Source A Henry VIII by Hans Holbein
When a handsome and athletic 17-year-old became King Henry VIII of England on the death of his father, he had ambitions to become the foremost monarch in Europe. However, Henry was not interested in the detail and left the problems of day-to-day government to his advisers. For much of his reign he relied on two chief ministers, Thomas Wolsey and Thomas Cromwell. These two men, both from low-born backgrounds, rose through the ranks to wield huge power and influence during a momentous period of history and helped to change the government of England forever.
The structure of Tudor government
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