the Great Matter

CoA and Henry children

Mary

why does H8 want annulment w CoA?

• CoA ageing - unlikely to produce male heir

  • dynastic necessity

• against scripture to marry brother’s widow

• in love with Anne Boleyn

when does H8 want annulment?

1527

obstacles to annulment

• argument that Pope shouldn’t have let him marry widow’s wife

  • Pope exceeded his authority

• CoA = aunt of HRE Charles 5

  • had sacked Rome 1527, Pope Clement = prisoner

impossible for Wolsey to succeed

reasons for Wolsey’s fall

• failure to annul marriage

  • Blackfriars Court adjourned unsuccessfully

• Boleyn faction resented him

• noble resentment

• accumulation of power

  • no one to share blame with

• Henry’s character

what was Wolsey charged with?

1529 = praemunire

• exercising papal jurisdiction without royal consent

BUT Henry authorised this, so fall = politically engineered not legally justified