Henry VIII - How Successful? 1540-1547

Question 1

Aims

Answer 1

1) Secure succession 2) Warrior King 3) Asserting authority over factions. Same as start of reign.

Question 2

Factions

Answer 2

Conservatives: D of Norfolk, Bishop of Winchester (Gardiner), Thomas Wriothesley. Reformists: Earl of Hertford (Edward Seymour), Viscount Lisle (John Dudley), Sir Anthony Denny, Sir William Paget, Cranmer.

Question 3

1540: Tory faction

Answer 3

Cromwell removed, H8 married to CH. Six Articles limited religious change.

Question 4

1541: CH executed

Answer 4

Adultery with Thomas Culpepper + CH’s relatives expelled from Privy Chamber. However, Norfolk quickly condemned CH, so after effects were limited.

Question 5

1543: Cranmer’s arrest

Answer 5

Tories accused Cranmer of heresy, but H8 gave Cranmer his ring and put him in charge of his own investigation.

Question 6

July 1543: H8 marries CP

Answer 6

CP associated with heresy, but H8 protects her.

Question 7

Removal of Gardiner + Norfolks

Answer 7

Gardiner was accused of supporting Pope + removed from E6’s regency council. 2 Dec 1546: Henry Howard (Norfolk’s son) accused of disloyalty, after speaking rashly of what should happen on H8’s death + his family’s role as regents to E6, also for incorporating Ed the Confessor’s royal arms into his own. 12 Dec: Dad + son sent to Tower, son executed. But, H8 dies day before Norfolk’s execution, + Privy Council don’t want to start new reign with bloodshed + death warrant is invalidated.

Question 8

Henry’s Will of Succession

Answer 8

E6, then M1, then Liz. Balanced regency council, with clause that council could give grants of offices + land, which H8 didn’t live to implement. However, this was used by Seymour faction to reward themselves + buy support. Use of Dry Stamp allowed Denny + Paget to add clauses making Seymour Lord Protector + reformist-dominated regency council.

Question 9

Scotland

Answer 9

Margaret dies, J5 fails to attend meeting with H8, so Norfolk leads raids. Nov 1542: Solway Moss, 18k Scots vs 3k English, 7 English + 20 Scots killed, 1.2k captured. J5 dies shortly after, leaving six-day-old MQOS. July 1543: Treaty of Greenwich signed by regent Earl of Arran, marriage of E6 + MQOS, but Scot Parliament doesn’t ratify it. May 1544: Rough Wooing, burning of Edinburgh, devastation of lowlands, strengthening of anti-English feeling.

Question 10

France

Answer 10

June 1544: 40k went to Calais, captured Boulogne on 14 Sep 1544 and H8 makes triumphant entry in 4 days + orders strengthening of fortifications. C5 makes peace on same day as fall of Boulogne, and negotiations with France fails as H8 wants to keep Boulogne. Battle of the Solent, French attempt invasion of England, leading to H8’s flagship Mary Rose. June 1546: Treaty of Ardes - H8 would keep Boulogne for 8 yrs, then returned to French for payment of £600k + pension of £35k pa. However, £2m spent on war in 1540s. H8 had to use coin debasement. E6 could be easily influenced by foreigners.