The Establishment of Royal Supremacy

Overview

• Problems over resolving the ‘King’s Great Matter’ essentially led to the downfall of Wolsey and in the longer term establishment of the royal supremacy

• Brought about under direction of Wolsey’s successor, Thomas Cromwell, from 1532 by Parliament

• Cromwell also later falls due to ensuing relibous tensions and Henry’s continued martial problems

What was the ‘King’s Great Matter’

• Concerned on the annulment of Henry VIII’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon and his desire to marry Anne Boleyn

• Complex situation which ultimately lead to England’s break from the Catholic Church

Why Henry wanted to divorce Catherine

• She was past childbearing age

• Only one child survived infancy - Princess Mary

• Henry feared he would die without a male heir

• Henry had also fallen madly in love with Anne Boleyn - niece of the Duke of Norfolk - she refused to be mistress

• Meaning Henry required Wolsey to secure a papal dispensation for the annulment (legally invalidate) his marriage to Catherine

The argument of the book of Leviticus

• Book contained a prohibition on a man marrying his brother’s widow - and if he would he will be punished by childlessness - another reason Henry wanted a divorce

• Catherine had briefly been married to Henry’s brother Arthur

• Henry argued the papal dispensation issued by Julius II to permit his marriage to Catherine was invalid

Issues surrounding Henry’s leviticus argument

• Catherine claimed her marriage to Arthur had never been consummated and therefore the biblican ban didn’t apply

• However Henry insisted Wolsey seeks a dispensation for annulment based on the leviticus argument despite this

May 1527

• Wolsey brought Henry to a fake court to ‘accuse’ hom of living in sin with his supposed wife

• Henry admitted to this

• Catherine refused to accept the court’s verdict and appealed to the Pope

The fall of Wolsey

• His fate depended on securing an annulment

• Two years of pointless diplomacy went on to try and buy Wolsey time (1527-29) - but only angered Henry

• Pope sent an envoy in June 1529, Cardinal Campeggio to hear the case along with Wolsey

• Case opened in London on 15th June, but Campeggio ajourned it on 30th of July, meaning Wolsey failed to give Henry an annulment

Wolsey’s arrest and execution

• Wolsey’s fall wasn’t unexpected

• Became unpopular when forcing the 1523 subsidy and imposing the Amicable Grant

• In October 1529 he was charged with praemunire and surrendered himself, with all of his possessions, including Hampton court, to the king

• Arrested on November 4th, 1530

• Wolsey was tried and to be executed, but cheated the executioner’s axe and then died later on November 29th