Henry VIII's Crown and Parliament - A level History

Summary

This script discusses the early government of Henry VIII, focusing on his relationship with Parliament and how he altered the strong conciliar government inherited from Henry VII. Key ministers like Thomas Wolsey and Thomas Cromwell played significant roles in Henry VIII's administration, with Wolsey's Alpha ordinances of 1526 aiming to reorganize the Crown's administration. Henry VIII's reign saw Parliament called more frequently and for longer durations, marking a shift in parliamentary power and setting the stage for future sovereignty.

Takeaways

• 👑 Henry VII left a strong and stable government to Henry VIII, including experienced ministers like Sir John Heron.
• 🏰 The conciliar government under Henry VII was centered around the king with councils advising him and branching into different versions like the Grand Council.
• 👨‍✈️ Henry VIII preferred to employ talented ministers like Thomas Wolsey and Thomas Cromwell to run the government on his behalf due to his reluctance for long government hours.
• 📜 Wolsey's early governmental policies, including the Eltham Ordinances in 1526, aimed to reorganize the Crown's administration and finance, boosting his popularity.
• 🏛️ Parliament was called more frequently under Henry VIII (nine times) compared to Henry VII (seven times), with sessions lasting longer periods.
• 🛠️ The Reformation Parliament, which sat from 1529 to 1536, was a significant example of the extended sessions under Henry VIII's reign.
• 🌟 Wolsey's influence in the council was significant before becoming the main figure, contributing to his prestige and popularity.
• 📈 The use of parliamentary powers expanded under Henry VIII, laying the groundwork for future shifts in sovereignty from the monarch to Parliament.
• 🔄 Henry VIII's reign marked a revolutionary period for Parliament, with a significant increase in the use and duration of parliamentary sessions.
• 👥 Other ministers besides Wolsey and Cromwell had influence, but their impact was not as pronounced as the two main ministers.

Q & A

What was the nature of the government inherited by Henry the Eighth?

Henry the Eighth inherited a strong and stable government from his father, Henry the Seventh, which included ministers who served under both reigns, such as Sir John Heron.

How did Henry the Seventh's government differ from Henry the Eighth's in terms of council interaction?

Henry the Seventh was prepared to work closely with his council, while Henry the Eighth preferred to delegate governance tasks to talented ministers, showing a more hands-off approach.

Who were the two main ministers that ran the government under Henry the Eighth?

The two main ministers who ran the government under Henry the Eighth were Thomas Wolsey and Thomas Cromwell.

What significant action did Wolsey take that boosted his popularity with Henry the Eighth?

Wolsey established the Eltham Ordinances in 1526, which aimed to reorganize the Crown's administration and finance, thus boosting his prestige and popularity.

How did the frequency and duration of Parliament sessions differ between Henry the Seventh and Henry the Eighth?

Under Henry the Eighth, Parliament was called nine times and sat for longer periods, such as the Reformation Parliament which lasted from 1529 to 1536. In contrast, under Henry the Seventh, Parliament was called seven times and sessions were brief, often lasting only a few months.

What was the significance of the Eltham Ordinances in Wolsey's early government?

The Eltham Ordinances represented a fresh start for Henry the Eighth's government and were a key factor in Wolsey's rise to prominence within the council.

How did the role of Parliament evolve during Henry the Eighth's reign?

During Henry the Eighth's reign, Parliament saw a significant increase in its use and power, particularly in the 1530s, which laid the groundwork for later shifts in sovereignty from the monarch to Parliament.

What was the structure of the conciliar government as described in the script?

The conciliar government was structured with the king at the top, followed by his council, which advised the king. This structure branched out into different versions of the council, such as the Privy Council, and also included Parliament.

Why was Henry the Eighth considered 'lazy' in terms of governance?

Henry the Eighth was considered 'lazy' because he was not prepared for the long hours required for governance and preferred to employ ministers to run the government on his behalf.

How did the relationship between the king and his council change from Henry the Seventh to Henry the Eighth?

The relationship changed as Henry the Seventh was more inclined to work with his council, while Henry the Eighth delegated more authority to ministers, indicating a shift in the dynamic between the king and his council.

What was the role of Sir John Heron in the government under both Henry the Seventh and Henry the Eighth?

Sir John Heron served as a minister under both Henry the Seventh and Henry the Eighth, illustrating continuity in the government between the two reigns.

Outlines

00:00

👑 Early Government of Henry VIII

This paragraph discusses the early government of Henry VIII, focusing on his relationship with the crown and Parliament. It mentions that Henry VIII inherited a strong and stable government from his father, Henry VII, which included ministers like Sir John Heron. The paragraph explains the conciliar government model where the king is at the center, with a council to advise him and various branches of the council. It contrasts Henry VII's willingness to work with his council with Henry VIII's preference for employing ministers like Thomas Wolsey and Thomas Cromwell to run the government. Wolsey's establishment of the Eltham Ordinances in 1526 is highlighted as a significant early policy that boosted his popularity. The paragraph also touches on the increased frequency and duration of Parliament sessions under Henry VIII compared to his father.

05:04

🏛️ The Evolution of Parliament under Henry VIII

This paragraph delves into the changes in Parliament during Henry VIII's reign, suggesting it was a revolutionary period for the institution's powers. It contrasts the number of times Parliament was called under Henry VII (seven times) with Henry VIII (nine times), noting that the sessions under Henry VIII lasted longer. The Reformation Parliament, which lasted from 1529 to 1536, is mentioned as an example. Historians view this era as a stepping stone towards Parliament gaining sovereignty and reducing the monarch's powers, which would become more pronounced in later periods.

Keywords

💡Henry the Eighth

Henry the Eighth, also known as Henry VIII, was King of England from 1509 to 1547. He is a central figure in the video's discussion of early government and his relation to Parliament. His reign is marked by significant changes to the English government structure, including his break with the Roman Catholic Church, leading to the establishment of the Church of England.

💡Conciliar Government

Conciliar government refers to a system where the monarch is advised by a council of advisors. In the context of the video, it highlights the governance style of Henry VII, where the council played a significant role in advising the king. This system is contrasted with Henry VIII's approach, which leaned more heavily on individual ministers.

💡Sir John Heron

Sir John Heron is mentioned as an example of a minister who served under both Henry VII and Henry VIII, illustrating continuity in the government. His mention helps to underscore the stability of the government inherited by Henry VIII from his father.

💡Thomas Wolsey

Thomas Wolsey was a key minister under Henry VIII and played a significant role in the early government policies. He is noted for his efforts in the Reformation and for establishing the Eltham Ordinances in 1526, which aimed to reorganize the Crown's administration and finances.

💡Thomas Cromwell

Thomas Cromwell succeeded Wolsey as a principal minister and is highlighted in the video for his influence in Henry VIII's council. His role is pivotal in the narrative of how the government evolved under Henry VIII, showing a shift from conciliar to more centralized ministerial control.

💡Eltham Ordinances

The Eltham Ordinances were a set of policies established by Wolsey in 1526. They are mentioned in the video as an example of early governmental policies that boosted Wolsey's popularity and prestige. They represent an attempt to reorganize the Crown's administration and financial role.

💡Parliament

Parliament is the legislative body in the UK, and its role and relationship with the monarchy is a key theme in the video. The script discusses how Henry VIII's reign saw Parliament called more frequently and sitting for longer periods, which was a departure from Henry VII's reign and had significant implications for the development of parliamentary powers.

💡Reformation

The Reformation refers to the 16th-century religious movement that led to the creation of Protestant churches. In the video, it is mentioned in relation to Wolsey's actions and the broader changes in the English church under Henry VIII, which had profound effects on the government and society.

💡Reformation Parliament

The Reformation Parliament, summoned in 1529 and dismissed in 1536, is highlighted as an example of the longer-lasting Parliaments under Henry VIII. This Parliament is significant for its role in the English Reformation and for the extensive use of parliamentary powers during Henry VIII's reign.

💡Sovereignty

Sovereignty, in the context of the video, refers to the supreme power or authority. The script suggests that the increased use of parliamentary powers under Henry VIII was a stepping-stone towards a shift in sovereignty from the monarch to Parliament, which is a significant development in the history of the UK's constitutional monarchy.

Highlights

Henry the Eighth inherited a strong and stable government from his father, Henry the Seventh.

Henry the Seventh's government included ministers who served under both his and his son's reign, such as Sir John Heron.

Henry the Seventh's government was centered around a conciliar system with the king at the top.

The conciliar government consisted of different councils advising the king, including the Privy Council and the Great Council.

Henry the Eighth preferred to employ talented ministers to run the government on his behalf due to his lack of interest in the long hours of governance.

Thomas Wolsey and Thomas Cromwell were the two main ministers who ran the government under Henry the Eighth.

Wolsey established the Eltham Ordinances in 1526 to reorganize the Crown's administration and finances.

The Eltham Ordinances were significant in boosting Wolsey's popularity and prestige within Henry the Eighth's government.

Under Henry the Eighth, Parliament was called nine times, compared to seven times under Henry the Seventh.

Parliaments during Henry the Eighth's reign sat for longer periods, with some lasting up to three years.

The Reformation Parliament, which sat from 1529 to 1536, was one of the longest-lasting Parliaments of Henry the Eighth's reign.

The increased frequency and duration of Parliaments under Henry the Eighth marked a revolutionary period for the institution.

The use of parliamentary powers under Henry the Eighth laid the groundwork for the future shift of sovereignty from the monarch to Parliament.

The contrast between Henry the Seventh's and Henry the Eighth's approach to governance highlights a significant change in the role of the monarchy.

The influence of Wolsey and Cromwell on Henry the Eighth's government was substantial, shaping the political landscape of the time.

The administrative reforms under Wolsey were a fresh start for the government and set the stage for further changes.

Transcripts

what want to do here is talk about the

early government of Henry the eighth and

specifically hid the crown and his

relation to Parliament and also touch

upon part of him with the seventh legacy

about the strong and stable conciliar

government and what Henry the eighth

really did with it to destroy that part

of his legacy

so like I've just said the strong and

stable government was inherited so Henry

the seventh did leave a strong and

stable government okay and this did

include ministers that were reigning

under his father

for example Sir John Heron comes to mind

as a good example as a terrible circle

so oopsy-daisy

so John Heron comes to mind as a good

example of a minister who reigned and

ruled under Henry the seventh and also

under Henry the eighth for a time and we

also need to touch upon Henry the

seventh government being centered around

him

so I mentioned this a little bit in the

last video the idea of the conciliar

government let me just draw go down here

so we have a conciliar government

conciliar government and while this

meant was you'd have the king at the top

of the food chain

you'd have his council there was just

there to advise the king and then we

branched this out into different

versions of the council for the

councillor nerd the grand council or the

Great Council and then we also have

Parliament okay and this really is a

very basic diagram of how the conciliar

government works and with all these

different components the main component

the center of it all is the king that is

Henry the seventh okay however Henry the

eighth didn't really do this because

Henry the seventh was prepared to work

with his council to go

England Henry the eighth wasn't quite

the same he wasn't prepared for the long

hours that were required for government

he was quite lazy in that regard when it

came to being a king he much preferred

employing talented ministers to run the

government on his behalf

okay and there were two main ministers

who ran the government under Henry the

eighth

the first was Thomas Wolsey who ran for

a time who did a number of things with

regard to the Reformation and will go

into a lot of detail about these two

specifically and then second we have

Thomas Cromwell now there were other

ministers that did have influence but

the main influence in Henry Eights

council was Wolsey and Cromwell okay now

at the start with Wolsey we have a

number of early governmental policies

that were created that were important

that gave was a a boost in regard to his

popularity with in the eyes of Henry the

8th so he established what was known as

the Alpha ordinances this was in 1526

and it was an attempt to just reorganize

the Crown's administration and role

finance and we did distribute his

administration as well it was it was a

almost like a fresh start for his

government and we'll get like I said

we're gonna have a look at the ministers

in more detail in later videos but one

thing you need to look at specifically

the early government under Wolsey is the

establishment of the elfin ordinances

and this wasn't this was a period when

there was a time when Wolsey hadn't

become the main figure in the council he

was just as important as any other

councillor within his government this

was really one of the things that gave

him popularity and boosted his prestige

and now there are no more things need to

talk about with regard to Parliament as

well and how these two that Parliament

of him of the 8th and Henry the seventh

differ

so during the Henry the eighth's reign

Parliament was called nine times and

this is only this is compared to seven

times seven times under Henry seventh so

seven times under Henry seven to nine

times under Henry eighth the thing is

those nine times they were called the

parliaments sat for longer periods

whereas the times under Henry the

seventh we see very brief few month

Parliament's these last three years

for example the Reformation Parliament

which is something we're going to talk

about again in a later video was

summoned in 1529 and was dismissed in

1536 so this was one of these nine

Parliament's which meant that which

meant that the Parliament's of Henry a

train across collectively if we sum them

all up sat for a vast majority of his

reign and so historians suggest that

this era of the Parliament under Henry

the eighth was seen as sort of a

revolutionary period for Parliament

specifically for the powers of

Parliament because within the fifteen

thirty specifically we see a vast use of

parliament and vast used of

parliamentary powers under Henry the

eighth which is almost as a

stepping-stone to be able to take away

powers from the monarch and give

sovereignty to Parliament which is

something that would later happen in a

lot more detail