Henry VIII

• Groups in English society in 1509


  • God
  • The king
  • The nobility
  • The gentry
  • The Roman Catholic Church
• The population of England in 1509 was 2.5 million
• 6% of people in England lived in towns in 1509, the vast majority lived in rural areas
• Key parts of Henry VIII's government


  • The king
  • The Royal household
  • The Privy Chamber
  • The Royal Council
  • The Court
  • Parliament
  • Justices of Peace (JPs)
• The king


  • Made important decisions on foreign and domestic policy
  • Believed he had the divine right to rule the country and expected people to obey him
  • Appointed people to political and religious roles to help run the country
• The Royal household


  • Provided the king with food, clothing and spiritual guidance
  • Played an important role in government as the king held audiences, met with advisors and made important decisions here
• The Privy Chamber


  • Looked after the king's personal needs and provided entertainment
  • Had political powers and informally advised the king on important matters / policy
• The Royal Council


  • Key advisors chosen by the king, usually from the nobility or the Church
  • Had important political powers, providing the king with advice and guidance on running the country, as well as handling the day-to-day affairs of government
• The Court


  • Servants, advisors and friends (usually noblemen), who were invited by the king
  • They lived in, or near, the same palace/house as the king
  • They entertained the king and his guests, showing off the king's wealth and power
• Parliament


  • The House of Lords and the House of Commons
  • It passed laws that were requested by the king and approved new taxes for him (e.g. to raise money for war)
• Justices of Peace (JPs)


  • Large landowners in different parts of England
  • They helped keep law and order in local regions across the country, ensuring that the law was followed
• England was stable in 1509 when Henry VIII took over
• Henry VIII's qualities as king in 1509


  • He was a deeply religious man, attending Church services and giving charity to the poor
  • He was educated and talented, a strong athlete, spoke a range of languages, and was a gifted musician
  • He was young and ambitious, aiming to be a 'Renaissance' king who showed off his power and celebrated arts and learning, and to prove himself in battle & achieve victories in war
• Henry VIII promptly married a Spanish Princess, Catherine of Aragon, in 1509
• Henry VIII wanted to be different to his father, removing some of his father's unpopular advisors
• Henry VIII's weaknesses as king in 1509


  • He lacked experience, as he was not brought up to be king and had little training and preparation in the skills needed to rule
  • He believed in the divine right to rule, often rejecting advice from his experienced advisors
  • He had very little interest in government and preferred entertainments and pleasure, putting too much trust in others
• Thomas Wolsey


  His father was a butcher and cattle dealer, but Wolsey had an excellent education at Oxford University, achieving his degree at a very young age of 15
• Wolsey's promotions


  1. 1509 - Royal Almoner

  2. 1512 - Organised an army for war against France

  3. 1515 - Lord Chancellor, Archbishop of York, Cardinal

  4. 1518 - Papal Legate
• Wolsey's wealth and power


  • £3000 income per year as Archbishop of York, 10 times richer than others
  • 500 servants in his household, equaling the king's
  • Built Hampton Court Palace to entertain people
  • Referred to as 'Alter Rex' meaning 'second king'
• Reasons for Wolsey's rise to power


  • His personal skills - excellent education, public speaking ability, charming and persuasive
  • His promotions in government and the Church
  • Henry VIII's attitude as king, not wanting to involve himself in day-to-day government
  • Wolsey's support for the king's aims, like organising the invasion of France in 1513
• Wolsey's domestic reforms


  1. Improved the justice system through the Court of the Star Chamber

  2. Investigated cases of land enclosure to stand up for the poor

  3. Introduced a new tax called the subsidy which was fairer and raised more money for the king
• The Amicable Grant was a new tax introduced by Wolsey in 1525 to raise money for another invasion of France, which was not approved by parliament and failed
• The current tax system of "fifteenths and tenths" did not raise enough money for the king
• Subsidy


  A new tax introduced by Wolsey that was fairer and more accurate, as the amount people paid was based on their income (i.e. the rich now paid more)
• The new tax was fairer for the poor
• The new tax raised more money for the king (from 1513 to 1529 the subsidy raised £322,000 while fifteenths and tenths raised only £118,000)
• The taxes were unpopular among the rich, who were taxed more
• The taxes were still not enough for the amount Henry spent on wars (£1.4 million from 1511 to 1525)
• Other methods were used to raise money
• Amicable Grant


  A new tax introduced by Wolsey to raise money for another invasion of France
• The Amicable Grant was not approved by parliament, which was very controversial
• How much were people required to pay?

  Priests were called on to pay one-third of their income to the king. Everyone else was asked to pay one-sixth of their income to the king.
• How long were they given to come up with the money?

  10 weeks
• Charles V had successfully defeated Francis I in the Battle of Pavia. At the time, Henry was allied with Charles V, and wanted to use Francis I's defeat to invade France as it was vulnerable. He needed money, & parliament refused to give him more taxes.
• A 10,000-strong rebellion broke out in Suffolk in May 1525. Many people refused to pay, as they did not have the money. This was the first significant rebellion of Henry's reign.
• Wolsey was humiliated and took responsibility for the failure of the Amicable Grant. Henry VIII was unable to invade France, and he began to doubt the skills of his as chief minister.
• Henry VIII claimed that he was unaware of the tax, and decided not to invade France. He pardoned (forgave) the leaders of the rebellion.
• Eltham Ordinances


  A list of rules drawn up by Wolsey to overcome the problems of dirtiness, bad behavior and extravagance (spending too much money) in Henry's royal palaces
• There were 79 rules altogether
• Dogs were banned from palaces to keep them clean