Between the years 1529-1588 and in the Tudor era, Britain saw perhaps the biggest changes in its political and religious structure in its history. It changed from Catholicism to Protestantism, then back and back again. It also saw major changes in who ran the country, with more involvement from parliament. Different chief ministers (including Thomas Cromwell) had different impacts on Britain and the monarch, and the influence of them will be assessed in this essay.
Thomas Wolsey was born in 1475, and rose his way the top. Before being made a cardinal, he became a priest and a successful politician, and he was the almoner (in charge of distributing funds to the poor) when Henry came to the throne in 1509. Wolsey held several important positions. He was the Bishop of Lincoln, Canon of Windsor and also Prince Bishop of Durham. One accomplishment that Wolsey is particularly remembered for, is organising the Field of The Cloth Of Gold. This was a festival planned to celebrate the alliance between England and France, with both monarchs, Henry VIII and Francis I strengthening their relationship. The treaty of London was also a huge accomplishment for Wolsey, as he was the one who designed the 1518 treaty. It was a non-aggression pact between the major European nations, (France, England, Holy Roman Empire, the Papacy, Spain, Burgundy and the Netherlands), all of whom agreed not to attack one another and come to aid if needed. Though it was not always successful in stopping some
