Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2024
First exams 2026
Henry VIII’s Accession (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Natasha Smith
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Henry VIII and the Tudor Royal Family - Timeline & Summary
Henry VIII became king in 1509, following the death of his father, Henry VII. He was a young and ambitious ruler at the start of his reign. Henry wanted to assert his authority and leave a lasting legacy in England. The Tudors were originally Welsh. Henry VIII was born into a family that had recently gained power through the Wars of the Roses. These were a series of civil wars between the houses of Tudor and Lancaster. Henry VII's reign brought stability to England after years of civil unrest.
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Henry VIII as the Renaissance Prince
Henry gained the nickname 'Renaissance Prince'
Renaissance is a French term which translates to 'rebirth''
This describes a period of new ideas about science, religion, art and architecture from the 16th century to the 18th century
England, like many European countries, was changing
Henry kept up-to-date with Renaissance attitudes to society and culture
The talents and skills of young Henry VIII
How Did Henry Become King of England?
Henry was not Henry VII's oldest son
Arthur was originally Henry VII's heir
Arthur died in 1502 at the age of 15
Henry VII made Henry his heir
There were no other contenders for the throne when Henry VII died in 1509
Examiner Tips and Tricks
The Edexcel exam requires you to link knowledge from across the course together to explain why certain events happened. This information about Arthur's death will give you important context when considering why Henry wanted a divorce from Catherine of Aragon.
Henry VII's Reign
When Henry VIII became King, he had to deal with the consequences of Henry VII's reign. Henry VII had:
Heavily taxed the nobility
Taxes had improved England's economy because it had given more money to the king
The nobles did not want Henry VIII to continue with high taxes
Respected the power of the Pope
The Pope, not the King, controlled the Church
The Church had a lot of power in England
As most people in England were Catholics, they listened to the Church about important matters
Henry VIII's Aims as a King
Henry VIII had five main aims as king:
To uphold the divine rights of kings
Henry and most of the population believed in the divine right of kings
Henry could use people's religious beliefs to ensure that they obeyed him
Henry thought that the people should not question his decisions
The Renaissance caused a growing number of people to begin to question God's power and, as a result, the monarch's authority
Henry wanted to embrace new ideas without damaging his power as monarch
To use the government systems beneath him to implement his policies
Henry wanted to make more use of the Royal Council and the Privy Chamber to help him make decisions
He increasingly delegated tasks to one personal adviser
To achieve victories in battles
Henry wanted to win back land located in France
He wanted England to become respected in Europe
To improve the Royal Court
Henry wanted to take inspiration from the royal courts of France and Spain
He wanted the English court to impress through its architecture, dress style and entertainment
A high-quality court would attract the best men to attend, such as scholars and artists
To fulfil his duties as monarch
Henry wanted to:
Maintain law and order
Govern the country well
Be committed to the Church
Produce a male heir to avoid a civil war when he died
Worked Example
Describe one feature of Henry VIII’s aims as a monarch in 1509
2 marks
Answers:
One feature of Henry VIII's aims as a monarch was to achieve victories in battle (1). Henry wanted to win back land located in France to improve England's reputation (1).
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Ensure you make your details as specific as possible to access all 4 marks. The details of this example include where Henry wanted to win land back from and the type of heir he needed to secure England.
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.
Henry's Strengths & Weaknesses as a King
Strengths of Henry VIII | Weaknesses of Henry VIII |
|---|---|
He was young. People believed that he would have new ideas, including changing Henry VII's high taxes | Henry was only 18 years old. He was very inexperienced in how to rule a country |
He was handsome. People believed that he looked like a king | Henry based his idea of what a king was on heroic legends, These ideas were unrealistic and required a lot of money |
Henry had a strong team of advisers to help him govern England | He was bored of the day-to-day tasks of running a country. Delegating tasks to his ministers allowed them to become too powerful |
Henry inherited a stable country to build upon. There was little threat of a civil war and the country was not in debt | Henry participated in dangerous sports. He could die without an heir to the throne |
Henry's wife, Catherine of Aragon, gave England a strong alliance with Spain. Spain was growing in power | Henry was very stubborn. He would not listen to advice, which led to costly mistakes |
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