Noble Opposition to Wolsey

• The extent of noble opposition to Wolsey should not be exaggerated.
• Nobility did play an important part in foreign affairs and war.
• All nobility went to celebrate peace with France at Field of the Cloth of Gold in 1520.
• Henry VIII invaded France in 1513 (captured Tournai and Therouanne), 1523 and 1544 (captured Boulogne) with large expeditions.
• Nobility did not want to do Wolsey's job. They realised how important he was to Henry VIII and could not afford to upset the king by informing against Wolsey.
• Norfolk and Suffolk did not like Wolsey but are not constantly plotting against him. Enjoyed his discomfiture over Amicable Grant but realised they could not overthrow him.
• Overthrow of Wolsey over divorce issue was caused by the king not the nobility.
• Even after his dismissal, Wolsey hoped to be re-instated because nobility have even fewer ideas about how to get divorce.
• Wolsey was a great politician and was better than nobility at flattering Henry.
• Henry retained a residual fear of the nobility inherited from his father and nurtured by his lack of son to succeed him.
• Apart from Buckingham, Henry VIII's nobility was a 'court' nobility - did not have the great landed estates and armed men of the nobility during the Wars of the Roses.
• Wolsey had enormous patronage at his disposal and the ear of the king. It would be foolish to oppose him openly.
• Execution of Buckingham in 1521 was at command of king and was NOT part of Wolsey's 'class conflict' with the nobility as a whole.
• Buckingham was proud and arrogant and probably thought that he was heir to Henry's throne.
• Wolsey was good at countering threat of noble influence at Court.
• Twice he acted to disperse Henry's 'mignons' at Court, when it seemed as though they were advising against Wolsey.