Wolsey's fall from Grace

Question 1

Why did Wolsey have to call Parliament in 1523 ?

Answer 1

This is because there was no obvious way of raising the money needed for the King’s interventionist policy in Europe.

Question 2

How much did the grant that Wolsey sought in 1523 from the calling of Parliament bring in ?

Answer 2

£800,000

Question 3

Why did Wolsey dislike Parliament ?

Answer 3

He believed it seemed to stir up trouble rather than carrying out their prime function, to carry out the King’s wishes.

Question 4

How many times did Wolsey call Parliament ?

Answer 4

2

Question 5

Why did Wolsey’s mistreatment of Parliament make him unpopular ?

Answer 5

The introduction of the heavy tax without Parliament’s approval in 1525 (the Amicable grant) limited the power and influence that Parliament had the right to hold.

Question 6

Give 2 ways in which the argument that Wolsey was a tyrant protected only by the trust of the King is true.

Answer 6

1) used his position as lord Chancellor (head of the judiciary) to limit opposition he faced

2) There is evidence to suggest that Wolsey attempted to interfere in the marriage arrangements of the nobility, which they bitterly resented.

Question 7

Other than the earl of northumberland and the Duke of Buckingham, what other evidence is there to show that Wolsey used his position as Head of the judiciary to limit opposition.

Answer 7

When Thomas Lucas, formerly Henry VII’s solicitor general, slandered Wolsey, he was sent to the Tower without trial

Question 8

Give an example of a member of the nobility who Wolsey was a good friend of suggesting that Wolsey was no more hostile to the nobility than the King.

Answer 8

The Earl of Worcester considered Wolsey a good friend

Question 9

How can Wolsey’s policy towards the powerful be described as one of ‘offering carrots as well as sticks’ ?

Answer 9

He held out the prospect of desirable appointments as he hoped to encourage them to become his clients.

Question 10

As long as Wolsey had the ________ backing, most nobles worked well enough with him, and some accepted his authority.

Answer 10

King’s

Question 11

What is the King’s Great matter ?

Answer 11

Henry’s concerns over his desire to gain annulment to his marriage to Catherine of Aragon to leave him free to marry Anne Boleyn.

Question 12

What was Wolsey’s greatest challenge as Henry’s Chief minister ?

Answer 12

The ‘King’s Great matter’

Question 13

Why was Henry looking to gain an annulment to his marriage with Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn ?

Answer 13

As Catherine was unable to produce a male heir to Henry

Question 14

By ______, it was firmly decided that Henry wanted a divorce from Catherine of Aragon

Answer 14

1527

Question 15

Who was the Pope (head of the Catholic church) at the time of the King’s Great matter ?

Answer 15

Pope, Clement VII (1523-1534)

Question 16

What problem did Henry encounter in trying to gain an annulment to his marriage with Catherine of Aragon using the Pope ?

Answer 16

Pope Clement VII was under the control of Emperor Charles V who was the nephew of Catherine of Aragon.

Question 17

What kind/ type of Arguments does Wolsey proceed with in order to gain an annulment of Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon due to difficult route of using the Pope Clement VII ?

Answer 17

Biblical

Question 18

What passage from the Bible did Wolsey rely on in order to try to claim that Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon was illegitimate in order to try to gain an annulment ?

Answer 18

Leviticus, Chapter 20, Verse 21 - suggests it an impurity to “take his brother’s wife”.

Question 19

How did Wolsey use Leviticus, Chapter 20, Verse 21 to claim that Henry’s marriage to Catherine was illegitimate ?

Answer 19

He argued that the marriage was never illegitimate since he married his brother’s wife.

Question 20

Why did Many people disagree with Wolsey’s interpretation using Leviticus, chapter 20, verse 21 to suggest that Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon was illegitimate due to him marrying his brother’s wife

Answer 20

They argued that the death of his brother, Prince Arthur, meant that the marriage was not illegitimate.

Question 21

Other than using biblical arguments to deal with the ‘King’s Great matter’, Give two other ways in which Wolsey tried to solve it.

Answer 21

1) Foreign policy attempts

2) legal avenues

Question 22

In what way did Wolsey try to use diplomacy/ foreign policy in order to secure the divorce ?

Answer 22

Wolsey tried to free the Pope from Charles V’s influence by utilising an alliance with France and renewed conflict with Italy.

Question 23

How did Wolsey’s attempt to use diplomacy/ foreign policy to secure the divorce of henry to Catherine fail ?

Answer 23

Charles V did not leave Italy and thus the Pope continued to be heavily influenced by him.

Question 24

What legal avenue did Wolsey go down in order to deal with the King’s Great matter ?

Answer 24

As Papal legate, he’d have the ability to make the judgement on the legitimacy of a divorce

Question 25

How did Pope Clement VII respond to Wolsey in trying to use his powers as Papal legate to make the judgement on the legitimacy of Henry’s divorce ?

Answer 25

He decided to set up a commission to hear the case for divorce and sent cardinal Campeggio to ensure that a decision would be delayed as much as possible.

Question 26

How did Pope Clement VII sending cardinal Campeggio to the commission to hear the case for divorce delay the process as much as possible ? (2)

Answer 26

1) Cardinal Campeggio took months to reach England

2) insisted the whole process to be done to the letter

Question 27

When did the commission set up by Pope Clement VII to hear the case for divorce finally meet ?

Answer 27

June 1529

Question 28

When the commission set up by Pope Clement VII to hear the case for divorce finally met in June 1529, What action did Catherine take to delay the process as much as possible ?

Answer 28

she refused to recognise its legitimacy and appealed directly to the Pope

Question 29

After Catherine immediately refused to recognise the legitimacy of the commission set up by Pope Clement VII after it met in June 1529, where was the Pope asked to move proceedings to ?

Answer 29

Rome (The Pope agreed)

Question 30

After the Pope agreed to move the proceedings of hearing the case for Henry’s divorce to Catherine to Rome, How did the English court respond ?

Answer 30

The English court was wound up and it had become clear to Henry that Wolsey no longer served a purpose.

Question 31

What was the main reason as to why Wolsey ‘fell from Grace’ ?

Answer 31

His failure to deal with the King’s Great matter

Question 32

What did Henry accuse Wolsey of in Summer 1529 that finalised his fall from Power ?

Answer 32

He was accused of Praemunire

Question 33

What did being accused of Praemunire mean for Wolsey ?

Answer 33

Effectively, Wolsey was accused of using his powers to implement the will of the Pope and not the will of the King.

Question 34

After being accused of Praemunire by Henry, where was Wolsey exiled to ?

Answer 34

His dioceses of York

Question 35

What part did Anne Boleyn have to play in the fall of Wolsey from Power ?

Answer 35

There is evidence to suggest that Wolsey’s fall is partly because of the growth of influence of Anne Boleyn in court.

Question 36

How did Wolsey die ?

Answer 36

He was summoned back to London in 1530 to face more charges, however, he died on the way on the 29th November 1530.