succession + overview

• Henry VIII's foreign policy can be divided into 4 distinct phases, closely linked with domestic policy and the state of government at the time.

  
  

  foreign policy: government:

  • 1509-1514 1509-1514, councilliar
  • 1514-1526 1514-1529, Wolsey
  • 1527-1540 1532-1540, Cromwell
  • 1540-1547 1540-1547, councilliar with factions
• • 7's foreign policy had clear and consistent aims and had been that of an insecure adult who had to fight for his claim to the throne.
  • In contrast, 8 came to the throne peacefully with his father's money in his treasury.
  • His priorities were different, he was keen to establish his presence in international affairs and demonstrate his strength to his subjects. he wanted to win glorious victories on the battlefield to establish his image as a renaissance warrior.
• Succession CoA


  • securing the succesion, ideally with an adult male heir was an obession of 8's. the problem caused the Break, which led to rebellion and contributed to many wider political issues
  • his problem started with his first wife CoA who failed to produce a healthy male heir before the end of her child bearing years, both her sons dying and only surviving child being Princess Mary
  • 8 became convinced the lack of a son was a punishment from god for marrying CoA and it was essential he remarry
• Succession- AB


  • henry remarried to Anne Boleyn in Jan 1533, she gave birth to Princess Elizabeth who became heir presumptive (first in line of succession but could be displaced by one with a better claim) by the succession act of 1534 which declared Mary illegitimate
  • 8 still had no male heir and after 2 more miscarriages he believed it was divine punishment. she was executed for treason and that death led to the 1536 succession act which declared Elizabeth illegitimate.
  • he had no legitimate heir but did have 3 illegitimate children, and considered legitimising Henry Duke of Richmond
• Succession


  • 8 acquired a legitimate male heir, Prince Edward in 1537
  • he didnt marry Jane Seymour until both previous wives death's so Ed was unquestionably legitimate under canon law.
  • however, by 1543 another problem arose when henry's health faltered and it became clear Ed would be a minor when he succeeded the throne so the 1544 succession act relegitimised mary and elizabeth and reaffirmed 8s right to determine succession by will of letters patent (an exercise of prerogative rights)
• succession


  8 confirmed the succession arrangements in his will dated 30th Dec 1546. it laid out the right of succession to the heirs of his sister Mary if edward, mary and elizabeth died. it also set up a regency council to act on ed's behalf until he was old enough to rule although very little was seen of it during his actual reign.
• Conclusion


  • significant successes include the capture of Boulogne, Tournai and Theroanne in france and the victories against Scotland at Flodden and later Solway Moss
  • the shortness of that list is down to england's limited resources: not a powerful country in europe; its geographical position at the edge made it irrelevant to central issues like milan and the ottomans; the shortage of money was a constant issue, only in the war against france in 1543-46 where henry had the money from the Dissolution did england have the resources to compete on the same level as france and HRE
• Conclusion- aims


  • the most goodliest prince that ever reigned
  • pursuing an ambitious and aggressive policy towards france
  • honour and glory
  • maintaining links with the netherlands
  • being the peacemaker of europe
  • securing his dynasty
  • collecting his pension
• Conclusion- the most goodliest king that ever lived

  • he was instensely concerned with reputation and wanted to be regarded as that
  • this compared him to Henry V, the last true warrior king with his victory over france
• Conclusion- agression toward france

  • all kings since edward III claimed the title of king of france
  • henry alligned with this
  • he was driven by xenophbia and impulse
  • he was also under threat of the auld alliance
• Conclusion- honour and glory

  • henry and his peers had the mindset of medeval nobility, seeking honour through war
  • it was a driving factor behind his long rivalry with francis and charles
• Conclusion- the netherlands


  • links with the netherlands were vital for the cloth trade, because of the Antwerp port
  • they were also controlled by the HRE who henry often allied with against france
• Conclusion- peacemaker


  • under wolsey, henry has breifly pusued the option of acheiving honour through mediating peace
  • it could be argued this is because england was unable to do so through war, but the treaty of london is seen by some as a great british success
• Conclusion- securing his dynasty

  • the foremost aim of all modern monarchs, henry tried with a miserble success rate, to marry off various family members (his sister to the king of france, daughter to the holy roman emporer and son to the queen of france)
• Conclusion- collecting his pension

  • his qeust for honour and claim to the french throne were decidedly flxible during his reign
  • but henry's demand for the french pension was much more constant, it was the amount france agreed to pay every year to compensate for english lands lost in france
  • the total cost of his war with france was £3,545,765 and he received £730,379 from the pension