Factional Struggle and the Death of Henry

Question 1

List of factional struggles

Answer 1

1540 - Cromwell
1542 - Katherine Howard
1543 - Cranmer
1544 - Gardiner
1545 - Katherine Parr
1546 - Gardiner again
1546-7 - Norfolk and Surrey

Question 2

Who won each factional struggle?

Answer 2

1. Conservatives
2. Reformers
3. Reformers
4. Conservatives
5. Reformers
6. Reformers
7. Reformers

Question 3

Explain how faction contributed to Cromwell’s downfall

Answer 3

The Howard family plotted against him (Thetford Priory) by arranging for the King to have an affair with Katherine Howard

Question 4

Explain how religion contributed to Cromwell’s downfall

Answer 4

Cromwell was ‘Vicegerent in Spirituals’, meaning he should have been enforcing the 6 Articles. Instead of doing this, however, he chose to harbour Protestants in Calais

Question 5

Explain how Henry VIII contributed to the fall of Cromwell

Answer 5

Felt let down by him (thought Cromwell humiliated him with the Anne of Cleves fiasco) and eventually ordered his execution

Question 6

Evidence that Henry may not have planned to execute Cromwell after the Anne of Cleves marriage?

Answer 6

Made him Baron Cromwell, Earl of Essex in 1540 - however, likely that this was just Henry giving Cromwell a false sense of security

Question 7

Explain factional struggle 1

Answer 7

Conservatives won - Cromwell was executed after the Howard family plotted against him

Question 8

Explain factional struggle 2

Answer 8

Reformers won - Katherine Howard executed and the Conservatives out of favour

Question 9

Explain factional struggle 3

Answer 9

Refomers won - Conservatives accused Cranmer of heresy. Henry VIII told Cranmer to investigate the case himself (and gave him a ring as a symbol of confidence). When Cromwell told Henry VIII that he was not guilty of heresy, the conservative faction were reprimanded (good example of Starkey’s ‘puppet master’)

Question 10

Explain factional struggle 4

Answer 10

Conservatives won, but no serious fallout for the reformers - Gardiner’s nephew had been executed for denying the royal supremacy. Cranmer, Suffolk and Herford accused Gardiner of sympathising with him. Gardiner begged for mercy and was pardoned by Henry.

Question 11

Explain factional struggle 5

Answer 11

Reformers won - Katherine Parr was openly Protestant (e.g. wrote book ‘Lamentations of a Sinner’), so the Conservatives wanted rid of her. They accused her of heresy and her death warrant was even drawn up. Katherine found out and begged for mercy, which Henry granted. Henry then allowed Wriothesley to come and arrest her to publicly humiliate him - ‘fool, knave, errant fool’ (good example of Starkey’s ‘puppet master’)

Question 12

Different ways Henry’s 1545 Parliament speech can be interpreted?

Answer 12

Starkey - speech given as a warning (‘puppet master’)

Other historians argue that he was clearly not in control as he was begging for factional fighting to end (quote from speech - ‘discord and dissention bears rule in every place’, he ‘heartily requires’ fighting to end)

Question 13

Explain factional struggle 6

Answer 13

Reformers won - Henry excluded Gardiner from the Privy Council for refusing to exchange land. This was very important as it excluded him from the regency council for Edward and left the conservatives without a clear leader.

Question 14

Explain factional struggle 7

Answer 14

Reformers won - Surrey executed and Norfolk in Tower, both accused of treason

Question 15

Historiography on Henry’s power during factional struggle?

Answer 15

Starkey - ‘puppet master’

Smith - ‘at best only in partial control of court intrigues’

Randall - ‘pathetic old man shamelessly exploited by those that were entrusted to help him’

Question 16

Evidence to corroborate Starkey’s ‘puppet master’

Answer 16

Factional struggles 3 and 5 (Cranmer and Katherine Parr)

Asserted his own religious beliefs at the end of his reign (6 Arts, Adv of True Religion)

Directing foreign policy in Boulogne

Happy to bring down hugely influential figures like Cromwell, Norfolk, Surrey, showing extent of power

Withheld his signature on the will to control PC members

Got rid of Yorkist threat - executed Margaret Pole after Wakefield Plot, put Edward Courtenay in Tower

Question 17

Evidence to corroborate ‘partial control’ or ‘shamelessly exploited’?

Answer 17

People like Paget (left space in will to add things Henry wasn’t aware of, like adding Thomas Seymour to the Regency Council) and Denny (dry stamp) held too much power, able to manipulate will

Parliament speech - begging for factional fighting to end (‘discord and dissention bears rule in every place’)

Important nobles like Norfolk and Surrey accused of treason - serious threat to his power

Wakefield Plot threatened Henry’s authority (the fact that Henry soon afterwards embarked on an armed progress to the North shows that it worried him)

Henry’s death kept secret for 3 days by overly-powerful PC members