To what extent can Wolsey be considered the master rather than the servant in policy decisions under Henry VIII

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To what extent can Wolsey be considered the “master rather than the servant” in policy decisions under Henry VIII

From humble beginnings as the son of an Ipswich butcher, through his meteoric rise in the royal court, to his unrivalled position in the English Church, Thomas Wolsey has often been seen as a controversial and derided figure.  Some see him as “alter rex”, or second king, the real power behind the throne, while others view him as the puppet of Henry VIII, always prepared to do as the King bid.  This essay will look at the rise, career and subsequent downfall of Thomas Wolsey in order to examine the extent to which he was the master rather than the servant in policy decision made under Henry VIII.

Thomas Wolsey was born in about 1472, the son of an Ipswich butcher and owing to his high intellect, was sent to Magdalen College, Oxford, where he achieved academic success and graduated with a BA (Gwyn, 2002). He was ordained as a priest in 1498 and one of his first positions was in service to Richard Nanfan, governor of Calais (Elton, 1991, Guy, 1990, Gwyn, 2002).  On Nanfan’s death in 1507, Wolsey made the significant move to the royal household, becoming chaplain to Henry VII (ibid).  He made a considerable impression on the King who, recognising Wolsey’s diplomatic skill, sent him on missions to the Low Countries and Scotland.  Gwyn (2002) suggests that Henry VII took Wolsey’s opinions seriously as he was rewarded with the Deanship of Lincoln in 1509.  The death of Henry VII could have been the end of Wolsey’s rise, but the new King, Henry VIII, made him almoner and a member of the council (Elton, 1991).  This is the point from where Wolsey’s career escalated (Gwyn, 2002).

In order to answer the question of Wolsey’s role, it is also necessary to understand the personality and aspirations of Henry VIII.  On his succession, Henry was young and vibrant and he fully enjoyed the leisure pursuits of royalty, leaving the day to day administration of England to his advisors and in particular Thomas Wolsey (Lotherington, 2003).  However, Gwyn (2002) argues that Henry was not a lazy king, despite his councillors sometimes becoming exasperated with his unwillingness to read or sign any official documents, he showed great attention to business and was very much in control of policy.  However, Wolsey’s central role with the council and his willingness to take on the administration of government work also worked to his advantage as he was aware of all the issues Henry faced and as Starkey (2002, pp 43) argues, this was a “heaven sent opportunity”.

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Critics of Wolsey point to his overt shows of wealth as evidence of his “alter kingship”.  As Tarr (2003) states, Wolsey kept a household employing 500 servants, dressed in fine robes, enjoyed good food and wine and lived in sumptuous palaces, this was in Wolsey’s opinion, necessary so foreign representatives would “make glorious report in their country to the King’s honour and that of his realm”.  Again it is arguable that Wolsey saw this ostentation as part of the job to reflect the image of Henry and England in a positive light abroad.

One of the earliest examples of Wolsey’s ...

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