The Reign of Henry VIII: Personalities and Politics

click here for more details, find new or used items	David Starkey Our price £5.99 (£7.99) New from £3.05 Used from £3.00 Pages: 176 (Paperback) ISBN: 0099445107 Pub: Vintage Pub date: 2002-10-03 Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 20219

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Great overview of the politics of Henry VIII's reign (12/12 people found this helpful)

`The Reign of Henry VIII: Personalities and Politics' is a short examination into the various influential persons and factions that shaped the politics of Henry VIII's reign.

The book at first appears rather short, being only 145 pages long. Yet Starkey is able to chart the rise and decline of various notable figures in Henry's reign and of the groups that tried to exert their ideas upon the king and in official policy.

Starkey first examines the situation early on in Henry's reign, where he presents a young king who is more engrossed in image and in pastimes rather than absorbed in the meticulous running of the state. A comparison is created between Henry and his father Henry VII, who unlike his son, was concerned in curbing the power of he nobility rather than associating himself to much with them. Henry VIII enjoyed the company of aristocrats and soon become close to a group of young hot headed noblemen. In contrast his father, who was always carefully to get too dependant upon anyone, preferred to work with bureaucrats. Father and son could not be more different.

Starkey's examination of Henry VIII's `intimates' is excellent; in particular his focus on how Thomas Wolsey attempted to curb their power. Henry enjoyed hunting and jousting with his male friends, and whilst he certainly possessed the intellectual capabilities to conduct state affairs, he found them unappealing. Thomas Wolsey, Henry's leading minister and Lord Chancellor of England till 1529, encouraged Henry in his pursuits and readily took up the business of government. Yet simultaneously he continuously kept an eye on how Henry's friends influenced him. Hostility increased between Wolsey and the intimates, or `minions' as Starkey labels them, and Wolsey attempted to drive them from the Privy Chamber. Sometimes he is successful in driving his enemies away temporarily and maintaining the king's affections. But as Starkey observes, the rise of the Boleyn faction in the late 1520s, marked the end for Wolsey.

As the title of the book suggests, a large element of the work focuses upon personalities that shaped Henry's reign. Unsurprisingly three chapters are reserved to three remarkable individuals; Thomas Wolsey, Anne Boleyn and Thomas Cromwell. Each played a significant role in their respective factions. Starkey covers them well and often referrers to other notable historian's views on each individual and/or situation. Anne Boleyn's level of influence and participation within her own faction and against her enemies is well examined. And Cromwell is presented in rather a balanced way; on one hand he was able to brilliantly put himself forward as Wolsey's successor, gained the loyalty of several, managed to orchestrate the downfall of several conservatives in 1539 whilst simultaneously pushing forward his reformist preferences. Yet he was also ruthless, particularly in his involvement in the bloody coup of April- May 1536, which saw the fall of Anne Boleyn and those closely affiliated to her.

One of the disappointing aspects is that Anne Boleyn's downfall is covered rather quickly even though this issue is one of controversial debate amongst several historians. There is something that doesn't quite fit about the assertion that Cromwell wished to overthrow Anne because of her foreign policy preferences. I think that was certainly his excuse to other people but Anne's pro-French attitude wasn't that evident months prior to her death. Instead when the Anglo-Spanish talks were renewed in 1535 she made no public protest about such actions and even is said to have made a statement in public against the French. Yet Starkey suggests that Cromwell was happy to see Anne fall on the grounds that she was pro-French and that he was more inclined to Spain, completely ignoring though her recent cool attitudes towards the French. Whilst he addresses well Cromwell's involvement in Anne's downfall, his reasons as to why Cromwell did this are debatable.

For much of Henry's reign, there was fierce conflict between two chief factions; the reformists and the conservatives. As their titles suggest, each faction were concerned with religion. Conservatives pressed for the continuation of traditional elements and practises of the Catholic Church, and some within this even desired a return to Rome, whilst reformers were engrossed with the new ideas from Germany and were dedicated to reforming the church of popish elements. Throughout the 1540s each group rose and fell in influence and Starkey is able to chart the progress of each faction in a comprehensible manner. Eventually we see the emergence of a conservative Council and a reformist Privy Chamber and Starkey excellently describes how the situation was able to change so by 1547 the king was surrounded by reformers who were able to profit by meddling with his will and exert their ideas in the next reign.

Overall Starkey's work on the politics and personalities of Henry VIII's reign is a fantastic study. This book is ideal for those with little knowledge on Henry's reign as it is written in an accessible manner. For those who already possess a good grasp of knowledge on this era, then you will probably not learn anything that new, however several interesting theories are proposed that are well worth a look. This is not a biography on Henry VIII or his six wives, and if you are particularly interested in the lives of these women then I really recommend Starkey's other work on that subject. Instead it focuses upon the changing structure of the Henrician court and the politics.


What leaves you thinking is Starkey's final comparison between Henry VIII's will, which was meddled with by his councillors, and with his reign. Was he a man of such power that he could make men rich and powerful with the intention of being able to control this power and removing them if they became over mighty? Or was he a monarch who was forever influenced by others and he could never control this confusing situation? It becomes apparent throughout the book that neither idea can be fully rejected. Which leaves the uncomfortable notion; if Henry was occasionally influenced by others and his reign was shaped by other personalities and factions, then can he still be seen as this all powerful tyrant? And bearing in mind the sheer level of backstabbing that went in throughout the years 1509-1547, who at court were really the villains and the victims? The great game of Tudor politics was exceedingly perilous and murky.

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