Henry VIII, Government and Parliament

What was Henry VIII's main concern?

To have a son that could succeed him

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What were the two main functions of Parliament?

To grant extraordinary revenue and to pass laws

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Before 1529, how many times did Henry VIII summon Parliament?

Four times-1510, 1512, 1515 and 1523

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Why did Henry VIII call Parliament?

To create revenue

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Why did governance via councilors break down?

Because of conflict between the king's own impulsive personality and that of his more conservative councilors

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How long did the counciliar form of government last?

Five years, between 1509 and 1514

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Why did this form of government come to an end?

-He became disenchanted by the lack of support to go to war with France
-He started to become more dominant in himself
-He surrounded himself with young-courtiers who supported his ideas
-He became impressed by Wolsey

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What did Wolsey's influence derive from?

His close relationship with the king, rather than from the formal positions he held

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What were Wolsey's main concerns?

The formulation of domestic policy and political decision-making

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What was the Court of Chancery?

This court dealt with cases of enclosure, contracts and land left to others in wills, how it soon became popular and got clogged up and slow

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Court of Star Chamber

Originally created in 1487, but was extended by Wolsey in 1516 to increase cheap and fair justice. It was then extended to include lawsuits. In 1519, a permanent committee was set up to deal with cases involving the poor

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The "Tudor Subsidy"

A permanent committee was set up by Wolsey as a branch of Extraordinary Revenue, with accurate representations of how much an individual should pay. This then led to an increase in tax called the Amicable Grant

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What event shows that Wolsey didn't handle parliament well?

During the 1513 parliament, when he had been called to grant the subsidy needed to finance the renewal of war against France, but he was unable to secure what he wanted

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What were Eltham Ordinances?

Ordinances put in place in order to reform the finances of the privy council

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Who succeeded Wolsey as Chief Minister in 1532?

Thomas Cromwell

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What ultimately led to Cromwell's downfall?

Ensuing religious tensions and Henry's continued marital problems, but this time more specifically with Anne of Cleves

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In the 1520's, why was Henry becoming dissatisfied with his marriage?

Catherine was past child-bearing age and only one child had survived infancy, Princess Mary

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Out of desperation, what was Henry considering?

Legitimising his illegitimate son Henry Fitzroy

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Upon realising his feelings for Anne Boleyn, what did Henry ask of Wolsey?

For him to secure him a papal dispensation for the annulment of Henry and Catherine's marriage

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What evidence did Henry find for the illegitimacy of this marriage?

He found biblical justification, the book of Leviticus contained a prohibition on a man marrying his brother's widow. Catherine had previously been married to Henry's brother

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What did Henry claim?

The papal dispensation granted by Pope Julius II was invalid and that in God's eyes his marriage was still illegal, so he was free to marry Anne

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What was Catherine's response?

Catherine claimed that the marriage between her and Prince Arthur had never been consummated and therefore it was invalid

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Why was the papal dispensation so hard to receive?

In May 1527, Rome had been captured by the Emperor Charles V, making the Pope his prisoner. The Emperor was Catherine's nephew and did not want his family to insulted

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What did Catherine do upon hearing about the "fake court's" appeal about the marriage being invalid?

She appealed to the Pope

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What was Wolsey aware of?

His fate rested in this divorce. The Pope sent an envoy, Cardinal Campeggio to hear the case in June 1529. When the court was adjourned, Wolsey's fate was sealed. He failed to get the divorce

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Wolsey's fate

He was arrested in October 1929 and charged with praemunire, and surrendered himself, his possessions and residence. November 1530, he was arrested and died before his trial on the 29th November

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Upon his rise to power, what was one of the first things that Cromwell set his sights upon?

Ending conciliar government and getting the King's divorce

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What did Cromwell do to help the King secure his divorce?

He suggested that Henry broke from Rome and grant himself the divorce

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Weaknesses in the Church

-Catholic Church had been weakened by Humanism
-Legal supremacy had been challenged in 1528, by Christopher St German, which helped Cromwell's parliamentary attack
-Henry used the Collectanea Satis Copiosa, by Cranmer and Foxe to justify the divorce with

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Henry's use of logic

-Henry sought and received expert opinions from a number of influential universities, some who favoured his position. The King humiliated Thomas More, by getting him to present these favourable opinions to both houses of Parliament

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How did Henry and Cromwell pressurise the Pope?

-Clergy collectively accused of praemunire and fined
-Act in Conditional Restraints and Annates
-House of Commons Supplication against the Ordinaries
-Formal submission of the clergy to Henry VIII

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How did Anne Boleyn force the annulment issue?

She had sexual relations with Henry and became pregnant, making decisive action needed

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Who replaced the Archbishop of Canterbury, William Warham, after his death?

Thomas Cranmer, who received his authority from the Pope, but he would also become a leader of the Reformation

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When did Henry and Anne officially marry?

25th January 1533, in a secret ceremony

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When was Henry and Catherine's marriage officially annuled?

May 1533

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Who was born September 1533?

Princess Elizabeth

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The Act in Restraints of Appeal

-Cromwell, April 1533
-Monarch had imperial jurisdiction
-Appeals could not be made to Rome, regarding court decisions and so Catherine could not appeal to the Pope about the divorce

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The Act of Supremacy (November 1534)

-This act officially made the King the head of the Church of England
-This accomplished the break from Rome
-The legal basis for the split was also strengthened

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The Act of Succession (April 1534)

-Henry's marriage to Catherine was void
-The succession relied on children from Anne
-Denial of the marriage to Anne was treason
-Oath to be taken to accept the new marriage

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The Treason Act (November 1534)

-Treason could be committed by spoken word as well as by deed and writing
-Treason to call the King "heretic, schismatic, tyrant, infidel or usurper of the Crown"

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The Act Annexing First Fruits and Tenths to the Crown (November 1534)

-Annates paid by Bishops had been intolerable when paid to Rome
-Acceptable when paid to the King
-Placed financial burden on clergy, but strengthened the royal supremacy

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The Dissolution of the Monasteries

-Begun in 1536 and ended in 1542
-Increased the wealth, land and power of the Crown
-Much of the property was granted away or sold, often below market price to fund foreign policy

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The Fall of Anne Boleyn

-The relationship between Anne and Cromwell broke down
-Cromwell convinced the King of Anne's adulterous nature
-More Vulnerable when COA died in June 1536
-She was executed in May 1536

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Who was born in 1537?

Prince Edward

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What was the League of Schmalkalden?

An organisation of German princes and free cities within the Holy Roman Empire, who supported reformer Martin Luther and the split from Rome, by arranging a marriage between Henry and Anne of Cleves

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How did this marriage effect Cromwell's position?

Anne was unsuitable for Henry and the marriage was quickly annulled, Cromwell was quickly accused of treason and heresy and was executed 28th July 1540. Henry and Catherine Howard married the same day

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How did Henry attempt to show "fairness" After Cromwell's execution?

He executed three Protestant theologians for heresy and then subsequently executed three Catholic priests

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How did Henry's government change after Cromwell's death?

Conciliar government was reintroduced and a Privy Council which had a fixed membership

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Who were the most influential people in this Council?

Duke of Norfolk, Stephen Gardiner and Thomas Wriothesley

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Why was Catherine Howard and her lady of the bed chamber executed?

Catherine was already sexually experienced when she married Henry and she had a rumoured affair with her distant cousin Thomas Culpepper

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Why was Norfolk so fearful when Catherine Howard died?

Henry remarried the Protestant Katherine Parr and he saw her as a threat to his ambitions and so attempted, but failed, to get her accused of heresy

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Why did political rivalries increase during Henry VIII's last days?

Whoever was closest to the King, was likely to have strong influence under his successor. In this, Norfolk's rival Edward Seymour could take over by being Prince Edward's uncle

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What happened to Norfolk?

The King signed Norfolk's death warrant, but was spared the axe by the King's death on 27th January 1547. Norfolk remained imprisoned for all of Edward VI's reign

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Henry VIII, Government and Parliament

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