Government in Henry VIII’s early and middle years (1509-40)

What caused Henry VIII to have a varied governing style?

Henry VIII liked to have an overview of his government, but he was happy to let others do the mundane work for him resulting in varied ways of government through his reign

What roles did Henry VIII see parliament having?

Before the 1530s Henrys view of the role of parliament:

• To grant extraordinary revenue to the Crown

• To pass laws

• To advise the monarch - neither Henry VII nor Henry VIII in his earlier years saw the need to seek Parliament's advice

How many times did Henry VIII call parliament personally?

Henry VIII only summoned parliament 4 times in years - 1510, 1512, 1515 and 1523

Who called Henry VIII first parliament?

Wolsey was his first minister

Why did Henry VIII call parliament mainly?

The primary reason for calling Parliament was to secure revenue in Henrys reign

Wolsey and the end of government by council

What was the difference between Wolsey and Cromwell

Wolsey was reluctant to use parliament whilst Cromwell was happy to exploit its legislative possibilities hence why they met more frequently in Henrys second half of his reign

Why did governance via councils break down?

During Henry VIII's reign governance via councils broke down due to of conflict between the king’s own impulsive personality and that of his more conservative councillors

How long did the conciliar approach last?

The conciliar approach to government lasted from 1509 to 1514

Why did the conciliar government break down?

 came to an end due to:

• Henry feeling let down by the attitude of some of his father’s senior councillors to support a war with France

• His increasing assertiveness in decision making when he became more attuned to governing

• Henry surrounded himself with like-minded young courtiers who reinforced his suspicions of the ‘old guard’

• Henry becoming particularly impressed Wolsey's organisational skills which his contribution to the effective management of the French campaign earning him royal gratitude

 

What did Wolsey do with his advancements?

Wolsey used theses skills to his advantage to place himself as a dominant political figure

How did Wolsey convince the king?

He catered to the kings needs giving the king precisely what he wanted, or to convince the king of what he assumed he wanted

Why did Wolsey hold so much influence?

Wolsey’s influence was derived more from the closeness of his relationship with the king than from the formal positions he held

Privy Chamber

When did Wolsey gain power in the privy chamber?

1519 Wolsey gained control of the privy chamber

When was the privy chamber established?

During Henry Tudors reign

What changed about how the privy chamber was viewed?

Under Henry VIII the privy chamber was viewed as the kings minions

How did the privy chamber feel about Wolsey and why?

The minions distrusted Wolsey who set himself the task of neutralising their influence

What was Wolsey able to secure concerning the privy chamber?

1519 he secured the removal of the minions

Who did Wolsey replace the minions with?

He replaced them with his own supporters but most managed to recover their positions thus retaining some of its prestige and influence which Wolsey had no control of

Use of the dry stamp

When was the dry stamp used?

When signing official documents

Why was the dry stamp used?

It was used to forge the king signature

How many people was the dry stamp given to?

Only 3 men at a time and when it was used the 2 other men looked on

What was the safe guard that surrounded the dry stamp?

A safeguard was built in whereby each document signed had to be listed in a book, of which Henry initialled each page monthly