Came to the throne two months before his eighteenth birthday
Henry VIII's accession was welcomed as a breath of fresh air after the rather sinister atmosphere associated with the influence of Empson and Dudley in the last years of his father's reign
Henry VIII had no experience of government or public affairs
Emphasis on during Henry VIII's reign
Pageants
Revelry
Sports
Hunting
Tournaments
Because Henry VIII was rarely engaged directly with the business of government, the structure of government evolved differently compared with the reign of Henry VII
Government structure during Henry VIII's reign
1. Renewed emphasis on governing through the council
2. Council made comebacks at later stages of the reign (1529-32, 1540-47)
3. Henry relied upon the work of a chief minister who shaped the structures of government to meet his own needs
Thomas Wolsey
First chief minister, particularly adept at using the Star Chamber
Thomas Cromwell
Second chief minister, developed his role as principal secretary
