On this day in Tudor history, 15th March 1532, King Henry VIII used what was described as “foul language” to William Warham, Archbishop of Canterbury. Henry VIII also threatened the poor man, and it is amazing that Warham kept his head as the king was furious.
What happened? Find out what Warham did to upset the king in today's talk.
Also on this day in Tudor history, 15th March 1551, the Lady Mary, the future Mary I, caused quite a stir in London. Find out how and why in last year’s video:
Also on this day in history:
- 1493 – Arrival of Christopher Columbus, explorer and navigator, at Palos in Spain after his 1492 voyage to the New World.
- 1504 – Death of John Arundell, Bishop of Exeter, at Exeter House in the Strand, London. He was buried at St Clement Danes Church in London.
- 1554 – Marian martyr John Hooper was deprived of the bishopric of Gloucester while imprisoned in Fleet Prison. He had been charged with owing over five hundred pounds in unpaid first fruits, a charge he denied.
- 1628 – Burial of composer John Bull in the Groenplats cemetery near Antwerp Cathedral.
Transcript:
On this day in Tudor history, 15th March 1532, King Henry VIII used what was described as “foul language” to William Warham, Archbishop of Canturbury, after the archbishop criticised him in the House of Lords. Warham’s criticism of the king came when Parliament was discussing the proposed annulment of king’s marriage to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon.
Carlo Capello, the Venetian ambassador, recorded what happened in a letter to the Council of Ten, the government of Venice:
“On the 15th instant the Parliament met to discuss the affair of the divorce, and the Archbishop of Canterbury spoke against the King much to the indignation of his Majesty, who used foul language to him, saying that were it not for his age, he would make him repent of having said what he did against his Majesty.”
I’d love to know what the king actually said to Warham that day, wouldn’t you? It must surely have shaken the archbishop, who was in his 80s by that time.
Warham died just five months later, on 22nd August 1532, while visiting his nephew in Hackington, Kent. He’d served as Archbishop of Canterbury from Henry VII’s reign, in 1503, and had also served Henry VIII as Keeper of the Great Seal and Lord Chancellor. He was laid to rest in Canterbury Cathedral, having left instructions to be buried near the spot where Thomas Becket was killed. On 30th March 1533, the office of Archbishop of Canterbury was filled by Thomas Cranmer. While Warham had opposed the annulment, Cranmer supported it wholeheartedly and was able to declare the annulment on 23rd May 1533, pleasing the king and his new wife, Anne Boleyn, who was crowned queen on 1st June 1533.
At least Warham kept his head!
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