Henry VIII's Early Years Flashcards
When was Henry VIII born?
28th June 1491
Despite not being expected to become king, what attributes did young Henry VIII have?
He was well-educated and intelligent
Which famous poet tutored Henry VIII? What type of studies did he learn? (4 examples)
John Skelton
He studied History, Music, Astronomy and Languages
What type of competitive sports did Henry VIII love? (3 examples)
Archery, Jousting and Tennis
Why was Henry VIII’s ascension to the throne peculiar?
He was the ‘spare’ son of Henry VII - until his brother, Arthur, had died in 1502
What is Jack Scarisbrick’s interpretation of Henry VIII’s ascension to the English throne?
That he was - ‘‘unseasoned and untrained in the enacting of kingship’’
What was one issue that Henry VIII’s father faced that he did not?
The issue of legitimacy - Henry VIII WAS the rightful King of England
When was Henry VIII coronated?
24th June 1509
Who had Henry VIII married days prior to his coronation? What did this mean for foreign policy?
Catherine of Aragon
He would have Spanish allies through his wife’s connections
What type of king did Henry VIII see himself as? What did he do to prove this? (2 examples)
A perfect ‘Renaissance King’
He put on generous feasts + shows for visitors and gave patronage to musicians/writers/scholars
Was Henry VIII a popular figure in his early years? Which contemporary sources support this view?
Thomas More’s Coronation Ode (1509)
Sebastian Giustiniani’s description (1519)
What was Thomas More’s Coronation Ode characterising Henry VIII as?
A ‘most glorious and blessed king’ who’s coronation will bring the end ‘of our slavery’ + ‘end of sadness’
Characterising Henry VIII as a saviour from the dreary reality that was his father’s reign
What was Sebastian Giustiniani’s description of Henry VIII?
That he is ‘extremely handsome’ with ‘a beard that looks like gold’ and that ‘nature could not have done more for him.’
Did Henry VIII remain popular and chivalrous as he got older? Which modern historians support this view?
NO - he turned cruel and callous
Lacey Baldwin Smith + Jack Scarisbrick
What did Lacy Baldwin Smith’s modern interpretation of Henry VIII’s shift to a cruel reign say?
That Henry VIII began to ‘‘invariably over react[ed]’’
What did Jack Scarisbrick’s modern interpretation of Henry VIII’s shift to a cruel reign say?
That Henry VIII became an ‘‘unstable hypochondriac who possessed a strong streak of cruelty’’
What were Henry VIII’s early aims as king? (3 examples)
To establish his status amongst European monarchs through his marriage to Catherine of Aragon
Re-establishment of the nobility’s role
Establishing himself as a ‘warrior king’ through battle
Why had a marriage to Catherine of Aragon not been possible until Henry VII’s death?
Henry VII and Catherine’s father, Ferdinand of Aragon, had fell out over competing interests in foreign policy
What was a key difference between Henry VIII and his father in regards to government control?
Henry VIII disliked the boring and complex matters of state - much preferring to leave it to his council and only weighing his voice when it interested him
What was a key similarity between Henry VIII and his father in regards to finance?
Henry VIII kept his father’s practice of moving his financial dealings into his private chamber
Due to Henry VIII’s attitude to government, which ambitious men were able to gain prominence by offloading Henry’s work?
Thomas Wolsey (1514-29)
Thomas More (1529-32)
Thomas Cromwell (1532-40)
At any one time, how many members were there on Henry VIII’s Privy Council?
Around 20 members
Initially, which councillors from his father’s reign did Henry VIII keep on?
Bishop Richard Foxe
Archbishop William Warham
Earl Thomas Howard
How did Henry VIII gain the favour of the nobility?
He made concessions to them through cancelling 175 bonds and recognisances previously issued under his father’s reign
Which two influential figures during his father’s reign did Henry VIII execute? What did he do to their council?
Richard Empson and Edmund Dudley were convicted and executed on the 17th August 1510
Henry VIII also abolished the Council Learned in Law
What two executions showcase how Henry VIII was not taking chances with any lingering Yorkist sympathies?
The executions of:
Edmund de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk (1513)
Edward Stafford, Duke of Buckingham (1521)
How did Henry VIII’s foreign policy differ from his father?
He pursued military glory and spent vast amounts of money on campaigns (specifically in France in 1511 + 1513)
During his father’s reign, vast amounts of surplus wealth was amassed - did Henry VIII maintain this trend?
NO - Henry VIII managed to spend virtually all of his father’s money within the first few years of his reign on military campaigns and elaborate feasts/parties/games
