Henry VII is perceived to have
tyrannised members of the gentry and
nobility for example by imposing
financial penalties like bonds and
recognisances and the council learned
in law that was headed by Richard
Empson and Edmund Dudley. Henry
VIII rejected this idea as he thought it
was unjust and so arrested Empson
and Dudley and put them in the Tower
of London
He also set up
commissions across
the country to hear
grievances against the
late kings agents
Empson and Dudley were
executed to satisfy the
public demand for
revenge and for the kings
need for a fresh start
Economic and political position
In 1509 England was
in a better economic
position than in
1485
Henry VII left
Henry VIII £1m
Henry VIII is
Lancastrian and Yorkist
so there was a smooth
succession
In 1508 England is
politically isolated,
Ferdinand marries the
French kings niece
Personality and ambition
Intelligent, attractive
and physically strong
His main ambition was
to be a warrior and an
imperial king
He had not been trained like
Arthur had been and therefore
had ideas of what kind of king he
wanted to be
Renaissance king
Marriage
He insisted that
Catherine of
Aragon stay in
England after
Arthurs death
This retains that
Anglo-Spanish
connection
Catherine brought
dowry that Henry
refused to repay
He was allowed to
marry CoA after the
pope issued a decree
in 1504 giving papal
dispensation
Catherine was
ambitious and
determined to
fulfil her destiny
of becoming
Queen of England
Government
The Court
It was a source of
patronage and
political influence
Members moved with
Henry from place to
place, eg Wolsey
To entertain the king,
reflected Henry personally
and to impress foreign
powers as a renaissance
king
Faction became a
problem (groups of like
minded people towards
an issue eg divorce)
The council
There was an
established council
when Henry came to
the throne unlike in
1485
Henry VIII desired
adventure and glory unlike
his father which put strains
on relationships like
Archbishop Warham and
Richard Fox who advised the
king against war but he
didn't listen
Henrys grandmother
Margaret Beaufort had a
political influence and
directed the new king but
this was short lived as she
soon died
He was impressed by
Wolsey as he had an
enormous capacity for
hard work and
unparalleled
organisational skills
Tension soon became
common knowledge
between those that
opposed war against
France and those who
supported war
The Privy Chamber
The council and institutions of
government continued to
provide the kings formal
advice/consultation area
But policies and
decisions were
increasingly being made
in the court