Politics under Henry VIII, Edward VI and Mary I

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How fragile was the authority of the rulers of England 1536 – 1558?

A ruler’s authority and standing is dependent on the supportof the public and of their ministers. Fragility of this authority can occuras a result of the removal of one or both of these supporting parties. From the Pilgrimage of Grace in 1536, under Cromwell and Henry VIII, the country was rules by Edward VI and then Mary I. With illness, Henry became more dependent on his ministers. When his son, Edward, came to the throne, he was too young to rule and Somerset and then Northumberland effectively took the place of ruler. When Mary took the throne from the nine days queen, Lady Jane Grey, she was a woman taking on a traditionally male role.Factors apart from the fundamental support of ministers and subjects canaffect a ruler’s authority. Foreign policy, economic situation and the ruler’s own personality can all affect the fragility of authority.

The Pilgrimage of Grace in 1536 was a definite threat to Henry VIII’s authority as the causes were so wide ranging. Any dispute was added to the cause of the rebellion, for instance enclosures, removal of local liberties and the dissolution of monasteries. With so many views and people included in this uprising, it was unwelcome proof of unrest within the country. The Lincolnshire Uprising was quickly put down, but the Yorkshire Uprising lasted longer with more widespread support. The rebels were told that their requests were too general. In December 1536, 24 Articles were drawn up and taken to the Duke of Norfolk for consideration. Henry asked Robert Aske to report on exact details of requirements, which actually helped Henry to pinpoint blame. While covering this action with the lie that the information was to enable Henry to understand the public, the support of the rebels and Aske was won as military power was regained in the North. Despite the threat to Henry VIII’s authority posed by the rebellions, in some ways his position was strengthened. Henry VIII exercised more caution in religious policy and saved his authority from a critical position by tricking the rebels into revealing names and events. Henry’s religious authority was also increased by the fact that there was no papal authority in England.

Cromwell had influence over Henry VIII, but at the same time as obeying his master’s wishes, he took the initiative in policy making. Elton believes that at Cromwell’s fall, Henry VIII “destroyed the efficiency and the purpose of his government”. After the expense of wars entered into after Cromwell, Henry ruined Cromwell’s advances in the economy by spending huge amounts and then taking out loans on the Antwerp market. The coinage was also debased. While Henry had control of his finance, his mismanagement of the money in his control meant that the power of his country as a whole was reduced. With the country’s wealth and financial independence ruined, the quality of the leadership must have seemed doubtful to the public.

Henry’s personal relationship with Catherine Howard was a weakness in his authority. His love blinded him and he granted her every political wish she had. In fact these wishes were actually those of her family and through Catherine, this faction could influence Henry. Internal rivalry was a threat to Henry’s authority in more than one area. Henry dissolved neither Protestant nor Catholic factions and there was also rivalry between the Court and country parties. As Henry’s health deteriorated, his increasing weakness meant an increasing reliance on ministers. His authority weakened as a result. Denny was able to control who or what came into contact with Henry. Approval of documents essentially fell to Denny as he was in the possession of Henry’s rubber stamp.

The first and most fundamental threat to Edward VI’s authority was his age. His youth made him inexperienced and therefore easy to manipulate. His first minister, the Protector Somerset was mostly interested in his own gains, he “enriched himself and his supporters” (C.R.N. Routh). Paradoxically, his successor, Northumberland, was more concerned with working for Edward. Somerset was responsible for Parliament and used this power for his own ends. However, he succeeded in politically isolating himself. Law and order was dependent on the support and efficiency of the local gentry. Higher up the political ranks, factionalism was dissolved when Somerset fused the Court and Privy Council. This prevented the possible attack on the ruler’s authority from opposing viewpoints.

In 1547, the Treason Act repealed Henry VIII’s treason, heresy and censorship laws. Protestants were then able to discuss and demand reforms more freely – the act may even have encouraged rebellion. The control that the monarch had over the Church dwindled somewhat as opposite views could be expressed more freely. 1549 was seen as a year of revolts, the Western Rising and Kett’s Rebellion to name but two. The main bones of contention were religious policies, enclosures and rents, although once again any grievance was added to the cause. The offers of pardons to the rebels led to accusations against Somerset of sympathy with the rebels. The number of proclamations made during Somerset’s time in power also signified a weakness in government as Parliament was used little.

Northumberland took definite steps to strengthen his authority. In 1550 the Treason Act restored censorship. This gave the local authorities more power. In contrast to Somerset, Northumberland worked closely with Parliament and councils and members of the Council were chosen with military experience. In the event of rebellion, support was be ensured. Elton noted that “he undertook a review of the dilapidated administration of the country”. In an effort to ensure Edward’s political strength, Northumberland “began the political education of Edward VI by encouraging him to attend council meetings” (Lockyer).

According to Elton, Northumberland “displayed every unpleasant personal characteristic”, yet he was a far more efficient worker than his predecessor. Administration and financial efficiency were improved and he was not afraid to delegate responsibility in areas where he was not so experienced. The straight forward approach to his work ensured that his and Edward’s authority was difficult to question.

Mary I came to the throne in 1553. Her marriage to Philip I of Spain had many implications. In 1554, there were anti-Spanish rebellions by the elite and Mary was too personally involved with Philip to fully protect her country. For the marriage to go ahead, England had to support the Habsburg war with France. While the marriage was unpopular within the realm, the marriage was a personal success for Mary.

River navigation and roads were improved during Mary’s reign. Thus communications were improved and policies stood a better chanceof being supported as changes would be known quicker and communications on a local to royal, and vice versa, level would be more reliable. However, politics were not of the utmost importance to Mary, “politics were an aspect of religion and morality” (Lockyer). The increased size of the Privy Council simply made it inefficient. Releasing Catholic political prisoners such as the Duke of Norfolk served to strengthen the Catholic faith and, therefore, Mary’s authority. One downfall in her religious policy, however, was the fact that the persecution of the Protestants only served to make them martyrs and strengthened the religion she wished to destroy.

In contrast to her father’s destruction of England’s economy, Mary’s policies revived the economy at a time when silver and raw materials were arriving from the New World. Another example is the introduction of a new Book of Rates issued in 1558. This alone raised £56,000. However, once again, Mary’s ties with Philip also had negative effects. Trade was restricted for fear of offending Spain and Portugal. The fact that her marriage affected her authority showed that Mary was influenced by a foreigner and did not always manage to keep the interests of her country as her priority.

Henry VIII’s illness and character were his main downfall. His love for Catherine Howard led to him effectively granting political wishes for her family’s faction. At the end of his reign, when his illnesses incapacitated him, Henry was at the mercy of his ministers. It was at this time that his authority was at its most fragile. Like both his son and daughter, Henry’s authority fluctuated. At the beginning of his reign, he was a strong dominant leader. However, in later years, had the support of his ministers vanished, the country would have been thrown into disarray. The power which was held over Henry by Denny and so on was also had a direct ramification on his authority. As his visitors and even paperwork were essentially controlled by Denny, Denny held the upper hand. During Edward VI’s reign, Somerset and then Northumberland played a vital role in ruling the country. Somerset was out for his own gain rather than Northumberland who worked for Edward. Edward’s increased age may account for some of this, but towards the end of his life, he became ill and had to rely on ministers to carry out his responsibilities. Mary also was influenced by her husband. This upset many of her subjects, but despite rebellion, Mary’s authority overall remained fairly stable as she made progress in many areas.

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