The Tudor Lie That Rewrote English History

 

The 16th century was a period of immense transformation in English history, and at the center of it stood two figures: King Henry VIII and his chief minister, Thomas Cromwell. Their actions not only redefined the political and religious landscape of England but also introduced a foundational lie that shaped the nation’s future.

Cromwell’s Rise and the Protestant Agenda

In 1532, Thomas Cromwell rose to the position of chief minister to King Henry VIII. Unlike the king, Cromwell was a radical Protestant who viewed the Reformation as a chance to modernize England and reduce the influence of the Catholic Church. His allyship with Anne Boleyn, Henry’s second wife, further strengthened his position, as Anne herself was a key figure in advancing Protestant ideals.

Cromwell saw Henry’s “Great Matter” — the king’s desperate desire to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn — as a golden opportunity. He assured Henry that he could achieve his personal and political goals by leveraging Parliament. This approach would allow Henry to not only secure his divorce but also consolidate his authority and financial resources, bypassing Rome entirely.

The Act in Restraint of Appeals (1533)

The first major step in this revolutionary plan came in 1533 with the drafting of the Act in Restraint of Appeals. This act was groundbreaking in its implications. By banning appeals to the Pope in ecclesiastical matters, it declared that England’s constitutional and religious disputes would henceforth be settled by Parliament and the crown, not by Rome.

This shift was monumental. It established that London, not Rome, was the ultimate authority in England. At the same time, Anne Boleyn’s pregnancy forced Henry to act quickly. Before the act had even passed, Henry and Anne were married in January 1533. This move rendered Henry a bigamist in the eyes of the Catholic Church, which responded by excommunicating him. For a devout Catholic monarch, such a decree would have been catastrophic. Yet Henry, emboldened by Cromwell’s propaganda and legal maneuvering, seemed unbothered.

The Act of Supremacy (1534)

A year later, Cromwell introduced the Act of Supremacy, which declared Henry VIII the Supreme Head of the Church of England. This act severed all ties with Rome and established a new religious order under the king’s control. But such a monumental break with centuries of tradition required a robust justification.

Cromwell found his answer in the realm of historical propaganda. The very first line of the Act in Restraint of Appeals reveals the crux of the Tudor lie: “By diverse and sundry old authentic histories and chronicles, it is manifestly declared and expressed that this realm of England is an empire.”

This claim transformed Henry from a king into an emperor, a title that implied sovereignty and independence from any external authority, including the Pope. The assertion was bold, but it begged the question: where did this idea of England as an empire come from?

Manipulating History

To support his claim, Cromwell turned to a dubious historical source: The History of the Kings of Britain, a 12th-century work by Geoffrey of Monmouth. This text, a mixture of pseudo-history and legend, traced the lineage of British kings back to figures like King Arthur and his legendary Knights of the Round Table.

While The History of the Kings of Britain was widely known and loved, it was far from a reliable historical account. It was more akin to a collection of fairy tales than a factual chronicle. Yet Cromwell used these myths as the “authentic histories and chronicles” to legitimize his argument that England was an empire. By invoking these legendary accounts, Cromwell gave Henry the ideological foundation to assert his supremacy over both spiritual and temporal matters within his realm.

The Legacy of the Tudor Lie

Cromwell’s fabrication had profound and lasting consequences. By positioning England as an empire, he not only justified the break with Rome but also set the stage for the development of a distinct English identity. This narrative laid the groundwork for the consolidation of royal power and the eventual rise of England as a global imperial force.

The Tudor lie also had significant religious implications. The establishment of the Church of England marked the beginning of a long and often tumultuous journey toward religious reform and independence. Henry’s actions, driven by personal ambition and Cromwell’s propaganda, initiated a series of events that would culminate in the English Reformation.

Conclusion

The transformation of England into an “empire” was a masterstroke of political propaganda. Through the manipulation of history, Cromwell provided Henry VIII with the means to achieve his ambitions, fundamentally altering the trajectory of English history. While the claim of empire may have been rooted in myth, its impact was very real, shaping the nation’s governance, religion, and identity for centuries to come.