Section A: Henry VIII Renaissance Prince

• how did henry vii become king and when?

  fought and defeated richard iii, in 1485
• what was the population of england in 1509?

  2.5 million
• how much of the population of england lived in towns?

  6%
• what was the religion of the whole england in 1509?

  roman catholic
• what was tudor society, and what is the system called>

  hierarchical, great chain of being
• the great chain of being in order

  nobility, gentry, yeomen, tenant farmers, landless poor, vagrants.
• how was status defined in 1509?

  land ownership
• who was henry viii?


  the second son of henry vii
• what made henry the heir to the throne?

  his older brother arthur, died in 1502
• what was henry's physical attributes?

  he was strong, athletic, and he enjoyed hunting and archery, but what banned from jousting
• henry was also...

  intelligent and well educated
• what cause henry to be largely untrained when his father dies in 1509?

  henry stayed in court due to his father not sending him to other parts of the kingdom to learn how to govern, as he was scared to lose another son
• when did henry viii inherit the throne?

  1509
• how was henry's ascension to throne greeted?

  with enthusiasm across the country
• henry viii's portraits portray...

  him as open and handsome
• what did henry viii do to distance himself from his father?

  arrest two ministers most closely associated with henry vii's unpopular financial policies
• who did henry marry in 1509?

  catherine of aragon
• who was catherine of aragon?

  a spainish princess, who was previously married to henry's brother, arthur
• what family was catherine part of ?

  the powerful habsburg family
• who was catherine related to?

  charles v, the heir to the spanish throne
• what did henry and catherine's marriage do?

  strengthened england's alliance with spain
• what is the divine right?

  that kings were appointed directly by God
• what were the different institutions of henry's personal style fo government?

  1. the royal household
  2. the privy chamber
  3. the royal council
  4. court
  5. parliament
  6. justices of the peace
• what was the royal household?

  a group of nobles and servants who ensured that he was provided with food, clothing, and spiritual guidance. It also played an important part in government: it was in the rooms of the Royal Household that the king met advisors and made decisions.
• what was the privy chamber?

  part of the Royal Household, this was made up of a small group of the king’s closest noble friends. They looked after his personal needs and provided entertainment. They had opportunities to informally influence the King on matters of policy. The Privy Chamber was headed by the Groom of the Stool.
• what was the groom of the stool?

  the servant that cleans the king's bottom
• what was the royal council?

  a group of advisors chosen by the King and selected mainly from the nobility and church. They provided guidance on policy and matters of state.
• what was the court?

  a body of people made up of the monarch’s key servants, advisors and friends. Drawn mainly from members of the nobility, they were called courtiers. They lived in, or near, the same palace as the king, entertaining him and his visiting guests. Being able to attend the court required the monarch’s permission.
• what was parliament?

  made up of the House of Lords (which included bishops), and the House of Commons. Its main job was to pass laws required by the king and approve new taxes for him.
• what was the justices of the peace?

  known as JPs, these were large landowners who kept law and order in their local areas.
• what were henry's aims as a monarch?

  1. he wanted to be in sole charge of deciding england's policies
  2. he wanted to achieve glorious victories in battles abroad
  3. he wanted to create a magnificent royal court, through art, architecture, dress and entertainment .
  4. he wanted to attract great men to his court, such a important scholars and artists
  5. he wanted to perform the traditional duties of a monarchy, including maintaining law and order, being a good servant to the church, and having a son to continue the royal line
• what was henry's strengths?

  • he was popular with the people of england, as he looked the part of a great king
  • he inherited a rich country from his father
  • england was stable, with an established system of government
  • he loved is wife, and she had important foreign connections in spain
  • he had a team of experienced advisors around him
  • he had ambition to become a great renaissance king
• what was henry's weaknesses?

  • he had little experience of government
  • he had little desire to get involved in the day to day business of governing england, and preferred sport and entertainment
  • his attitude of kingship was simplistic and partly based on heroic legends
  • he wanted england to go to war as soon as possible, so he could prove himself as a true, heroic knight
  • he has a large ego that was difficult to manage
  • he liked high risk sports
  • his tastes for entertainment and clothing were expensive