Henry VIII Flashcards
When did Henry become King?
In 1509, King Henry VII died and his son, Henry VIII, ascended to the throne. About nine weeks later, under the impetus of Spain, Henry married Catherine of Aragon.
Who was Catherine?
Catherine was previously married to Henry VIII’s brother, Arthur, Prince of Wales. However, Arthur died of sweating sickness only a few months later. Therefore, they never consummated their marriage. Considering Catherine’s circumstances, Pope Julius II and the Archbishop of Canterbury, William Warham, doubted the validity of this union and allowed the marriage of Henry VIII and Catherine.
When did they get married?
The coronation ceremony was held in Westminster Abbey on 24 June 1509 and the marriage strengthened the Anglo-Spanish alliance against France.
What was Henry’s personality?
He was known as a jovial and chivalrous king who possessed great knowledge of the humanities. He always wanted to impress others and to stand out. According to some, he was charming and interesting.
What was Henry’s education?
He could speak fluent Latin, French and Spanish. He also had a genuine interest in theology thanks to the strong religious education he received during his childhood. In fact, before he became the heir to the throne, Henry was destined for an ecclesiastical career.
What was Henry’s skills?
He was a true Renaissance man and was gifted in many areas. He was a very talented musician and composer. He wrote poetry and his dancing skills were notable.
What was Henry’s tasks?
He loved eating, drinking and hunting. Since he felt the need to make a good impression on everyone around him, Henry lived in lavish abundance: his court was decorated with expensive artwork and furniture. He felt the need to be second to none.
What was Henry’s religion?
He was Catholic. Although he separated from the Church of Rome and the papal authority, Henry VIII remained a fervent Catholic.
What is the Character of Henry VIII like?
- king at 17, prepared for role
- well educated (including some humanism0
- early impression was positive and he was welcomed with breath of fresh air (due to sinister atmosphere of Empson + Dudley)
- Henry had no experience of government/public affairs, disliked it and found it tedious (different to Henry VII). He could intervene in business of government if he wished (this approach did have implications for the quality of decision-making within Henry’s administration)
- lacked work ethic, preferred to spend time with good company (e.g. emphasis on sports/hunting/tournaments)
How was Henry VIII’s structure of government different to his father?
- short term there was renewed emphasis on governing through council, which made 2 comebacks at later stage of reign (1529-1532, 1540-1547)
- Henry relied on work of chief minister who shaped structures of government to meet his own needs- Thomas Wolsey and Thomas Cromwell
What was Henry VIII left with?
Henry VIII left with:
- money (around £300,000)
- unpopular mechanisms for extracting money
- peaceful foreign policy
- a conciliar form of government (decisions made through a council)
these all disappeared due to aggressive foreign policy towards French and Wolsey becoming the focus of government.
What were the changes in Henry VIII’s council?
Changes in council:
- Richard Fox, assisted by Sir Thomas Lovell and Richard Weston, secured arrest of Empson and Dudley (they were executed shortly after)
- Council Learned in Law abolished by Act of Parliament in January 1510
with abolition of Council Learned, executions Empson and Dudley, Henry distanced himself from father’s regime + ensured his own popularity with nobility/classes who considered themselves as victims of his father’s taxation
What were Henry’s Early Aims?
- 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
How did Henry establish his status amongst European monarchs through marriage?
Marriage to Catherine of Aragon:
- had not been agreed till after Henry VII death
- Henry VIII wanted to conclude marriage quickly, which suited Henry’s councillors (they felt the marriage would deflect Henry from political matters so they could continue conciliar business as usual)
- marriage occurred 11th June 1509
- successful on personal level + Catherine exercised some influence over policy making in first few years
- by mid 1520s took turn for worse, Henry would repent marriage to a women 5 years older and who would not give him a male heir
How did Henry re-establish the role of the nobility?
Re-establishing the Nobility:
- largely frozen out by Henry VII (little time at court, little military glory due to peace)
- Henry VIII shared tastes/military culture of the aristocracy and it was largely the sons of the nobility who partnered Henry in sports/accompanied Henry in some wars (e.g. France)
- However, nobles did not achieve the political domination they had hoped for due to Henry promoting interests of Wolsey, the churchman who had organised the war in France on his behalf
How did Henry establish himself as a warrior king through success in battle?
Foreign Policy:
- sought quickly to overthrow father’s foreign policy legacy
- pursuit of military glory/rehabilitating nobility led to war in France (recur regularly through reign, usually with large money spent and minimal gains/rewards)
- bouts of aggression were mixed with occasional alliances with French against Spain/Holy Roman Empire, though Henry never went to war with Spain/powerful Charles V
Henry’s Later Aims
- first 5 years reign: celebrated his marriage, coronation, victory over Scots (destroyed father’s legacy through warfare/extravagance)
- for most part little interested in business of government except on occasional and impulsive basis
- reign leave mark due to: broadening use of Acts of Parliament to achieve political goals, growing importance Parliament, destruction traditional religion/plundering church wealth
- did show some impulsiveness: execution Empson and Dudley, speed of marriage to Catherine of Aragon, execution of Thomas Cromwell
When did Henry come to the throne?
Henry VII came to the throne in 1509, two months before his 18th birthday
When did Henry marry Catherine?
One of Henry’s first acts was to marry Catherine of Aragon - his brother’s widow - 11th of June 1509
What were the aims of Henry VIII?
Conquer foreign - France
Gain popularity with the people
To re-establish the role of the nobility
Establish his status amongst European monarchs through marriage
Re-establish himself as a warrior and king through success in battle
To be a glorious warrior
Keep scotland under control
Succession - ensure the continuation of the tudor dynasty
Upbringing and work ethic
Only experienced wealth, expectation and a multitude of doting servants and loving parents and siblings
Lost his brother and mother
Privileged upbringing
Found state business tedious
Lacked the work ethic of his rather
Participated in activities such as hunting and jousting
Nobility
Very generous with his nobles
Running a lavish court and bestowing generous gifts upon favourites
King and novels frequently interacted in court due to the various activities often occurring e.g hunting, tennis, jousting
Suspicious of rivals
Style of government
Continues to use JPs
Reiled more on delegation
Walsey and Cromwell
Popular appeal
Intastly bombarded with complaints following his fathers reign
Abolished council learned
Executed Empson and Dudley
When did henry become king?
21st April 1509 - henry VIII becomes king of England
When was his reign
1509 - 1547 - reign of King Henry VIII
Key people
Thomas Lovell - chancellor of the exchequer
Bishop fox - lord privy seal
Archbishop Warham
Before 1530s- Parliament
- two main functions: to grant extraordinary revenue to the crown, and to pass laws
- parliament could advise monarch
- before 1529 Henry VIII only summoned parliaments in 1510, 1512, 1515 and 1523
- during Wolsey time, parliament only called once
- first part of reign, primary reason = to secure revenue
- second half of reign, Cromwell exploited its legislative possibilities, parliament met much more frequently
- governance via councils broke down due to conflict between king’s impulsive personality/conservative councillors. Thomas Wolsey provided effective management of government.
Wolsey + end of government by councils
- conciliar approach to government = 1509-1514, several factors combined to bring it to end:
1) Henry became disenchanted with the reluctance of some of his father’s senior councillors to support war with France
2) increasingly asserting his control in decision making
3) Henry surrounded himself with like minded courtiers who reinforced his suspicions of the ‘old guard’
4) impressed by organisational skills of Wolsey (contribution to effective management of the French campaign = royal gratitude)
- in end, Wolsey emerged as dominant political figure. Had the uncanny ability to give king what he wanted
- Wolsey’s influence was derived more from the closeness of his relationship with the king than from formal positions he held (he complemented the king’s ‘hands off’ approach to details of policy making)
- Wolsey main concerns: legal system, formulation domestic policy, political decision making
Privy Chamber
- before 1519, lay outside Wolsey’s immediate control
- established during Henry VII reign, but role was extended to Henry VIII’s reign, where a group of young courtiers became Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber
- they distrusted Wolsey, who set himself the task of removing the courtiers and replaced them with his own supporters. Most courtiers managed to recover their positions
- Privy Chamber retained some prestige/influence, one part of government outside of Wolsey’s immediate control
Domestic Policies under Wolsey (1515-1529)- Court of Chancery
- as Lord Chancellor he oversaw the legal system
- tried to use the court to uphold ‘fair’ justice (e.g. deal with problems relating to enclosure)
- main problem = too popular, justice slow
Domestic Policies under Wolsey (1515-1529)- Court of Star Chamber
-established by Act of Parliament in 1487, as an offshoot of the King’s Council, centre of both government/justice under Wolsey
- motive for extending use of Star Chamber from 1516: increase cheap and fair justice
- encouraged use of chamber for private lawsuits, but too successful, so forced to set up a series of ‘overflow tribunals’ to deal with pressure of business
Domestic Policies under Wolsey (1515-1529)- Finance: The Tudor Subsidy
Finance- The Tudor Subsidy:
- Wolsey did not invent the subsidy, however he did make change in the way subsidies were collected
- instead of using local commissioners to access taxpayers wealth (with the risk that they would be over-generous to the local nobility), Wolsey set up a national committee which he headed
- Wolsey was able to raise extraordinary revenue for Henry VIII’s war in France, though the amount was insufficient, so Wolsey attempted to raise unparliamentary taxation through ‘Amicable Grant’ of 1525 = resistance and nearly rebellion
Domestic Policies under Wolsey (1515-1529)- Finance: The Eltham Ordinances
- introduced in 1526 by Wolsey to reform the finances of the Privy Council
- in the guise of pushing forward proposals for a reduction of royal household expenditure, Wolsey secured a reduction in the number of the Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber, the one area of government over which he did not have control
- secured the removal of Henry’s Groom of the Stool
The King’s Great Matter
- Henry required Wolsey to secure a papal dispensation for the annulment of his marriage to Catherine (due to being worried for succession/wanting to marry Anne Boleyn) = major problem
- in all probability Henry himself who found the biblical justification to form the basis of an annulment, the book of Leviticus contained a prohibition on a man marrying his brother’s widow. As Catherine had been briefly mentioned to Henry’s brother Arthur, Henry argued that the papal dispensation issued by Julius II to permit his marriage was invalid. He claimed in God’s eyes his marriage was still illegal and that he was therefore free to marry again.
- Catherine claimed her marriage to Prince Arthur was never consummated and the ban did not work. Henry insisted that Wolsey seek a dispensation for annulment anyway.
- 1527, Wolsey used his power as the personal representative of the Pope to bring Henry before a fake court to ‘accuse’ him of living in sin with his supposed wife, a fault which Henry admitted. Catherine refused to accept the court’s verdict and appealed to the Pope
The Fall of Wolsey
- after 2 years of fruitless diplomacy (1527-1529) the Pope sent an envoy, Cardinal Campeggio, to hear the case along with Wolsey. Adjourned on 30th July, Wolsey had failed to give Henry an annulment
- Wolsey’s fall was not unexpected, he was already unpopular for forcing the 1523 subsidy through Parliament/imposing Amicable Grant
- 1529 he was charged with praemunire and surrendered himself, it was the intention to try + execute him, but he died before
Domestic Policy under Cromwell (1532-1540)
- Cromwell suggested Henry make a break from Rome and place himself as head of an English church
- brought 3 years of conciliar government to an end
- under Cromwell the role of the royal household diminished, Privy Council assumed a significant role in managing government/Parliament grew in importance
- divorce/ break with Rome accomplished through the use of statute law (Acts of Parliament), whose supremacy over canon law (law of the Church) was firmly established
- weakening of Church made Cromwell’s task easier (e.g. weakened by humanism
Acts of Parliament (1533-1534)
The Act in Restraint of Appeals- drafted by Cromwell, founded on the evidence of Collectanea. The preamble to the act declared that the monarch possessed an imperial jurisdiction which was not subject to any foreign power (e.g. papacy). Act meant appeals could not be made to Rome
The Act of Succession- declared: Henry marriage to Catherine = void, succession should be vested in the children in his marriage to Anne, to deny the validity of Henry’s marriage to Anne was treasonable, an oath should be taken to affirm an individual’s acceptance of the new marriage
The Act of Supremacy- legislative force to the royal supremacy. This act effectively accomplished the break from Rome
The Treason Act- tightened so that treason could be committed by the spoken word as well as by deed or writing and so that it was treasonable to describe the king as ‘heretic’
The Act Annexing First Fruits and Tenths to the Crown- the Annates paid by a bishop, which had been ‘intolerable’ when paid to the Pope, now became perfectly acceptable when paid to the king. Increased financial burden on the clergy, and strengthened the royal supremacy
By 1934, relationship between England and Rome = smashed to pieces. Royal supremacy over the Church has been created.
The Fall of Thomas Cromwell
- by 1540, Thomas Cromwell’s influence = declining
- catalyst for downfall: failure to manage the king’s marital affairs satisfactorily
- he tried to pair Henry with a marriage, but it was unhappy (both politically/personally). Marriage annulled, destroying Cromwell’s credibility
- this gave Cromwell enemies
Government in Henry VIII’s Last Years (1540-1547)
- fall of Cromwell saw the emergence of a Privy Council with fixed membership
- argument over power of king: on one hand = seen as firmly in control, seen by some as weak/prey to factions that existed in court
- in 1540, power lay with conservatives e.g. Stephen Gardiner
Political Rivalries/ Death of Henry VIII
- as health declined, political rivalries intensified
- Norfolk was not able to stay at top, and remained prisoner in the Tower for the whole of Edward VI’s reign
What were the years of Henry VIII’s reign?
1509-1547
Who was Henry VIII’s first wife?
Catherine of Aragon
Why was Henry VIII’s first marriage potentially controversial?
Catherine of Aragon was his brother’s widow.
Who was Henry VIII’s second wife?
Anne Boleyn
Who annulled Henry VIII’s first marriage and conducted his second?
Thomas Cranmer
In what year did Henry VIII marry his second wife?
1533
Who was Henry VIII’s eldest child, and who was their mother?
Mary - Catherine of Aragon
Who was Henry VIII’s second child, and who was their mother?
Elizabeth - Anne Boleyn
Who was Henry VIII’s third wife, whom he married in 1536?
Jane Seymour
Who was Henry VIII’s third child, and who was their mother?
Edward - Jane Seymour
Who arranged Henry VIII’s fourth marriage? Why did he do it?
Thomas Cromwell - to secure relations with the Protestant League of Schmalkalden
Who was Henry VIII’s fourth wife and when did he marry her?
Anne of Cleves - 1540
Who was Henry VIII’s fifth wife?
Catherine Howard
Who was Henry VIII’s sixth wife?
Catherine Parr
What did the Succession Act of 1544 do?
It restored Mary and Elizabeth to the succession and it allowed Henry to set out his own succession plans in his will.
What did Henry VIII’s Will say about the succession after his death?
That it should go to Edward, then Mary, then Elizabeth, then the Greys.
How did Henry VIII reassure people that he wouldn’t govern like his father?
Empson and Dudley were executed and the Council Learned was abolished in 1510.
What body ran Henry VIII’s government at the start of his reign?
The Council
Why did Henry VIII come to dislike his Council?
Because of the number of older councillors on it who had also served his father and who disapproved of Henry’s ambitions to invade France.
When did Thomas Wolsey come to Henry VIII’s attention?
When he organised Henry’s military campaign in France in 1513.
When did Wolsey become Henry VIII’s chief minister?
1514
To what office was Wolsey appointed? What did this give him control over?
Lord Chancellor - The Court of Chancery.
How did Wolsey increase the number of cases heard by the Court of Star Chamber?
From 300 during Henry VII’s reign to 1,685 during Wolsey’s period of dominance.
How did Wolsey use Star Chamber?
To enforce his government, and to try his opponents for crimes if they threatened to do something he disliked.
How did Wolsey make the Subsidy a more effective tax?
He set up a national committee to assess the wealth of Henry VIII’s subjects.
Why did the Amicable Grant of 1525 make people so angry?
It was an effort to raise a tax despite Parliament’s refusal to allow Henry VIII to do so.
What did the Eltham Ordinances of 1526 achieve?
They reduced the number of Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber in Henry VIII’s household.
How did Wolsey attempt to solve the King’s Great Matter?
He tried to get the Pope to annul Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon.
How did Wolsey’s efforts to solve the King’s Great Matter fail?
In 1529 Cardinal Campeggio arrived in London to hear the case on the Pope’s behalf but soon adjourned the case.
What marked the end of Wolsey’s career as Henry VIII’s Chief Minister?
He was charged with Praemunire in 1529.
When did Thomas Cromwell become Henry VIII’s Chief Minister?
1532
What did Thomas Cromwell propose as a solution to the King’s Great Matter?
He suggested Henry break from Rome and place himself at the head of a new independent Church of England.
How did Thomas Cromwell govern?
He used Parliament to govern. He created new statute law in order to change how the Kingdom functioned.
When did the Reformation Parliament sit?
1529-1536
What did the Act in Restraint of Appeals of 1533 state?
That English subjects could not make appeals to the Pope.
What did the Act of Supremacy of 1534 state?
That the King of England was the Supreme Head of the Church of England.
What did the Treason Act of 1534 state?
That treason could now be committed by the spoken word as well as by deed or writing.
What event enabled Cromwell’s enemies at Court to get rid of him?
Henry VIII’s marriage to Anne of Cleves, which was quickly annulled.
What body ran Henry VIII’s government at the end of his reign?
Privy Council
How did the Privy Council work?
Individual ministers took responsibility for different areas of government, and the Privy Council met regularly to manage the business of government.
Who were the three leading Conservatives who dominated the Privy Council after Cromwell’s fall?
Duke of Norfolk, Stephen Gardiner and Thomas Wriothesley.
What did the Dry Stamp, adopted in 1545, allow the Privy Council to do?
To imprint documents with Henry VIII’s signature, so the Privy Council could issue documents without Henry having to sign them himself.
Who had risen to prominence on the Privy Council by the end of Henry VIII’s reign?
Edward Seymour, brother of Jane Seymour and therefore Prince Edward’s uncle.
Who were the main people in henrys reign?
Two main people in Henry VIII’s reign: Wolsey, Cromwell
Background of cardinal wolsey
Son of a butcher - not born into a noble family
Became the richest and most powerful man in England - except for the King
At the height of his influence - his word was almost seen as law
His court rivalled the king’s in size and splendour
Alter rex
Religious route
Character - what kind of man was Wolsey?
Gained his first degree at 15 - Oxford
He possessed the drive and confidence necessary to seize the opportunities that came his way
Wolsey was seemingly afraid of nothing and was prepared to take calculated risks where appropriate
He could flatter outrageously whilst at the same time making himself welcome as an interesting and attractive companion
Wolsey could be relied upon to carry out whatever task was entrusted to him with skill and application
Thrived on hard work
How did Wolsey rise to prominence?
Came to the king’s attention as a man of business working for Bishop Fox
Was appointed as a royal councillor
Gave the king advice he wanted to hear - gained Henry’s approval
Wolsey organised an expeditionary force to invade France
Cardinal Wolsey’s career
1509 - royal almoner
1510 - royal councillor
1513 - archbishop of york
1515 - cardinal and lord chancellor
1518 - papal legate
Positions in the church - how did Wolsey acquire so much power?
Held the informal position of King’s chief minister
Dean
Henry appointed him as dean - small promotion but easy
Bishop
Henry used his influence to get wolsey this promotion
Cardinal
Henry built a campaign to exert pressure on the pope and Wolsey was appointed in 1515
Edward Stafford, Duke of Buckingham
Buckingham had known great success under Henry VII, and by the time of the old King’s death he was the only duke in the realm
He was related to the Yorkist family
Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk
Suffolk was henry’s close personal friend and favourite jousting partner
Large, handsome and athletic, he and the king shared much in common
Archbishop Warham and bishop fox
Warham and dox had been the two key administrators in English government since 1500 having started their careers under Henry VII
They both had long and distinguished career
Thomas Howard, duke of Norfolk
Surrey had worked his way up in Henry VII’s favour after Bosworth and had earned his Dukedom for the new king by leading the English Army to victory at Flodden
Buckingham
In 1510, it was found out that Henry was sleeping with Buckingham’s sister
Buckingham sends his sister to a convent
Buckingham forgives Henry -> Henry lets him rule over Wales
1518: strips him of this position
Buckingham underestimated Henry’s paranoia of those who had a link with old Royals
Wolsey planted false evidence of accusations of treason against Buckingham
1521: Buckingham is executed
Suffolk
Sufflok was instructed by Henry to exhort his sister Mary back to England
Mary fell in love with Suffolk and the feeling was mutual
They secretly married during the journey home - conducted their marriage without Henry’s permission, and this count amount to treason
Wolsey offed Suffolk to act as a go-between with Henry and negotiate on the young couple’s behalf
Henry forgave both his friend and his sister
However, Suffolk was now indebted to Wolsey and was unlikely to stand in the way of the Cardinal’s rapid rise
Warham and Fox
Neither Warham and Fox were particularly inclined to stand in the way of Wolsey’s rise to power
Indeed fox, gave Wolsey his patronage and helping him up the ladder of power in the early years
Warham resigned his post as lord chancellor in 1515 (promptly taken by Wolsey) and focused instead on his role as Archbishop of Canterbury. Fox similarly resigned from his role as Lord Privy Seal in 1516 and focused his energies on his bishopric of Winchester. Neither would play an active role in government again.
Thomas Howard
Had the experience and position to be Henry’s chief adviser, but he was frustrated to see Wolsey be more successful in securing the King’s ear
Foolishly, Howard was too vocal in expressing his dissatisfaction
In 1512, he argued with Henry about the favouritism shown to Wolsey and was ordered to leave court
Henry still valued Howard and entrusted him with the command of the English army at the battle of Flodden in 1513. Surrey’s victory convinced Henry to make him the Duke of Norfolk in 1514
Norfolk failed to convince Henry to not go through with Wolsey’s plan of marrying his sister to King Louis XII of France
Henry tried to placate Howard by giving him the honour of escorting Mary to her new husband
While there, Howard’s temper got the better of him again - he dismissed Mary’s ladies-in-waiting - turning the young princess against him, who increasingly showed her favour to Wolsey
By 1515, Howard had realised that it was hopeless to stand against Wolsey. He changed tack and co-operated with the cardinal.
Why was Wolsey able to get the upper hand over his rivals?
Wolsey was able to get the upper hand over his rivals in a number of different ways: through manipulation, calculating, tactics and appeasing the king and order to remain in his favour. For example, when it transferred that Henry had been sleeping with Buckingham’s sister, Wolsey began to play on the king’s paranoia that Buckingham could be plotting against him. Although at first Henry and Buckingham made up, with Henry even giving him authority over Wales, Wolsey planted false evidence to suggest that Buckingham, was planning treason against the King. Although likely not true, Buckingham was executed in 1512, which shows that Wolsey successfully deceived the king in order to eliminate a key threat to his position as Key Rex.
Invasion of France 1511-1512
Heavily influenced and guided by Ferdinand or Aaragon - decided on invading France
Spent a lot of money - very little achieved and demoralised troops
Estimated power of France
Believed Ferdinand would support him, but when Ferdinand pulls out, Henry is left alone and isolated, - suggesting that Henry did not have the correct support or supplies to attack France
Henry lost all the money that his dad had saved
Battle of Bony 1513
Sent a second force to France - allied with the holy roman empire
Great victory for the English
Gave herny much-needed victory after previous French failures
Henry married his sister Mary to Louis Xii of France in 1514 - cementing victory
Gained Therounne and Tournai - couldn’t use these to launch further invasions and he had neither an army nor money, and they were rather Insignificant parts of the land.
Secured himself an annual income from the French.
High costs of campaigns as he spent £960,000 in 1511-13
In 1514 reality of finances put pressure on the alliance with France.
Laying claim to his inherited title of King of France - Henry gained prestige and standing - The desire to reclaim the title King of France was unrealistic and borne more of the Renaissance prince than of any reality based in international affairs.
By the end of The Battle of Bony, Henry had stamped his mark on European affairs and showed he was a Renaissance monarch different from his father.
Battle of Flodden 1513
James IV decided to attack
Henry ripped up perpetual peace when he came to the throne
The battle was a major success for Henry - James IV and most of the Scottish nobility died
Scotland neutralised.
Henry lacked the finance and manpower necessary for a foreign policy borne of strength.
Military adventures in 1513 (Battle of the Spurs, Flodden) were very costly and Henry was forced to liquidate assets inherited from his father to pay for it.
By the end of 1514, Henry had run out of money but continued a warlike foreign policy.
Treaty of London 1518
Europe monarchs and the pope - personally invited by Wolsey
Wanted to maintain peace with one another and help each other
Placed a great emphasis on England being a major power - made England look more important and influential than
Worsey was able to make Henry seem like a big deal.
Peace was not achieved - no long-term success
Treaty of London: Wolsey ended England’s isolation and emerged as the leading diplomat in western Europe.
Field of Cloth of Gold 1520
Grand European festival - 18 days of feasts, tournaments
Aim: improve relations between the two great rival kingdoms
Henry made him and Francis wrestle - Henry lost and became humiliated
Wolsey was able to capitalise and orchestrate a hugely symbolic gathering and meeting between Francis and Henry - showcasing Wolsey to be an effective diplomat for Henry
Helped show Henry’s dominance and their way to being successful (only 20)
Good showcase to try and put the Tudor dynasty on the map
“brought Henry honour and prestige”
huge economic burden as £40,000 was spent with very little actually achieved - looks silly and immature.
cracks in the friendship between England and France soon started to appear
made tensions between the two worse as they were both trying to outdo one another
Alliance with the HRE and the Treaty of Bruges 1521
Wolsey negotiated this with Charles V - reduce the power of France in Italy
Decided that England would invade France unless Francis made peace with the HRE.
Overconfident aim - but could Wolsey be trying to scare Francis or buy time?
Did Henry achieve his aims - or was it, Wolsey? - Henry relied heavily on others which can be seen when he had to pull out of France due to Ferdinand
Family ties within this alliance and he wanted to prevent a trade embargo from Charles - controlled the Low Countries.
Treaty would give him a powerful alliance and would give him the potential to launch another attempt to gain territory in France.
Agreed to fight France unless they made peace - a win-win situation for Henry.
Very little success as it resulted in English troops invading northern France in 1522-23.
Francis did not listen - England would have to attack.
The attack never launched - Wolsey and Bourbon not following through
Wolsey wasted £400,000 on preparations.
Crushing defeat.
Henry did not have the correct support or supplies to attack France
Henry lost a lot of money
Failure for Wolsey - Wolsey was secretly looking for a peace deal by 1524
Bad for public taxes
Battle of Pavia 1525
A decisive victory for Charles V - capturing his rival, Francis - forced him to agree to Habsburg control of northern Italy and Burgundy.
Henry aimed to capitalise on this - wanted Charles to divide France between England and the Habsburgs.
Charles said nope - wouldn’t bring him to benefit and England’s military weakness had been exposed by the invasions of 1522 and 1523
Led to the Amicable Grant - failed to raise the funds, once again showing England’s weaknesses as a country and opening them up to attacks
Wolsey’s reputation to become damaged
Charles refused to support Wolsey as a papal candidate.
This prompted Henry to move toward an alliance with Francis.
- The Battle of Pavia 1525 marked an improvement in Anglo-Scottish relations. Subsequent improvement in relations with France had a positive effect on relations with Scotland.
-Although it technically was a defeat, some good came from this event.
-Until Pavia, English policy was essentially anti-French; after Pavia, an Anglo-French entente was constructed in the Treaty of Amiens (1527) and the countries were at peace until the Third French War (1543).
Treaty of More 1525.
Henry agreed he would give up any claims in France if he were to receive an annual pension.
Iit is arguable that his claims within France were more valuable than an annual pension.
Allowed him to build a friendship with France and receive an annual pension.
Treaty of Cognac 1526
Francis was humiliated by Charles - unable to threaten imperial interests in Italy.
Francis was not willing to keep his word - sought the help of Wolsey to launch retaliation.
This led to the Treaty of Cognac being signed - an alliance between Francis, the Pope and the Italian states.
Arguably Wolsey is playing the peacemaker,
Henry was seeking a divorce from Catharine
Wolsey ensured England never joined the treaty, however, in 1527 Anglo-French relations were further secured with the Treaty of Westminster.
Marked the warmest relations with France and England during Henry’s reign.
Imperial Sack of Rome and the Treaty of Cambrai - 1527
Francis was humiliated by Charles - unable to threaten imperial interests in Italy.
Francis was not willing to keep his word - sought the help of Wolsey to launch retaliation.
This led to the Treaty of Cognac being signed - an alliance between Francis, the Pope and the Italian states.
Arguably Wolsey is playing the peacemaker,
Henry was seeking a divorce from Catharine
Wolsey ensured England never joined the treaty, however, in 1527 Anglo-French relations were further secured with the Treaty of Westminster.
Marked the warmest relations with France and England during Henry’s reign.
Why was the link between England and France longstanding?
norman conquest
