Breath study 1
, Breath Study 1 Revision
Henry VII: 1485-1509 → Henry VIII: 1509-1547 → Edward VI: 1547-1553 → Mary I:
1553-1558 → Elizabeth I: 1558-1603
Government and Administration
- The royal household was where the monarch resided and it was responsible for
meeting the domestic needs of the leader.
- Royal household existed on 2 levels:
● Below the stairs- the servants employed to serve the royal family in the
Kitchens, Garden and Laundries
● Above the stairs was the royal family who lived in the privy chamber, a series of
private apartments attached to the Royal Court
- The court consisted of a great hall and attached rooms which catered for government
business, public meetings and entertainment.
- Between the privy chamber and the court was the presence room (or throne room)
which was where the monarch would dine or meet people in a more intimate setting
- The tudors were motivated to reform the institution of the Royal household in line with
the evolution of the government
Henry VII - Under Henry VII there was relatively no change to the structure
and function of the Royal Household and so it remained
unchanged as it had been for nearly 3 centuries. This was
probably due to his unstable position as a Usurper as he could not
afford to change things as there may have been unforeseen
consequences that could have cost him his position as King.
- For Henry his main focus during his reign was to secure his
position on the throne and securing the future of the Tudor
Dynasty.
Henry VIII - The first serious attempt to reform the Royal household was by
Henry VIII’s chief minister, Cardinal Wolsey.
- In 1526 Wolsey drew up the Eltham Ordinance. This proposed to
downsize the household because it had become too expensive. It
also proposed a council of 20 ministers who would advise the
King on matters ranging from the household to the government to
the Kingdom
- The Eltham Ordinance was not implemented until after the death
of Wolsey in 1530
- During the reign of Henry VIII, the political role and importance of
the Royal household increased drastically. This was due to the fact
that many of the members of the Royal household (who were
Henry’s closest friends and servants) were also appointed key and
powerful position in the central government
- This led to the link between the Royal household and governance
of the Kingdom as close as it had ever been.
Edward VI - During the reign of Edward VI the royal household underwent
further change. This was primarily owing to the fact that Edward
was a minor and couldn’t govern the Kingdom; so therefore the
royal household was dominated by nobility.
- The dukes of Somerset and Northumberland were in charge of
governing the kingdom on behalf of Edward and hence they filled
the household with their supporters in order to influence Edward
and control Royal patronage.
Mary I - The household, particularly the Privy chamber evolved under Mary
I. This was due to the fact that she was a woman so this meant
that the household was staffed by large numbers of women who
, Breath Study 1 Revision
Henry VII: 1485-1509 → Henry VIII: 1509-1547 → Edward VI: 1547-1553 → Mary I:
1553-1558 → Elizabeth I: 1558-1603
Government and Administration
- The royal household was where the monarch resided and it was responsible for
meeting the domestic needs of the leader.
- Royal household existed on 2 levels:
● Below the stairs- the servants employed to serve the royal family in the
Kitchens, Garden and Laundries
● Above the stairs was the royal family who lived in the privy chamber, a series of
private apartments attached to the Royal Court
- The court consisted of a great hall and attached rooms which catered for government
business, public meetings and entertainment.
- Between the privy chamber and the court was the presence room (or throne room)
which was where the monarch would dine or meet people in a more intimate setting
- The tudors were motivated to reform the institution of the Royal household in line with
the evolution of the government
Henry VII - Under Henry VII there was relatively no change to the structure
and function of the Royal Household and so it remained
unchanged as it had been for nearly 3 centuries. This was
probably due to his unstable position as a Usurper as he could not
afford to change things as there may have been unforeseen
consequences that could have cost him his position as King.
- For Henry his main focus during his reign was to secure his
position on the throne and securing the future of the Tudor
Dynasty.
Henry VIII - The first serious attempt to reform the Royal household was by
Henry VIII’s chief minister, Cardinal Wolsey.
- In 1526 Wolsey drew up the Eltham Ordinance. This proposed to
downsize the household because it had become too expensive. It
also proposed a council of 20 ministers who would advise the
King on matters ranging from the household to the government to
the Kingdom
- The Eltham Ordinance was not implemented until after the death
of Wolsey in 1530
- During the reign of Henry VIII, the political role and importance of
the Royal household increased drastically. This was due to the fact
that many of the members of the Royal household (who were
Henry’s closest friends and servants) were also appointed key and
powerful position in the central government
- This led to the link between the Royal household and governance
of the Kingdom as close as it had ever been.
Edward VI - During the reign of Edward VI the royal household underwent
further change. This was primarily owing to the fact that Edward
was a minor and couldn’t govern the Kingdom; so therefore the
royal household was dominated by nobility.
- The dukes of Somerset and Northumberland were in charge of
governing the kingdom on behalf of Edward and hence they filled
the household with their supporters in order to influence Edward
and control Royal patronage.
Mary I - The household, particularly the Privy chamber evolved under Mary
I. This was due to the fact that she was a woman so this meant
that the household was staffed by large numbers of women who
