law.

Question 19

what was the significance of the Council Learned in Law being abolished in January 1510?

Answer 19

around 7 months after his coronation, acted swiftly. this shows he wanted to distance himself from his fathers unpopular policies.

Question 20

when was the coronation of Henry VIII?

Answer 20

24 June 1509

Question 21

what were Henry’s key aims in the early years of his reign?

Answer 21

• to establish his status amongst European monarchs through marriage
• to re-establish the role of the nobility
• to establish himself as a warrior king through success in battle.

Question 22

why did Henry’s swift marriage to Catherine of Aragon suit Henry’s councillors?

Answer 22

they took the view that marriage for Henry would deflect him from political matters and enable them to conduct conciliar business as usual

Question 23

what was Catherine’s influence in the early years?

Answer 23

she had some influence over policy making

Question 24

how did Henry’s accession benefit the nobility?

Answer 24

he shared their tastes and the dominant military culture of the aristocracy, it was largely the sons of the nobility who kept Henry company during his activities.

Question 25

what did Wolsey’s influence mean for the aristocracy?

Answer 25

they couldn’t achieve the political domination they hoped for

Question 26

what was Henry’s foreign policy like in the early years of his reign?

Answer 26

• pursuit of military glory

Question 27

how did Henry’s reign leave an enduring mark on English history?

Answer 27

the broadening of the use of statute law, the growing importance of parliament, the destruction to the traditional religion and the plundering of the church’s wealth.

Question 28

how did Henry exhibit ruthlessness and cynicism?

Answer 28

his treatment of Empson and Dudley and his resort to execution for treason, often on the flimsiest of charges (Buckingham) combined tyranny and insecurity which overshadowed his positive qualities.

Question 29

how did Henry demonstrate his impulsiveness?

Answer 29

• speed of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon
• regret over the execution of Thomas Cromwell