Henry VIII's Great Matter

Question 1

1525

Answer 1

Henry asked Wolsey to secure a papal dispensation to annul the marriage with Catherine. This should have provided the biblical justification that this marriage was illegal to begin with.

Question 2

1527

Answer 2

Wolsey called a special court to prove that Henry lived in sin with Catherine and Henry agreed with this. Catherine appealed to Pope Clement VII. The Pope was reluctant to cooperate because Charles V didn’t want to annul the marriage. In May, Charles’ troops entered Rome, sacked the city and took the Pope prisoner. Two years of fruitless diplomacy followed and the Pope did nothing.

Question 3

1529

Answer 3

Pope sent an envoy, Cardinal Campeggio, to hear the case about the marriage with Wolsey in a legatine court. Cardinal said no, in October Wolsey was charged with praemunire (using papal authority against Crown). Wolsey retired to Yorkshire.

Question 4

1530

Answer 4

In November Wolsey was arrested but died before he could be executed. Henry used scholars such as Cramner to put the theological case for annulment.

Question 5

1531

Answer 5

The English clergy were accused of praemunire and ordered to pay an £100,000 fine

Question 6

1532

Answer 6

Thomas Cromwell became King’s chief minister and to release the King from Papal control and enable him to remarry, he did several acts:
- an act was passed withholding the payment of annates (a tax on the clergy)
- the Supplication Against the Ordinaries accused bishops of over-stating their power
- Cromwell organised the submission of the clergy

Question 7

1533

Answer 7

Cranmer produced a secret marriage ceremony in January. Anne Boleyn was already pregnant at this point. In May, Cranmer annulled Henry’s previous marriage allowing Anne to be crowned Queen. Elizabeth born 7th September but didn’t solve problem of succession.

Question 8

1533 Act in Restraint of Appeals

Answer 8

No appeals could be made to Rome against the decisions of the Church Court in England. Catherine could not appeal to Rome about annullment.

Question 9

1534 Act of Succession

Answer 9

Annulled Henry’s marriage to Catherine; vested the succession in Anne’s children; to deny Henry’s new marriage was treason. Princess Mary became illegitimate; hopes for a male heir rested with Anne

Question 10

1534 Act of Supremacy

Answer 10

King declared Head of the Church of England. Pope’s authority no longer recognised in England: The Break With Rome

Question 11

1534 Treason Act

Answer 11

Became treason to call Henry a heretic. Used against opponents of royal supremacy and brought down Thomas More.

Question 12

1534 Act of Restraint of Annates

Answer 12

Allowed annates (which had been withheld from the Papacy by the 1532 Act) to be transferred from Pope to King. Strengthened the King’s position; a special court was set up to administer this.

Question 13

1536 and 1541 First and Second Suppression Acts

Answer 13

Dissolved the monasteries. Confiscation of Church land to the Crown vastly increased wealth and power of the Crown.