Henry VIII Flashcards
What were Henry VIII early aims:
- establish his status through marriage
- re-establish the role of the nobility
- to establish himself as a warrior king through an invasion of France
Henry’s main functions of parliament:
- grant extraordinary revenue
- pass law
How many times did he call parliament before 1529?
4
How many parliaments were called when Wolsey was the Kings advisor?
one (1514-29)
What were Cromwell’s attitudes towards parliament?
he exploited its legislative possibilties
What form of gov did Henry use from 1509 to 1514?
counciliar
What factors brought Henry’s use of counciliar gov to an end in 1514?
- reluctance of some of his fathers concilliars to support a French war
- as he became more attuned to governing
- He surrounded himself with young like-minded people
- he became impressed with the organisation of Thomas Wolsey
What were Wolsey’s main concerns?
- legal system
- formation of domestic policy + political decision making.
Different aspects of the Privy chamber:
- kings young courtiers (minions) were gentlemen of the privy chamber
-they distrusted Wolsey who set himself the task of neutralizing their influence
-1519 Wolsey removed minions and replaces them with his own supporters - the privy chamber is one part of the gov outside Wolsey’s immediate control
Court of Chancery:
- created by Wolsey
- used court to deal with problems relating to enclosures, contracts + land left in wills
Court of Star Chamber:
- Wolsey’s most distinctive legal contribution
- center of both gov + justice under Wolsey
- increased cheap and fair justice (1516)
- used for all cases + also private law suits
What were the Eltham Ordinances?
in 1526 Wolsey introduced this in order to reform the finances of the privy chamber.
he secured a reduction in the amount of gentlemen of the privy chamber ( the one area in which he didn’t have immediate control)
he secured the removal of Henry’s groom of the stool
How did Wolsey try to secure the annulment?
under the Levitican argument that Henry’s marriage with Catherine of Aragon was never valid
What was Wolsey charged with + when?
in Oct 1529 he was charged with Praemunire ( which was the maintenance of papal jurisdiction in England which was against the supremacy of the monarch - therefore because he failed in completing the annulment)
When did Wolsey die?
Nov 29th 1530
Wolsey died at Leicester abbey before he could be executed
When was Cromwell’s period of influence?
1532 - 1540
What did Cromwell suggest that Henry should do?
make a break from Rome and place himself as head of the church
What document justified the King’s divorce?
Collectanea Satis Copiosa
When was Princess Elizabeth born?
7th Sept 1533
What was the Act in Restraint of Appeals in 1533?
it stated that appeals could not be made to Rome regarding court decisions because the monarch possessed an imperial jurisdiction
this meant the Catherine of Aragon couldn’t appeal to Rome against the marriage annulment
What did the 1532 Act of Succession declare?
Succession will be vested in Anne’s children
to deny the Henry’s marriage to Anne was treasonable
What did the 1534 Act of Supremacy do?
- accomplish break from Rome
- placed Henry as supreme leader of the church
What did the 1534 Treason Act state?
treason could be committed through spoken word
The fall of Anne Boleyn:
Cromwell felt threatened by Anne and persuaded Henry that Anne’s flirtatious behaviour had led to adultery and was accused of this and incest.
She was executed in May 1536
in catholic eyes Henry was now a widower and free to remarry
Cromwell’s downfall
his failure to manage the kings marital affairs satisfactorily
Cromwell organised marriage of Henry and Anne of Cleaves a German protestant princess to create an alliance with of schmalkalden
marriage was quickly annulled and Cromwell was executed for treason and heresy in July of 1540
Gov in Henry’s last years 1540 - 47
- conciliar gov was restored
- privy council with fixed members
Why did Henry’s marriage to Catherine Howard not work out ?
- allegations of affair between Howard + distant cousin
- despite youth she was already sexually experienced
Catherine was executed in Feb 1542
Henry’s marriage to Katherine Parr:
Norfolk tried unsuccessfully to accuse Katherine Parr of heresy
What treaty was reinstated in 1510?
the treaty of Etaples ( France )
When was the Battle of Flodden?
1513 - Henry couldn’t take this to his advantage because of a lack of funds
What year was Henry first invasion of France?
1512
- they won at the Battle of Spurs ( propaganda used to be seen as a great victory )
- captured towns Therouanne + Tournai
resulting in French pension being lost.
How did Wolsey pick up the pieces in 1514?
Due to Ferdinand and Maximillian both making separate peace with France
Wolsey had to :
- recover etaples pension
- secure marriage between Louis XII and Henry’s sister Mary
What is the ‘Auld alliance’?
strong alliance between Scotland and France
Treaty if Cambrai:
1517 - treaty between Charles V ( emperor Maximilian ) and France
left England dangerously isolated
How did Francis I undermine Anglo-Scottish relations in 1517 ?
By making the Duke of Albany ,a member of the French nobility, appoint as a regent to the Scottish throne
Henry and Wolsey saw him as a French agent
The threat was minimised however due to the divisions in the Scottish nobility
Henry showed himself incapable of exploiting divisions and weaknesses in Scotland
When was Francis I crowned ?
1515
Successful treaty put together by Wolsey in 1518?
Treaty of London
this treaty ended English isolation
extended the ‘Treaty of Perpetual Peace’ between many more states - leading European nations.
Why was the Treaty of London such a success for Wolsey?
The pope appointed Wolsey papal legate over England because of it.
When was the Field of the Cloth of Gold ? and who was it between ?
June 1920
Francis I and Henry
it ended up costing about 15k
French invasion of 1522-23 :
Henry attempted to benefit from emperors defeat of French of Battle of Pavia. He did this by suggesting to Charles a joint invasion of France.
but Charles V backed out
and their was a lack of public support due to the Amicable Grant of 1525
Consequence of Henry’s failed 1522-23 invasion of France :
- his ego was bruised
- Charles scrapped his marriage alliance with Mary
- Wolsey never really recovered diplomatically
What was the anti-imperial treaty with France in 1927 called ?
- Treaty of Ameins
- Henry and Wolsey forced to sign because of weak position
What made it impossible for Henry to solve his marital issues diplomatically?
Charles V strength and dominance over the Pope ( peace of Cambrai )
What was the Six Articles Act of 1539 ?
reasserted traditional catholic doctrine as the basis of faith for the English church.
denial of catholic beliefs was made punishable by law
Who was the Earl of Kildare ?
- dominant Irish nobleman
- Dismissed in 1534 due to a breakdown of his and the kings relationship.
- this led to a major rebellion
Kildare rebellion 1534 :
- Irish rebellion
- suppressed with difficulty and expense
- gov eventually gained control and brought Ireland back under English law in 1541
- however gov lacked resources to follow through on reforms
- after 1534 English and Irish relationship had become even more complex due to religious differences
English invasion of Scotland 1542 :
-resulted in a victory at the Battle of Soloway Moss
- shortly after James V died
could have done a full scale invasion but Henry’s main interest lied with France
Succession Act of 1534 :
- declared Mary illegitimate
- Elizabeth is the heir
1536 Succession Act :
no legitimate heir
Laws in Wales Act of 1536 :
- divided Wales into shire counties like England is
- gave Welsh shires direct representation in the House of Commons
- brought Wales into the same legal framework as England
1543 Succession Act:
re-legitimates Mary and Elizabeth
Who did princess Mary, Henrys sister, marry in 1514 ?
Louis XII of France
When did Louis XII die ?
1515 and was succeeded by Francis I
What year did Ferdinand of Aragon die ?
1516
What + when was the Treaty of Noyan ?
a treaty in 1516 between Francis I + Charles V which brought the war of the League if Cambrai to a close
What and when was the Treaty of Cambrai ?
in 1517 it ended the French involvement in the war of the League of Cognac between Francis I and Charles V
When was King Charles elected the HRE ?
1519
When and what was the treaty of Bruges ?
in 1521 a secret treaty alliance between England and Spain signed during the Italian wars. It sought to establish a date for war with France waged by an Anglo-Hapsburg alliance
