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

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

Henry VII’s 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 VII’s was primarily to secure the throne for his male heir but Henry VIII’s 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 king’s 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.

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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 VII’s treaty obligation it was however the first sign the Henry was unlikely to follow in his father’s footsteps. After the death of Henry VIII’s older brother, Catherine of Argon was widowed, through Henry VII’s greed for money he demanded that she could not remarry the younger son unless another dowry was paid. Her father’s refusal condemned her to the tower of London and only with Henry VIII’s rise to monarch was she freed ...

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