Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2024
First exams 2026
Cromwell's Fall from Power (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Natasha Smith
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Who was Responsible for Thomas Cromwell's Fall From Power? - Summary
Thomas Cromwell's fall from power was the result of various factors. Cromwell made enemies in the Royal Court. Some nobles disliked Cromwell's religious and economic reforms. Other enemies wanted the influence that Cromwell had over Henry VIII. Cromwell pressured Henry to marry Anne of Cleves despite Henry's negative reaction to meeting her in person. When the marriage failed, Cromwell's enemies found an opportunity to discredit him. The Duke of Norfolk, a powerful noble, played a significant role in Cromwell's downfall. Whilst Henry was angry at Cromwell for the marriage with Anne of Cleves, Henry awarded Cromwell the title of Earl of Essex in April 1540. This shows that Cromwell still had Henry's favour. The Duke of Norfolk personally hated Cromwell. He was willing to do anything, including making false accusations against Cromwell, to bring about his downfall. The Duke of Norfolk's actions were influential in changing Henry's opinion of Cromwell. |
Reasons for Cromwell's Fall from Power
Reason | How did this result in Crowell's downfall? |
|---|---|
Cromwell had failed to find a suitable match for Henry. Henry's marriage to Anne of Cleves was annulled within four months | The king blamed Cromwell for the failure of the marriage. Cromwell was in a vulnerable position with the king. |
The Duke of Norfolk hated Cromwell | The failure of the marriage with Anne of Cleves allowed the Duke of Norfolk to discredit Cromwell |
The French king and French Catholics hated Cromwell. They called him a heretic | By removing Cromwell from power, France would be more open to a better relationship with England. It would reduce the likelihood of a Catholic crusade on England |
Cromwell had many enemies in court. He had executed John Fisher and Thomas More. The dissolution of the monasteries and making England more Protestant had given Cromwell enemies within the Church | Clergymen and noblemen sat in the House of Lords. They voted in favour of the Act of Attainder that resulted in Cromwell’s execution |
How did Cromwell fall from power?
Examiner Tips and Tricks
An exam question based on this section could ask you to explain why Cromwell fell from power in 1540. This is a 12-mark question that requires three paragraphs. These could be written in the PEEL format. The key reasons for Cromwell's downfall were:
The failed marriage to Anne of Cleves
France's hatred of Cromwell
The number of enemies that Cromwell had made in the court and in the Church, including the Duke of Norfolk
Who was the Duke of Norfolk?
The Third Duke of Norfolk was called Thomas Howard
He was the uncle of Catherine Howard, Henry's fifth wife
Norfolk was very ambitious
He wanted to become Henry's chief minister
He was jealous of Cromwell
Cromwell was not born a noble
He resented Cromwell becoming the Earl of Essex, a rank just below a duke, in April 1540
Norfolk was a Catholic
Norfolk hated the growing Protestant influence in England
He despised how Cromwell undertook reforms that made England more Protestant
The Influence of the Duke of Norfolk
After Henry's failed marriage to Anne of Cleves, Norfolk saw an opportunity to ruin Henry and Cromwell's relationship
To cause Cromwell's downfall, Norfolk:
Told Catherine Howard to spread rumours about Cromwell
The rumours speculated why Cromwell was taking so long to secure the annulment of Henry's marriage to Anne of Cleves
Claimed that Cromwell wanted to spread Protestantism in England
Norfolk claimed that this was against Henry's wishes
Norfolk went as far as to say that Cromwell was delaying the annulment to strengthen the Protestant cause in England
Worked Example
Describe one feature of Cromwell’s fall from power
2 marks
Answers:
One feature of Cromwell’s fall from power was the role of his enemies (1). Cromwell had enemies with the court and the Church who voted in favour of the Act of Attainder (1).
Examiner Tips and Tricks
When answering the ‘Describe one feature of…’ question, two marks are given to you for:
Identify - write a relevant point based on the question topic (1)
Describe - add some specific own knowledge about the point you have made (1)
This question previously asked students to describe two features of a given event. This question was out of four marks. However, as of 2025, Edexcel will split this question into two subsections, asking you to describe a feature of two different events. Each subsection is worth two marks.
Was Norfolk the biggest influence on Henry's decision to execute Cromwell?
The pressure of Norfolk was significant in persuading Henry to execute Cromwell
Henry also was influenced by:
The pressure of the Church against Cromwell
The dislike of the court for Cromwell
In 1541, Henry turned against his courtiers. Henry claimed that they had turned him against his ‘most faithful servant’
Henry's own health issues
In 1536, Henry had a jousting accident
The accident made him ill-tempered and led him to make rash decisions
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