Nobility

• Nobility


  The peerage
• During the reign of Henry VIII


  The size of the peerage increased
• By the end of Henry VIII's reign, there were only nine more peers than there had been at the beginning
• England had only one duke when Henry VIII came to the throne, Edward Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, who never enjoyed royal favour
• Henry VIII only promoted two non-royal ducal titles, Norfolk and Suffolk
• Holders of Norfolk and Suffolk titles

  • They served the king as soldiers and courtiers
• Noble households remained critical to the maintenance of local influence and to the recruitment of royal armies
• Bastard feudalism had not died away completely
• Gradually


  The nobility was being brought more under the control of the monarch