Cardinal Thomas Wolsey's Dangerous Document?: The Eltham Ordinances

[@kirstena4001]

I think Wolsey overestimated his own power and underestimated King Henry's ego.

[@Kristine709]

Completely agree.

[@Kristine709]

Yet another wonderful and insightful video! 🪶 ✍️ and ⚡️ (power)

[@Jean-gx2qe]

Oh, yes--BIG TIME!! 💯

[@manuellubian5709]

Truer words have never been spoken. I think you are so spot-on with your observation.

[@christywilliams5636]

Absolutely!

[@HawkeyeBrooke]

I think both Wolsey and Cromwell suffered from the same problem-they were much too confident in their ability to outsmart the nobles and in Henry’s friendship. When you get to the top, there’s nowhere to go but down so they clearly knew threats existed. For both of them, they always managed to wriggle out of danger with their wits and Henry’s favor. When they kept coming out in top, they started to think they were invincible-they saw the threats coming, but assumed they could beg Henry’s forgiveness, remind him of their good service, and come out unscathed. And they always did, until they became overconfident and blind to Henry’s shift in attitude. When they finally realized, it was too late. Their letters and appeals to Henry for help at their end always seemed shocked and desperate to me-they clearly thought it couldn’t happen to them.

[@amandakozeniewski1226]

I think you're exactly right. That whole court was the epitome of "damned if you do, damned if you don't". And with the quick rise of both, it sometimes feels like they weren't given time to really learn the intricacies of just who they were dealing with & adapt to his whims. Just, "here ya go- he's your problem now!"

[@brontewcat]

You might be right about Wolsey. Cromwell’s fall is rather bewildering. I am pretty sure Cromwell understood the risk very well, but he could not have anticipated the King’s reaction to Anne of Cleves would result in the king throwing him to the wolves, particularly when Anne so quickly agreed to an annulment.

[@suziemartin3587]

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[@babablacksheepdog]

There's also the fact that nobody was safe from Henry's wrath, really. Not his close advisors, nor his friends, not even his own family. Wolsey may not have known, but Cromwell should have known better, as he was there to witness the downfall of Wolsey, Thomas More, and Anne Boleyn (as well as the appalling way in which Henry treated Katherine of Aragon and their daughter Mary).

[@cindysaroya1251]

Hubris. It's a thing, and not only in Greek and Shakespearean tragedies!

[@clairepancerz9744]

OMG - if you offered classes, I am SO IN. Listening to you is always a delight (and I want you to earn a livable wage from everything you share with us).

[@kimberlyperrotis8962]

I think Wolsey’s Ordinances were written primarily to remove his personal enemies from easy access to the king, he had to dress these up somehow to make them palatable to the king. It’s interesting that the insults always directed at Wolsey and Cromwell by the nobles were that they were “low-born”, they couldn’t fault their actual work for the king. One of the very few things about Henry VIII was that he was willing to employ the men of greatest merit, not just the highest-born, for the work to run the state. I don’t otherwise have a very good opinion of Henry.

[@kenoliver8913]

Oh, I think it was more than that on Henry's part. He enjoyed watching these vulgar commoners trolling the high and mighty. After all, precisely because they were low born there was zero risk of them being a threat to him, which you could not yet say of the barons.

[@grtlyblesd]

I’d love to hear more about how Cromwell felt about Wolsey’s fall. Having witnessed his patron’s downfall, he must have been able to read the signs when he himself fell out of favor. On a totally unrelated note, everything I know about queen Mary I is from an English perspective. How did the people of Spain feel about her as their queen?? On the one hand, she was a “daughter of Spain” being the grandchild of the infamous Ferdinand & Isabella. On the other hand, I don’t think she ever set foot on Spanish soil? I’d love to see a video on the historical Spanish perspective of Mary’s reign.

[@ryancarroll3957]

​@garyallen8824he did read them he paid off and warned his servants

[@markyoungman7267]

American author, Jack London, often wrote about the lethality of a poor imagination. I think Wolsey suffered from a poor imagination. He couldn’t imagine a day might come when he could no longer keep Henry and the Council under control. When it happened, I’m sure he was dumbfounded.

[@BeeKool__113]

I think that is a very accurate way to explain what occurred with Wolsey.

[@janebaker966]

Having a good imagination can make you both a coward and a survivor. I speak both from experience and observation. A good imagination curses you with the ability to see what the outcome of a course of action will be. For instance if I put a match to that string thing this whole building will explode and kill everybody in it. Do I go ahead and become a forever fated national hero but dead or do I run away,invent a good cover story and live a long life. To choose the first option in that circumstance is incredibly brave,or incredibly stupid.

[@thefirm4606]

Two narcissists. One seat…

[@tsuritsa3105]

I always find the stories of Thomas Cromwell, Thomas Cranmer and Thomas Cromwell to be among the most fascinating stories of the reign of Henry VIII. These weren't the usual suspects of the period and they had such an enormous impact on Henry, on England and on history.

[@starrywizdom]

I think one of those "Cromwell"s was meant to be a "Wolsey"?

[@tsuritsa3105]

@@starrywizdom Indeed, yes lol. I was a ltitle tired when I made that post. :)

[@YippyZippyZingZing]

Well said! 😊

[@misskitty2710]

Loved this video!💯 My guess is that Wolsey had known Henry VIII when the latter was just a boy, and then an inexperienced young king, and that he felt that he’d always have a special hold over Henry as an older, wiser man. Didn’t Thomas More say, early on in Henry’s reign, that it would be unwise ever to let the lion (Henry) know his own strength? I think that Henry was a quick study, and learned his strength early on indeed, and, as you say, was quite happy to have the factions fight each other.

[@conemadam]

I have always been slightly aghast at the rapid downfall of Wolsey, and then, Cromwell. Humble backgrounds, meteoric rises that held considerable power. How, then, were they so trusting of Henry? Surely they knew what went on around them. Duplicity and feints are always “the highest science of the court,”wrote Corneille 2 centuries later. I have 23:56 always wanted to have the answers to all of the questions that you pose. Another video triumph, Dr. Kat!!!

[@elizabethbetts3834]

The best part of my Fridays! I always look forward to the topic and Dr. Kat’s presentation! 🎉🎉

[@stephaniecowans3646]

I agree! I always love to start my weekends with the newest Dr. Kat video!!! Am so looking forward to hearing when the website will go live. I guarantee that I will view that regularly.

[@BeeKool__113]

Right?! We are kicking off our weekend on the good foot. ❤

[@gooseberrygoosusberrius4171]

I'm so happy Fire Mountain is an advertiser on your channel. I shop with them, and they are absolutely wonderful. Love your content! Infotainment is my favorite genre!

[@theaxe6198]

Love fire mountain

[@octavianpopescu4776]

I don't know if there's already a video on this topic, but I would be interested in learning more about the court factions, since they're also mentioned here. Which families were allied with which, which families were rivals and what were their ideologies (I get they didn't have ideologies in the modern sense, but still they must have supported some policies, at least on religion). Thinking about Henry's dead wives, it seems to me there was more to it than just Henry being tyrannical, but there were others with an interest they should fall. We know Cromwell had a hand in the downfall of Anne Boleyn and they did argue over what to do with the monastery money (give it to the King vs invest in education, so they did have some policy goals) and that someone left a note to Henry informing him about Katherine Howard's past. So, I'm wondering, who were these groups and what did they stand for (beyond accruing titles for themselves and their friends).

[@tartnouveau3652]

I think factions probably changed minute to minute in a historical sense. But it would be interesting to see this covered. I feel like the war of the roses basically started because nobility factions got to crazy. It would be cool to compare factions to the reign of different Tudor monarchs. Like what did it look like pre Tudor from Edward V to Richard III and how it changed when Henry VII established his reign. I would be interested to see how many families lasted through Henry VIII to Elizabeth

[@octavianpopescu4776]

@@tartnouveau3652 I was actually checking this 2 days ago and the families seem to be the same... and I mean the same including to this day. There are still Seymours living (e.g. John Seymour, 19th Duke of Somerset, he's 70 years old now) and the Howards are still around (Greville Howard is a Conservative Lord... apparently he supported Boris Johnson and Liz Truss), but their power/influence waxed and waned over time. You mention Elizabeth, the Howards were there as well... Charles Howard was the Lord Admiral during the conflict with the Spanish, during her reign. Edward Seymour... the Lord Protector's son... he was there... in prison for a while for marrying Katherine Grey in secret, but he was there, Earl of Hartford. So, many of these families are still around and even their descendants (maybe through women the names might be different, but there still are people around who are their direct descendants, I noticed these families tended to have a lot of children... 4-7-9 kids would be something normal).

[@BeeKool__113]

What a great topic! I too would be interested in learning more on the subject. ❤

[@Lucyverre]

Good topic. Especially because they change their name when they received or inherited a title. Cromwell did what was expected of him about Anna Boleyn. They had to get rid of her so he had to do that. They always left the dirty chores to people who weren't from "nobel" families. I think the only goal they had in mind was power. More money, more possessions and above all a lot of power

[@angie.2757]

It would be an interesting topic

[@jeanneorton2853]

I always find it Amazing that in courses of Tudor History That a rare few Take the time to bring forth the Actual inner workings of the Court. This is the First time that I have heard that there were set limits of the inner Chambers and for the access of the King and his Queens...I had always assumed that only Favoritism was the factor..

[@leesnider4363]

The cases of Wolsey and Cromwell demonstrate just how arbitrary and capricious Henry could be, even when he was relatively young and still sound of mind. Neither servant did anything that in any way ran contrary to the King's wishes. Their only "crimes" were that they failed in their tasks, despite their strenuous efforts to serve the crown well. Wolsey and Cromwell were loyal but, in matters of great importance, ultimately ineffective. They didn't deserve their fate. Henry was vainly influenced by the enemies of Wolsey and Cromwell, and that alone accounts for the king's unjust treatment of his high-placed officials.

[@Sarcasticron]

Your videos are always so fascinating! I'll often click on them because it's you, but I don't care at all about the topic, so I'll be thinking maybe I'll just watch a bit. But then I can't stop listening, and all of a sudden I'm captivated by whatever medieval rando you happen to be talking about. I'm glad you're doing KZbin, so everyone can listen. Like Jackson Crawford is always saying, this knowledge shouldn't be hidden in ivory towers of academia. Keep up the good work!

[@gonefishing167]

I think Wolsey ended up having a lucky break. I think he thought he’d done so much for Henry that he was safe. Never, he overestimated himself and underestimated Henry. Once he built Hampton court his days were numbered even if Henry himself didn’t quite know it yet. It would be really interesting to know if anything was wring with Henry. He did seem to change after that accident. Or the pain from that ulcer drove him mad. His medical treatment for it would drive anyone nuts. Thank you again Dr Kat, you never let anyone down with your videos. 🪶 📜 👑 🙏🙏🙏👵🇦🇺

[@Sarcasticron]

I suspect that he was a bit of a jerk before the accident. But yeah, that kind of thing can drive a person mad. So I guess I can have a tiny bit of sympathy for him? Hmm, that might take some work.

[@lindamayer4424]

Your videos are so informative, accurate and addictive. ❤❤❤

[@CoachLouise]

As a Business coach , I have always been interested in the politics of groups. this video has opened up my eyes to another layer of what might be going on in the workplace. Thank you for such an fascinating video.

[@jemknight7581]

I remember (many years ago) writing about the Eltham Ordinances at GCSE and only memorising what to write, rather than actually understanding this whole event. Your videos have always been brilliant at aiding understanding and unlocking knowledge. It's so nice to learn more all these years later about something that always confused me!

[@patriciahill6839]

I love listening to you discuss subjects with thought sense and enthusiasm. Always look forward to your posts❤. Simply wonderful for myself and new minds 😊

[@ReadingthePast]

Thank you 😊

[@Lucyverre]

Wolsey's greatest shortcoming was that he was not one of the nobles. He simply did what Henry VIII wanted and with his intelligence he succeeded to a great extent. Whether he was right or wrong with his rules, it didn't matter to those "above him". One of his descent who had climbed so high. Someone who, in the eyes of the lords, undoubtedly belonged in the pigsty. That person had to disappear. 📜🖌️

[@sauvignonblanc0]

Henry XIII? Are you seeing the future? 😅

[@Lucyverre]

@@sauvignonblanc0 Oh sorry. You are right. Had to translate from my language, is difficult enough 😂😂😂

[@kenoliver8913]

"Someone who, in the eyes of the lords, undoubtedly belonged in the pigsty." I strongly suspect that Henry saw that as part of Wolsey's (and Cromwell's) attraction. Henry enjoyed trolling these upper class nitwits.

[@kellyolson1952]

Cardinal Wolsey was a fascinating person to learn about. I think he really had no personal allegiances except what would suit his own interests. That he was one to go with whoever and whatever would keep him alive and suit his ambitions and Wolsey overreached himself in the end. 🛡⚔📜🏰🏹🍺🍷

[@jasperhorace7147]

Being an outsider was likely both a strength and a weakness, but it had the disadvantage of all the factions having a grievance against him.

[@BeeKool__113]

The very best part of my Fridays. Dr.Kat kickin' the weekend off with a fantastically informative and fascinating and entertaining video. 🎉😎✨️🎊🎈 Henry's court was moth to the flame. ❤️‍🔥It appears anyone and everyone were not safe of being burned if they grew too close to the throne. 👑 Ol' Harry would lift them up to exalted heights, only to drop them as soon as they were no longer of use to him. I think Wolsey fancied himself too highly and thought that he was indispensable to his king. He was dangerously naïve perhaps or grew too cocky. 🤔 "When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die."-Game of Thrones 🌹🕯📖🪶📜🏰👑🏰📜🪶📖🕯🌹

[@Avenue_ad_Astra]

I always wonder where the assumption that Wolsey and Cromwell did not foresee their downfall comes from. I think they did - they were both intelligent and had informants everywhere. However, once the tide starts to turn there may simply not be a way to escape it in time. Former allies see it too and switch sides, communication too slow or intercepted, and so on. I think we likely do not know the full extent of what both of them tried to do to change their fate. As for these ordinances, I think the King wanted a more manageable number of advisors and more control and oversight, hence the micromanagement. I suspect Wolsey knew it would not increase his popularity, but as it was likely the wish of the King, it might not have been possible to refuse, so he tried to use it to his advantage. That is entirely speculative of course and perhaps it was Wolsey's idea to begin with, but in my mind, he is someone who thought along the lines of "Keep your friends close..." and factions scheming where he could not see them would have been worse...

[@BeeKool__113]

I am incredibly excited about the possibilities of merchandise for this awesome channel!! I would totally rock a tshirt or keychain. I love the idea of a magnet too. ❤❤❤

[@carole6779]

Yay! Sounds like your SquareSpace will be a wonderful site to visit. (And tbh, I am looking forward to the "Ritual Purposes" merch, lol. Thank you for including that in the mix 😄 ). Sooooo, not being even remotely well-versed in Tudor history before I started watching your videos, I have to confess... when I heard "Expulsion of the Minions", I could not help but picture hundreds of small yellow beings dressed in denim pouring out of the Privy Chamber. 🤣😂 And technically, Henry VIII could be pretty despicable. 🤔 Anyway, to my mind, as other comments have noted, Thomas Wolsey became over-confident about the nature of his position. Thank you so much for providing such a fascinating, in-depth view of the political machinations of this era. 🪶🗞👑🏰

[@marylupapada4601]

😂minions!

[@lulubelle0bresil]

Wonderful talk, thank you! 💗I have always been fascinated by the people surrounding Henry VIII, his parents, all of the Thomases and specifically the Cardinal. Listening to you I remembered something unrelated but eerily fascinating. I was re-reading James Kaplan's two-tome biography of Frank Sinatra, who was so famous at some points in time that he became very loved and admired and also rich, powerful and consequently tremendously influential. He was also allegedly very mercurial, and would instantly ban people from his life after any kind of real or imagined slight. Those same people were often taken by surprise and no matter how close or how long they had been by his side, all of a sudden they simply didn't exist to him anymore. He could also ruin someone's career if he wanted. So when I was listening to you and wondering about the objective reasons for Henry to get rid of his collaborators, Sinatra came to mind, and I thought - though we can find several logical reasons for the king's behavior if we analyze the situation, maybe deep down Henry's tyrannical streak was more impulsive and narcissistic, less influenced by goals or reasoning, more paranoid than logical, making him the ultimate tyrant template...

[@AnneOfCleves1515]

I really loved the way this video also helped to examine the structure of court, and how noble service from courtiers could be rendered there. I always find it a fascinating subject and I’m always interested to hear more about the day to day of a courtiers life and responsibilities 📜

[@steelerbear]

The weekend's finally here when I see Dr. Kat's newest video! Also: count me in for a Ritual Purposes drinking vessel!! 🤣

[@Iamvelcrogirl]

When I went down with the dreaded covid last year, I was in bed and scrolling through KZbin looking for something new. I came across your channel and have been hooked ever since. I still do a little foot tap at the intro music.

[@denisehill7769]

Think about office politics now; there's often someone who assumes their relationship with the boss means they're protected from all possible repercussions - and how often are they proved wrong. Wolsey may have been cunning, and educated, but maybe not quite as self-aware as he should have been?

[@Mazikeen1809]

I've always been fascinated by history and you always make it so interesting and informative. I frequently listen to your videos on the tram on my way to work. You have a very relaxing voice

[@CoachLouise]

Don't take this the wrong way Dr. Kat, but I often listen to your videos to get to sleep at night. Blame your relaxing voice 😅

[@Mazikeen1809]

@garyallen8824 That would be amazing. Chatting about history. It would be very interesting to me

[@meganhulatt6779]

As a young king, Henry VIII eventually saw the control levied on him by Wolsey as representative of the Catholic Church controlling his rule from afar in Italy. Seeing his authority challenged was a huge thing and must have been somewhat overbearing, when his personal choices were being affected. A young Henry allowed his ear to be bent by the minister. Maybe initially it was for good intentions but ultimately it backfired. When Henry felt that this was an excerise to challenge his right as a chosen one of God he sought to settle the matter. Of course, the riches gathered by the church and taxes leveid on the country's subjects as maybe it was seen as monarchs right to recieve, not the church to line it pockets, to Henry it looked like the church has too much power, and then it became personal for Henry when his peers were being demoted and his love choices interfered with , Henry, who was a notorious over spender, often bankrupting those who entertained the king, also wars cost money , so he saw a way through. He became infatuated in an earlier heraldic English kingship age in a more traditional pagan early Christian ruler ship model where the king ruled, but here this distopia he found himself in with the church over powering his rule was another cause for resentment, he felt this was making the church more important than him as heir to the throne. He wanted more freedom and found Worsley a meddler in his affairs. Wolsey was trying probably to avoid the break from Rome that he was partly to blame for challenging and trying to control the kings affairs, ultimately over stepping his position, and not helped if he was of a less noble birth.

[@Amelia7o9]

Very cool video. Ive never been too interested in Wolsey (mostly due to disliking his character in the tudors) but im glad i watched. Great video!!

[@skiker4560]

Have a great day everyone. Thanks Dr Kat. ❤

[@beverlyhebert8438]

This was so interesting. Thank you again for the eloquence of your video and stories and always bringing to them to life.❤

[@loriliberty3921]

I'm excited for your new website! Thank you for sharing your knowledge; I really enjoy your videos

[@victoriab8186]

loved this video - this was a key issue in my A Level History a few years back, and I'd heard of the Eltham Ordinances as a large factor, but never really understood what they were. This was very helpful

[@cmlaporte62]

Wolsey’s avarice and vanity were his downfall. When you are building palaces and amassing wealth, equal to or greater than the monarch you are serving, your comeuppance is assured. 🏰💷📜

[@EmoBearRights]

Harkonnen's comment in the Dune miniseries slightly distorted come to mind, 'don't get bigger than the boss unless you intend to (and are able to) replace him'.

[@louiseoliver3453]

As a Suffolk girl I'm glad you're giving Wolsey a video. He's still a local hero in Ipswich

[@jayawilder3835]

I'm staying in Ipswich at the moment, and I've noticed that Wolsey gets a lot of respect. Apart from being a "local boy made good", what is it about this individual that particularly appeals to today's Ipswich man in the street? Not contradicting, just wondering.🤔

[@catherinewood948]

I would love to learn more about your take on Shakespeare! I have been fascinated by Will since "Julius Ceasar" in high school, when I realized there was a great story under the difficult language. Being a teenager, I attempted to update "Julius Ceasar's" language so teens could understand it.

[@Emwills]

📜🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Love your channel. So insightful and pleasant. ❤

[@annaleighphoenix3162]

Your videos are always such a delight ~ thank you Dr Kat ❤

[@willimations277]

Been binging this channel over the past week!

[@lorrainehill-stevens6968]

🧐Your video’s ignite my thought process about why people, places and things did what they did in the past. Thank you for such interesting topics.

[@michellecornum5856]

👑⚔️🪶Wolsey, like everyone else in Henry's court, VASTLY underestimated how dangerous it was to play games with the Tudors. People kept trying to treat them like they were JUST normal people, and the Tudors were Not. Hind sight being 20/20, i don't think anyone, especially in those early days, could see that they were being ruled by the unstoppable and ruthless -- by rulers who did truly wield power. And when a Tudor tired of your shenanigans, they got rid of you, permanently.

[@theswampangel3635]

“Put not your trust in princes.” Especially one 0:15 as volatile as Henry VIII. 💣💣💣💣💣💣

[@helenorgarycrevonis2022]

Excellent presentation! I learned a lot especially with your ploy of making the changes in staffing proposed by Wolsey to be personalized. Clearly the resentment that Wolsey felt was real and palatable, additionally if some of the courtiers discussed the problems at home, the resentment would have been apparent to the next generation as well. Maybe Anne heard about Wolsey issues from her father early in life and through the correspondence, hence developing a resentment of Wolsey long before becoming the queen.

[@roberthossen8354]

Thank you once again very much, Dr. Kat! I really think both Wolsey and Cromwell both underestimated the nobility and overestimated themselves. Henry VIII was many things, but not a fool. He made his alliances as they were advantageous to himself. As you state, as long as courtiers fought amongst themselves, they would not fight the King. And Henry knew that. Manipulation was not beyond him. As went for many, when you had severely let him down and/or couldn't help him attain his goals, you were out of the royal favour. And without doubt, the nobility hating these two commoners, will have influenced Henry to oust them.

[@jenniferbeach6519]

I so appreciate you enlightening us. Thank you!

[@karenballard7470]

Love your lectures. Would like to see you do a series on Shakespeare's plays about the Tudor kings, ie Richard the third, Henry the 2nd etc.

[@judysonnenberg6237]

I would absolutely LOVE a course on Shakespeare! Please!! I'm interested in any courses you'd offer; I adore your videos.

[@AnaMartins-bo5ux]

Love your videos. Always educational. Thank you for taking the time. ❤️📜

[@mishapurser4439]

Really enjoyed the video! Shame I was late for the premiere though Looking forward to the merch

[@patti1044]

Another great video - love hearing this versus historical fiction versions.

[@anastasiabosakowski8651]

Thanks so much for the very interesting deep dive into Wolsey.

[@TheCynthiaRice]

I missed the live but always catch up over the weekend 😊

[@jodydickinson3381]

Another winner Dr Kat! Intricate and intimate information! More than I view on other documentaries and movies I view. Thank you!

[@jeffersonkee6440]

Despite the notoriety of a king who almost had as many wives as the days of the week, I view Henry as a terrible monarch; his court almost a lion's lair with the king roving the palaces looking to devour the next victim and with the backdrop of the Tower menacingly in the distance. Absolute monarchy, with Parliament eagerly doing his bidding, the Tudor court was a hotbed of intrigue that has no equal before or since. His celebrity baffles me, as many seem to see him as a jolly rogue at Renaissance Festivals and such. As the penultimate Catholic king, he could not have possibly imagined the tumultuous struggles that would engulf the monarchy and Parliament in the succeeding decades. Thought experiment: what if Catherine Howard have given Henry another son, one who would survive Edward VI? Love your videos, Dr Kat!

[@ericmoulton8778]

Always love your work Dr Kat.✅✅✅

[@pernillevilhelmsen5664]

You are awesome Dr Kat 😀 Thanks for making these videos, they are great and really interesting. Love from Denmark

[@Rachaelann59]

I always believed Wolsey truly believed he was untouchable. So untouchable, he couldn't perceive his own downfall.

[@janellinger4492]

These things continue to happen all around us in politics, business and even in a family structure. We need to spend more time studying the past.

[@prettypic444]

I think Wolsey's rules about behavior at court are interesting when you compare them to Louis XIV rules a century later

[@franm.8343]

✍️📚 I think King Henry was extremely displeased to find Hampton Court, so magnificent and the hospitality so lavish that it represented too much power in the hands of one man. Also, when Henry's divorce did not go to plan, Henry blamed Wolsey and was encouraged by the Howard faction at court.

[@shirleyniedzwiecki1104]

🙇🏼‍♀️🏹🕯️⚔️ A bow, cross bow, candle and coat of arms. Not sure about that last one. Your videos rock, dear Doctor. Hope this helps

[@Fairyfink]

📜 One parchment; blowed if I can find a quill. Thanks for interesting video - I am intrigued by social mobility in Tudor England, which this touched on.

[@judycater2832]

An excellent summary of a complex man. ❤

[@AmaraJordanMusic]

🪶📜🤴🏻 I love Wolsey and am so happy you made this!! I’m always up for more Wolsey content!

[@mariebray9831]

I always have thought of Cardinal Wolsey as Henry VII fixer. Part clergy, part bruiser. When Henry VIII came to the throne Wolsey was experienced in the craft of running a country and useful for the new King to use, and rewarded accordingly. Popping off to the north when things were not going Wolsey's way, seems smart. If Wolsey was not ill and had not died, I think he would have been able to get out from under the charge of treason.

[@lynnedelacy2841]

I think the point about Henry stepping back and allowing his nobles to squabble amongst themselves is a good one. I’m sure there was resentment about Wolsey’s elevation but as it was the King who elevated him the dissatisfaction would need to be muted and pushed underground where it would be more dangerous and insidious so that perhaps Wolsey didn’t understand the strength of feeling against him Did Wolsey think that the king’s support and the fact that he was a senior member if the church gave him some protection - until it didn’t Interesting that Wolsey managed to negotiate the whole Anne Boleyn episode apparently successfully but seriously under estimate the strength of feeling from the king over Anne of Cleeves🤴 I would also be interested to know what Cromwell noted and learnt from his mentor’s downfall and also that of Sir Thomas More

[@ElliotOracle]

Like many high-flying people, Wolsey thought his knowledge and intelligence was indispensable to the King. I’m sure the King also fed this delusion. But in the end, Wolsey’s ego got the better of him, I’m sure he liked to flaunt his power and influence based on a deep inferiority complex from his background which many of us can relate to.

[@irishis3]

Like a middle manager his power went to his head only with a longer fall

[@ccsullivan9164]

👑🍷📜. One vote for Shakespeare. And how about creating your own emojis? For patreons of course. I always love the Hampton Court story with Henry essentially saying’love what you’ve done with the place. I’ll have it.’ Thank you for all you do.

[@cheryl_the_horsechick]

❤ love your talks. i love the tudors. elizabeth is my hero. she was so smart.

[@theresalaux5655]

Thank you Dr Kat! 😅😊

[@brianscallon5833]

Just seen you on Channel 4 excellent! Hope to see you on TV more often. 👍

[@Doeeyez118]

Fantastic, Dr. KAT!!! Henry VIII is one of my absolute favorites. All of your videos are an Anglophile’s dream come true. Thank you so much. 🤴🏼🪶📜

[@ellengill360]

My basis for my comment is not history but experience with autocratic bosses. I think it's possible that Wolsey did only what Henry wanted him to do, but Henry didn't want the blame, so he ordered Wolsey to proclaim the unpopular rules for courtiers using his own name and authority, giving Henry plausible deniability. I also think Henry was that sort of person, always looking for someone else to blame.

[@franm.8343]

I totally agree and think the same applies to Thomas Cromwell's downfall.

[@karensilvera6694]

WOW. Sign me up for anything you teach. I love the Shakespeare idea.

[@brianna16828]

Thank you for your excellent content!! 👑⛪️📝🪶

[@LisaTheMad]

I love your videos! Thank you for sharing 😊

[@FJamison1]

Just stumbled onto this channel. Loved it. 🐎

[@lpcherry2324]

Great topic, thank you! 👑

[@ingridseim1379]

Are the text of the ordinances available online to read? There must be editions so old they're out of copyright...

[@arualblues_zero]

🪶 Very interesting info! Thanks for another great one.

[@debcarroll8192]

👑How human it is to think "That would never happen to me."

[@magsstewart5488]

Well done 👍 I think the Cardinal let power go to his head and never considered he may fall.

[@j7333nnn]

Thanks! Love your work !! Jeffrey Newcomb

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Love your content! Huge fan!🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤

[@valeriebrown6079]

Have you ever thought of doing a video on the background of James VI & I? I’m thinking of his ancestors in the Scottish monarchy, James I to V of Scots?

[@margieburnell2639]

📜📜📜 informative and entertaining as usual- thank you

[@HenryHalpern-m4g]

how fortuitous this comes up as i'm right in the middle of shakespeare's henry viii and just completed "hang the moon" by jeanette walls.

[@bogusinfo5849]

Dr. Kat- I picked up Mark Holinshed's work that postulates Wolsey is responsible for the break with Rome because he had ambitions to become Pope for which he was politically used and discarded by Charles V and revenge dictated separating Henry from his Hapsbergs family members (Katherine of Aragon and their daughter Mary). Holinshed argues that Wolsey is double dealing politically throughout Europe and Henry never catches on until Wolsey doesn't declare the marriage to Katherine annulled in an effort to delay Henry from remarrying (Anne Boleyn) in the hopes of marrying Henry off in a nice, political, truly French alliance (and not just some English girl who speaks French). This would really vindicate the Boleyns in many respects, and really bolsters the idea that Henry truly married for love. Does this argument hold up? Why have I never heard this before?

[@LiamDeeley]

Thanks for the video!

[@iriscsimbok5152]

Wolsey and Cromwell are fascinating figures and proof that while times may change, people do not. How often today do we see intelligent, promising people rise out of nowhere, only to become too high on their own supply and fall spectacularly. Wolsey was no doubt very aware of the shortcoming he could do nothing about: his birth. He compensated through talent and making strategic alliances, and by trying to curtail his enemies by making proposals like the Eltham Ordinances. However, in the end, he overestimated his own importance and underestimated Henry's suspicious nature. While Henry seemed to be open to elevating common men who he thought had merit, there was only one sun at that court that everyone revolved around, and it had to be him. I think many of us had a boss like that at some point!

[@R08Tam]

Louis lV kept the various factions at Court at each other's throats. Hitler did the same and used Martin Bormann to orchestrate it.

[@harper8186]

✒ Could not find a quill, so here is a pen. I love your talks.

[@fraidydog71]

I would definitely be interested in courses that you offer. ❤❤❤

[@arikaoakes182]

🗞🏅Very interesting aspect. You do raise a good question of perhaps Wolsey's trust in the king's favor. Henry seems too changing to ever really be trusted.