Comparing Henry VIII's Government in 1509 to 1514 to His Father's

Comparing Henry VIII's Government in 1509 to 1514 to His Father's

From the transition of Old king to Young king we can assume there will

be lots of differences in the personalities between Henry VII and

Henry VIII, these differences are what makes Henry VIII's policies and

government different to that of his father. Henry's personality was

quite amazing, his intelligence, learning and curiosity impressed the

ambassadors who littered his court, and his thirst for knowledge was

insatiable. Like his father, he was caught in the transition from

medieval England to renaissance England. And like his father, he was

well-versed in English history and desperate to continue the Tudor

dynasty, to secure his claims to Ireland, Scotland, and France, to

raise England to the status of its continental neighbors, and to

expand his God-given right to rule all Englishmen.

'I have no fear but when you heard that our Prince, now Henry the

Eighth, whom we may call our Octavius, had succeeded to his father's

throne all your melancholy left you at once.' Lord Mountjoy to

Erasmus, 1509.

The new king was seen as a good king and although inexperienced a good

leader in the future.

For Years Henry VII had been imposing heavy taxes on the English

through Bonds and Recognisances, making the nobility sign a contract

of good behavior otherwise face fines with the help of the council

learned in Law, headed by Richard Empson and Edmund Dudley. Henry VII

had a carrot and stick policy with the nobility; he tempted them and

kept them happy with the carrot, while beating them and keeping then

in control with his stick. He was worried about the threat of over

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...ttish while Henry VIII

was away fighting France.

I think in the same circumstances although Henry VII didn't like war

he would have acted the same, rather than accepting an attack from

Scotland he would also have fought back. However Henry VIII didn't

make any effort for peace an avenue which Henry VII probably would

have tried first.

I would say they both acted the same way regarding Scotland although

like nearly other difference between the two kings, it has come from

Henry VIII's haste.

Lord Elton said Henry VIII was 'Exceptionally Impetuous' and most of

the different decisions in government between Henry and his Father

would have come from this attitude of Henry VIII's. I think both kings

had very different style of doing things but their policies weren't as

different as I first thought they would be.