1509 Henry had his father's chief advisors, Empson and Dudley, executed.
1510 Archbishop Wareham and Bishop Fox, two of Henry VII's advisors tricked Henry into renewing a peace treaty with France.
1510 Henry went on a royal progress around the country. Those that met him found him friendly, affectionate and generous.
Henry wanted to model his rule on the great Renaissance monarchies of France and Spain.
Henry dreamed of performing brave deeds, from jousts, to actual war.
Henry's aim was to attract great men, scholars, artists and philosophers to his court.
Henry wanted to decide on England's policies
Henry allowed Wolsey to concern himself with the detail of government.
His ambition was to maintain law and order, be a good servant to the church and produce a son for a stable succession.
Wolsey gained the unofficial nickname of 'Alter Rex' or alternate king
Henry spent money very easily on war, palaces, art etc. His own income could not sustain this. Wolsey had to find new means to gain money.
1518 Henry was host to the Treaty of London, which gave Henry great prestige and was praised as a diplomatic triumph.
1520 The Field of Cloth of Gold meeting took place with Henry and Francis I wrestling. Henry lost.
1525 Following the Amicable Grant Rebellion, the leaders were pardoned by Henry.
1526 The Eltham Ordinances were introduced by Wolsey to reform the King's household.
1513 Catherine of Aragon defeated the Scots whilst Henry was in France.
1529 Wolsey fell from power.
It took Henry nearly 8 years to gain his divorce.
1533 Henry appointed Cranmer as Archbishop of Canterbury, a strict Protestant.
1540 Cromwell is executed. He wrote a letter to Henry begging for 'mercy, mercy, mercy.'
1539 The Great Bible is published in English.
1536 Henry agrees to the dissolution of the monasteries.
1536 Pilgrimage of Grace.
1536 Robert Aske hanged from York Tower.
1538 John Lambert was hanged for rejecting transubstantiation.
1535 Cromwell is appointed vicegerent.
1537 Bishop's book published which attacks Catholic beliefs, Henry refuses to allow it is published until he has read it.
1536 Act of Ten Articles, rejects four of the seven Catholic sacraments.
1539 Act of Six Articles confirms transubstantiation.
1535 Thomas More, Henry's friend and Chancellor is executed.
1547 Bishop Gardiner and Duke of Norfolk, leaders of the Catholic Faction fall.
Sir Anthony Denny is granted control of the 'Dry Stamp'
1543 Treasonable charges against Thomas Cranmer are dropped following the efforts of the Catholic Faction.
1546 Henry has Catherine Parr apologise to him for going too far in her Protestant faith.
1540-47 Henry acted as his own chief minister.
1533-1540 Massive spending on the navy and forts and coastal defences uses up the income from the monasteries.
1540 Henry marries the Catholic Catherine Howard, she is executed two years later.
1544 Henry captures Boulogne
1541 Henry was to meet James V of Scotland but James failed to turn up. Henry invaded Scotland
1544 The 'Rough Wooing' of Scotland and Queen Mary took place but failed to deter the Scots form reinforcing the Auld Alliance.
1545 The Mary Rose sank in front of Henry as the French attacked in the Solent.
1534 Carthusian monks were executed for refusing to take the oath accepting Henry as Head of the Church of England.
1547 On Henry's death he still owned half of the land seized from the Church.
