How far did Henry VIII continue the policies of his father 1509-1514 Essay Example

How far did Henry VIII continue the policies of his father 1509 How far did Henry VIII continue the policies of his father 1509-1514 Essay How far did Henry VIII continue the policies of his father 1509-1514 Essay Essay Topic: History Henry VIIs domestic and foreign policies were primarily driven by greed. His ritualistic counting of coins in the bedroom was his favourite past time and through his desire to be wealthy, he would go to great lengths, regardless of how unpopular he became, to achieve it. Henry VII ruled England atypically and was unimpressed by the widely respected chilvary of his predecessors, more concerned with security, he spent much of his time calming down risings in his own country. Henry VIII however, was in awe of great warriors such as Henry V and The black prince; he believed that a king must fight to prove himself and strove throughout his reign to emulate the respect and military prowess of his heroes. I consider that the fundamental differences in character and politics between the two kings will help to explain why Henry did or did not continue the policies of his father between 1509-1514. Both Kings had very different aims when they came to the throne, Henry VIIs was primarily to secure the throne for his male heir but Henry VIIIs aims were far more ambitious. He had grown up hearing of tales of The black prince and the great triumphs of Henry V, so at the age of seventeen years and nine months, Henry was determined to emulate the success of his contemporaries. He strongly believed in the English kings ancient claims to the French throne and was determined to claim it. Henry VII in contrast however, had no such ambitious and was relatively uninterested in foreign war and the French crown; he placed far more importance of establishing himself and his heir as the rightful succession on the throne. In domestic policy the two kings differed less perhaps than in foreign. Henry began his reign by marrying Catherine of Argon although this fulfilled Henry VIIs treaty obligation it was however the first sign the Henry was unlikely to follow in his fathers footsteps. After the death of Henry VIIIs older brother, Catherine of Argon was widowed, through Henry VIIs greed for money he demanded that she could not remarry the younger son unless another dowry was paid. Her fathers refusal condemned her to the tower of London and only with Henry VIIIs rise to monarch was she freed and married. This perhaps was a sign from Henry, since he made a point that his first action would go against the wishes of his father. Henry VII had famously never got along with the nobility largely due to the large taxes he continued to place upon them during his reign, the tax collectors Epson and Dudley were executed once Henry VIII was in power. Their removal was a calculated ploy to enable the new regime profit from the stability won by Henry VII without incurring any of its attendant stigma. Henry VIII did therefore inherit a far more peaceful and united England than his father did in 1485. Henry VII inherited a far less stable England and throughout his reign he continued to suppress uprisings from impersonators such as Perkin and Warbeck and was constantly under the threat of other claimants to the throne. The execution of Empson and Dudley demonstrated that Henry sought to create new links with the nobility in spite of his fathers dislike and mistrust. His father had been so wary of the nobility in high places that he had set up The council learned, made up of professionals with whom he would converse with about policys rather than the nobility. Henry VIII also dissolved this, as well as removing many of the bonds his father had placed to tax the nobles. He did however not remove them all, perhaps an indication that he was not all that dissimilar from his father in some respects. Henry VIIs desire for money bordered on an obsession for him and he even threatened, though never planned to follow up, war with France in the October war in order to get a regular pension if he promised not to invade. He was meticulous with money and taxed whenever he could, perhaps the main reason he was so uninterested in war was because it was so expensive. Henry VIII in stark contrast however was very extravagant and felt the best way money could be spent was on war. He had very little interest in the administrative side, he loathed writing letters and persuading him to write his signature was a taxing situation for his council. Henry VIII allowed his council the freedom to initiate policy on many matters, far more so than Henry VII. As a much younger king he indulged in sports such as jousting and hunting and spent little time contemplating policy. Through his love of sports he had exposure to many of the nobles and it helped him create good relations with them. It was in fact the nobles influence, which encouraged Henrys desire for the French crown, something his father had shown little interest in. Henry VIIs foreign policy was principally the maintenance of international security and when England was relegated to a second rate power as Spain rose to become Frances main rival, Henry VII was unconcerned. He was not interested in establishing England as a great power, nor was he interested in being recognised among the other rulers in Europe, his son however was rather different. Due to Henry VIIIs insecurity, he was desperate for recognition and glory. Frustrated at Englands irrelevant position in Europe and little power he resolved to make England great again. In 1513, the chief advisor to the king and Lord Chancellor, Wolsey ordinated Henrys invasion of France, where Henry gained the occupation of Therouanne and Tournai. Although these conquests were of little strategic value, Henry prided himself on his victory and felt that he was a step closer to establishing himself as a great warrior. His father had signed a one-year true with France in January 1489 and when he died he had left his son in a position where he was in good relations with the powers of Europe. He had maintained the triangular alliance that he had so craved after several claimants to the throne had been backed by foreign powers. He was acutely aware of his vulnerable border with Scotland due to its French alliance and had been meticulous in creating security for himself and his heir. Henry VIII however desired no such alliances and this was evident by his wars with France and Scotland in 1513. As a result of the war with France, they began to repay the pension that Henry VII had threatened to go to war for all those years ago. In this respect perhaps, Henry did continue the policies of his father to some extent. However the war with Scotland did not however, as his father had always tried to ensure good relations between them due to their precarious border and alliance with the French. The war with Scotland, the Battle of Flodden took place on 9th of September 1513 and saw the massacre of King James and his son the Archbishop of St. Andrews, another bishop, two abbots, twelve earls, fourteen lords almost the whole Scottish aristocracy and knights, gentlemen and commons. On 22nd of August that year James IV had crossed the border to England near Coldstream with 20. 000 men. The Earl of Surrey, who had already fought in the War of Roses yet 70 years old marched north carrying the banner of St. Cuthbert, led England to victory. Although Thomas Cromwell called both wars ungracious dogholes in 1523, Henry was thrilled. Afterwards he negotiated a treaty of peace between Louis XII and recovered the French pension. As Henry VIIIs reign unfolded, he added imperial concepts of kingship to existing feudal ones and he strove to give meaning to the words Rex imperator, unheard of since the Roman empire and it is I consider through these chivalrous dreams that he went to war with France and Scotland in 1513. Henry VII and Henry VIII had very different ideas of what was expected from a king and I consider that although Henry VII had restored stability and royal authority, it may have been for reasons of character as much as policy that his son resolved to augment his regal power. Henry VII desire for stability and money meant that he had little interest in the danger and expense of war, his sons more traditional views and imperialistic concepts of kingship craved recognitions a great warrior like his hero Henry V. These differences explain the very different foreign policies of the kings as well as much of their domestic policies and although Henry did not abolish all his fathers taxes, he did destroy the careful alliances he had built up through his reign. For these reason therefore I consider that Henry VIII did not continue the policies of his father to a great extent, if at all and that their fundamental principles and politics varied greatly.