1° 4 Henry VII's and Henry VIII's reigns Santiago Moreno

INTRODUCTION

Tudor´s monarchy began in 1485 and extended until 1603, with five monarchs in that
period. The ruling House of Plantagenet was succeeded by The Tudors as rulers of
England, who were then followed by the House of Stuart. The Tudors were an extraordinary
dynasty who would transform England from a minor medieval kingdom to a main power with
worldwide influence.

England in 1485 was suffering a great deal of instability, with nobles fighting each other for
power and beginning to recover from the demographic catastrophe of the Black Death. By
1603, England had achieved a strong central government, powerful enough to control any
rebellion. It had also reformed religion, moving from Roman Catholicism to Protestantism
with the King at the head of the Church of London.

Many of these changes might have never happened if it was not because of the
personalities and decisions of the monarchs of the Tudor family.

In this essay I will analyze the reign of the first Tudor who founded the dynasty and the only
one whose reign was both long and mostly peaceful, without any major civil conflicts and
his heir to the throne, Henry VIII, one of the most famous Tudors. Henry VIII whose reign
saw a series of political, diplomatic, religious and historical complexities. During this period
the King was immerse in conflicts with the Pope, his nephew-by-marriage the Holy Roman
emperor Charles V, people from his inner circle, English population and centuries of English
tradition.

Both Kings will be contrasted considering the context of their ascension to the throne, their
personal character, religious aspects of their reigns, economy, and how they led the
domestic and foreign affairs.

1
1° 4 Henry VII's and Henry VIII's reigns Santiago Moreno

ASCENSION

In the ascension process of both kings we can see some differences. To understand Henry
VII ’ s ascension we must first look at the situation in England at the time he was crowned.
The Wars of the Roses, as this period of unrest was called, faced the houses of York and
Lancaster over the English crown. Both claimed to be the rightful heirs of the Plantagenet
King Edward III (1327-77)

Until the deaths in 1471 of Henry VI’s only son, Edward, and of Henry VI himself, the claim
of Henry to the throne was weak and it could be seen as unlikely. The mentioned events
made Henry Tudor the sole surviving male with any ancestral claim to the house of
Lancaster. Henry’s help was sought in order to confront the usurpation of Richard III during
the Wars of the Roses, but this attempt was defeated before Henry could even land in
England.

In 1485 he finally defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth, claiming the throne by title
of inheritance and his victory in battle, being crowned on October 30th.

On the other hand Henry VIII’s ascension was the first peaceful one England had witnessed
in many years. As the second son of Henry VII, Henry was educated for an important role in
the Church, and he received a superior education from the most illustrious tutors of that
time. Henry enjoyed a quiet childhood, what changed after his brother Arthur died in 1502,
leaving the eighteen-year-old Henry as the heir to the throne. Because of his young age
and, unlike his father, his lack of interest in policy, he preferred to leave government affairs
in the hands of his ministers. This led to an increasing influence of Thomas Wolsey, who
concentrated a great deal of the power delegated by the king.

PERSONAL CHARACTER

Henry’s VII youth was spent in adverse conditions, often in danger of betrayal and death,
and due to Lancastrian failures in the Wars of the Roses his uncle Jasper sought refuge in
the duchy of Brittany. The York’s seemed so firmly established that Henry’s return to Britain
was very unlikely. These experiences affected Henry’s character, making him secretive and
wary, focused on being patient and vigilant rather than exteriorizing his passions and
affections. There is evidence that he was interested in education, that his character
was affable and gracious, and that he opposed conflicts and severity.

2
1° 4 Henry VII's and Henry VIII's reigns Santiago Moreno

Henry VII was described by the Italian scholar Polydore Vergil:

“His spirit was distinguished, wise and prudent; his mind was brave and resolute and never,
even at moments of the greatest danger, deserted him. He had a most pertinacious
memory. Withal he was not devoid of scholarship. In government he was shrewd and
prudent, so that no one dared to get the better of him through deceit or guile.”

Unlike his son Henry VIII, the first king of the Tudor dynasty does not appear to have been
extremely charismatic. He has been often described as cold-hearted, what can be
explained due to the death of his son Arthur and his wife Elizabeth, when as it is described
by his chroniclers “privily departed to a solitary place and would no man should resort unto
him”

Henry VIII was very popular, and high expectances were upon him. He was tall, athletic and
regularly engaged in dancing, jousting and wrestling. He was described by a Venetian
visitor:

“His majesty is the handsomest potentate I ever set eyes on”, “with a face so delicate that it
would become a pretty woman”

Due to an accident with a horse during a tournament, he was deprived of his ability to take
exercise and he experienced a marked change in personality. The final years of his reign

witnessed Henry VIII's physical decline and an increasing desire to appear all-powerful.

RELIGION

King Henry the VII and his son were both Catholic although some believe the last one to
have been a Protestant. Henry VII, is described as being not personally interested in
religion, but neither was he a critic or libertine. His actions and policies were not much
related to the Church, although he was a sound religious man. His relation with the Pope
and church did not have any remarkable events.

As it was previously mentioned Henry VIII preferred to leave much of his responsibilities as
a monarch, in the hand of his ministers. He particularly relied in Thomas Wosley who
managed most of the domestic affairs until 1529 when his fall as an influential person

3
1° 4 Henry VII's and Henry VIII's reigns Santiago Moreno

began. He ruled the Church of England in a despotic way, concentrating much of the power
in his own hands, what prevented him from being an effective reformer. Wolsey’s corrupt
performance as a public man weakened the Roman Church in England, fact that helped
develop the Protestantism.

The issue that dominated the central years of Henry VIII’s reign and would become one of
his most important legacies, started in 1525, with a young lady from the court named Anne
Boleyn. Although the King was already married to Catherine, he fell in love with Anne, who
refused to yield to the King unless she was made her queen.

Henry’s marriage with Catherine was rather unhappy, mostly because she had not been
able to give birth to a male heir to the King, what would assure a stable succession after
Henry died. After the recent civil war, a power struggle was feared if he did not produce a
son. Henry also believed that this issue was related to her wife being previously married to
his brother Arthur, therefore for six years he pursued the annulment of his marriage, or as
he used to call it, his “Great Matter”.

The King presented the situation to Cardinal Wosley, who was now in charge of taking it to
the Pope. This left the Pope Clement VII in a difficult position, in part because of the
pressure being made by Catherine’s nephew, Charles V, Emperor of the Holy Roman
Empire). In 1527 Henry could not wait anymore for the divorce so he decided to bypass
Wolsey and sent his secretary to Rome to see the Pope, without success. After the delayed
performed by the Church and Catherine’s direct appeal to the King in defense of her honor,
the King did not change his mind.

The fact of Wolsey failing his mission of giving Henry his divorce awoke the King’s anger,
fostered by Anne Boleyn who persuaded Henry of Wolsey’s delaying the procedures
purposely. In September of 1529 Wosley was dismissed from his office as Lord Chancellor
and his properties were taken by the King. Wosley appealed to Catherine what was seen as
treason, being arrested and dying soon after.

In 1533, Henry VIII broke with the church and finally got married to Anne Boleyn, leading to
his excommunication by the Pope, which started the English reformation.

4
1° 4 Henry VII's and Henry VIII's reigns Santiago Moreno

After Wolsey's influence has disappeared, Thomas Cromwell became Henry's chief minister
earning his confidence by supporting him in the break with Rome and then establishing
Henry VIII as head of the Church of England. Much needed wealth was brought by the
dissolution of the larger monasteries. More than 800 monasteries were disbanded over four
years, being ordered by Cromwell that the lands and treasures were taken for the crown.

In 1534 a new Parliament began setting the bases for the complete break with Rome,
passing the following acts:

Act of Succession: The children of Henry and Anne were named heirs to the throne.

Act of Dispensations: Forbade the payment of tributes by the laymen to the Pope.

Act of Supremacy: Declared that the King was the Supreme Head of the Church of
England.

Henry remained as a Catholic believer, despite the increasing number of Protestants both
at court and in the nation in general.

ECONOMY

The financial situations at the moment of both ascensions to the throne, in the case of
Henry VII and his son, were very different. Henry VII inherited a royal treasure depleted
after 30 years of civil war, agricultural crisis and the large effect of the Black Death,
however his proper management made it possible to his heir to begin his reign in a much
improved situation, inheriting Henry VII a considerable fortune.

Henry VII imposed strong tax levies and his tax collectors were feared for their cruelty and
efficiency. All those who fought against Henry VII in Bosworth Field, were declared traitors
enabling the King to claim their land, to his own.

Henry VII also benefited from customs revenue from foreign trade which he encouraged
through international diplomacy.

In contrast to Henry VII’s austerity, Henry VIII’s foreign adventures and extravagant lifestyle
required a large amount of money.

5
1° 4 Henry VII's and Henry VIII's reigns Santiago Moreno

Thomas Wolsey’s influence in most of the official matters can be seen in most of the
economic decisions, such as the “income tax” that was set which was seen as much fairer
that previous taxes. Wolsey’s policies confronted him with the nobility, especially after the
Act of Resumption which forced many of them to return lands to the King, that were
previously gifted to them.

This can be seen as the continuity of the fiscal feudalism policy of his father, enforced by
forcing the Parliament in 1536, to accept the Statute of Uses, a procedure performed by
landowners to avoid paying royal fees associated with land. These royal fees, were not
being received by the Crown for a century or so before the statute was passed.

DOMESTIC AFFAIRS

Two rebellions took place during Henry’s VII reign, both led by probable imposters claiming
to be legitimate heirs to the throne. Lambert Simnel, who claimed to be the authentic earl of
Warwick. Simnel was later captured and made to work in Henry's kitchens. He was followed
by the Flemish Perkin Warbeck, claimed among Yorkist circles in Europe as the real
Richard IV, brother of the murdered Edward V, who gathered foreign support for an
invasion. Warbeck was defeated held prisoner in the Tower, and eventually executed with
some of his supporters.

The dissolution of the monasteries as a part of the Reformation, in King Henry VIII’s reign,
sparkled a rebellion against the break with Rome being called the Pilgrimage of Grace. This
insurrection occurred in 1536, called for Cromwell's dismissal. By October there were
almost 35.000 rebels and the King had no choice but to negotiate with them. A new uprising
took place in Cumberland and Westmoreland in 1537, but it was successfully crashed by
the King, and its leaders were executed.

It is noticeable that both monarchs suffered from internal rebellions motivated by different
reasons tied to the context.

In the case of the Henry VII pretenders tried to undermine his claim to the throne in a
moment of great instability and resentment mostly of some parts of the nobility. Pretenders
could affect the credibility to the ruler claim to the throne. They needed, money, troops,

6
1° 4 Henry VII's and Henry VIII's reigns Santiago Moreno

recognition and also support from general public and nobility, which usually came when a
certain degree of discontent with government was achieved.

The Pilgrimage of Grace was a result of religious discontent with the Reform carried out by
the monarch. The rebels wanted Henry to stop his attacks on the Church and the
monasteries and return the country to following the Pope.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Henry VII did not have any special conquering ambitious. His aim was to gain stability and
having his dynasty recognized by foreign powers.

Henry VII had no intention of recovering the lost territories in France, however the French
insisted in the attempt of annexing Brittany. After a series of battles the English were
defeated and France took control of these lands. Henry invaded the north of France sieging
Boulogne which led to the Treaty of Étaples in 1492, thereafter remaining at peace for the
rest of his reign.

Besides from signing peace and trade treaties with the Holy Roman Emperor, Netherlands,
Scotland, Denmark and Florence, he also used dynastic royal marriages in his seek for
assurance and peace. Her daughter Margaret, was married to James IV of Scotland and
the other daughter married Louis IX of France.

Both King Henry VII and VIII, feared the invasion of foreign country therefore they regarded
as of great importance the relation with foreign powers in order to maintain the credibility
and protect their kingdom. As it was mentioned before, Henry VII relied on peace treaties,
trade and family marriages to maintain peace and increase their dynasty power, however
Henry VIII took a different approach.

For the first two decades of his reign he focused foreign policy on profiting from the shifting
pattern of alliances between European powers (Spain, Holy Roman Empire, France).

In 1511 the Pope Julius II created the Holy League in order to put a stop to the ambitions of
the French King Louis XII, who was attempting to expand towards Italy. Henry VIII advised

7
1° 4 Henry VII's and Henry VIII's reigns Santiago Moreno

by Wosley decided to join this League together with the Spanish King and the Holy Roman
Emperor, as a way to conquest some territories in France.

Despite obtaining some victories over the French and the Scots, the League failed to make
much progress against France, and after the Pope died the League was disassembled.
Until this moment Catherine was the main advisor, thus being influenced by her father
Ferdinand, but this changed when Wosley gained power and advised to form an alliance
with France. This alliance was endured with the marriage of Henry´s daughter, Mary, and
the King Louis XII. This alliance resembles the strategies performed by Henry VII, although
it was not much productive because Louis died shortly after the wedding.

In 1518 in an attempt made by the Pope Leo X of defeating the Ottoman Empire by uniting
European powers, England was placed at the center of this new alliance, position which will
be kept and used later as mediator in the conflict between Francis I King of France and the
Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. This mediation had a famous meeting called the “Field of
the Cloth of Gold”, were England trying to obtain some profit of the conflict by diplomacy,
held this event which achieved little but was extremely expensive.

The war between France and the Holy Roman Empire began in 1521, with England
supporting the latter party. France was defeated and Charles became supreme in Europe,
needing no more of the English support. Henry intended to seize the French crown but he
lacked the financial means to do it, so he ordered Wosley to gather them. This attempt
through taxation provoked rebellions which, although being defeated, lessened Wosley’s
power and forced Henry to abandon his dreams.

CONCLUSION

As it has been developed, notorious differences can be established between Henry VII and
Henry VIII such as the form in which they both ascended to the throne, having Henry VII to
fight his way to the crown after a long period of unrest in England because of a civil war and
then present the kingdom to his country and to the rest of Europe, as stable and organized.
On the other hand Henry VII’s much peaceful arrival to the throne, in a wealthy stable
country, developed a different kind of kingship, where international affairs had a great deal
of importance in his decisions.

8
1° 4 Henry VII's and Henry VIII's reigns Santiago Moreno

Henry VII found a weak and disconnected-from-Europe-England, severely affected by the

Black Death, but he managed to take his kingdom to a central place in Europe´s power
pattern and ruled with efficient statesmanship to do so. Henry VII strengthened the
monarchy position in relation to nobility, centralizing the administration and allowing
England to overcome the previous difficult years of internal wars, not without stern
discipline and ruthlessness as in the case of taxation.

Continuity in the policies as well as in the ruling philosophy can be seen, mainly during the
first 20 years of Henry VIII, then a great deal of confusion and drama during Henry’s reign
originated in his compelling need for a male heir. His first marriage to Catherine, although
lasting 20 years, only produced one surviving daughter. Henry’s desire to marry again and
fulfill his need for a male heir, eventually led him to reject papal authority in England and
place himself as the supreme leader of the English church. The decision to break with
Rome threw the English society into a religious and social turmoil which lasted until Queen
Elizabeth I’s reign, and became the cornerstone for the Protestantism in England,
remaining as his most important legacy.

These impetuous decisions made by Henry VIII, signal several charismatic differences
between both rulers which together with very different contexts led to unexpected
outcomes. In the first case it was extremely difficult to foresee that Henry VII would emerge
as the king after the War of the Roses, and this could be compared to the issues suffered
by Henry VIII in relation to his male heir, both facts affecting England´s history.