Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2024
First exams 2026
Wolsey's Fall from Power (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Natasha Smith
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Was Wolsey Responsible for His Own Downfall? - Summary
Wolsey was responsible for his own fall from power. Wolsey was one of Henry VIII's most trusted advisers. He held immense political and religious influence in Tudor England. However, his ambitious policies and personal aspirations alienated key figures in Henry's Royal Court. Wider political events also impacted Wolsey's reputation. Wolsey's inability to obtain an annulment of Henry VIII's marriage to Catherine of Aragon was an important factor in his dismissal. It was an impossible task due to the resistance of the Pope. This failure strained Wolsey's relationship with Henry. It undermined his credibility as an advisor. Wolsey's wealth and power, shown in his extravagant lifestyle, attracted enemies within the nobility and among the people. His domestic and foreign policy mistakes allowed powerful rivals, like the Boleyns, to undermine his authority and win Henry VIII's favour. |
Reasons for Wolsey's Fall from Power
Factor | How did this cause Wolsey's downfall? |
|---|---|
The Amicable Grant (1525) | The Amicable Grant led to widespread opposition. The Crown had to abandon this tax. Henry distanced himself from Wolsey's decision. It damaged Wolsey's influence over the king |
Wolsey’s reforms (1515-1526) | Wolsey's economic, political and social reforms had made him many enemies within the Royal Court. They wanted to bring Wolsey's downfall by any means possible |
Wolsey's foreign policy (1522–1529) | Wolsey's tactic to increase tensions between France and Spain failed at the Treaty of Cambrai. England was left without any allies in Europe. Henry began to doubt Wolsey's diplomatic skills |
The annulment (1527-1529) | Henry became angry at Wolsey for not securing an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. He thought that Wolsey was conspiring with the Pope to prevent the annulment from being approved |
The Boleyns | Henry fell in love with Anne Boleyn. This gave her father Thomas Boleyn and her brother, George more power in court. Anne and her family hated Wolsey. The Boleyns wanted to convince Henry to dismiss Wolsey. They began a rumour that Wolsey was working with the Pope to prevent the annulment |
Worked Example
Describe one feature of Cardinal Wolsey’s fall from power
2 marks
Answers:
One feature of Cardinal Wolsey’s fall from power was Wolsey's foreign policy mistakes (1). From 1522 to 1529, Wolsey's tactic to increase tensions between France and Spain failed making Henry doubt his diplomatic abilities (1).
Examiner Tips and Tricks
When answering ‘Describe one feature of…’ questions, 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.
Wolsey's Dismissal
What did Wolsey's downfall show about court politics?
If someone influenced the monarch, they had power in court
Wolsey had kept his power for so long by having Henry's trust
This allowed him to limit the influence of other courtiers and remove more challenging rivals from court
Rivalries in court caused influential people to fall from power
Henry's attraction to Anne allowed the growing influence of the Boleyns in court
The Boleyns undermined Wolsey by weakening his influence over the king
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