‘Henry VIII’s foreign policy in the years 1527-1547 was a failure.’ Assess the validity of
this view.
Henry VIII’s foreign policy in the later years of his reign (1527-47) unfolded amidst a
Europe dominated by the rivalry between Habsburg and Valoi powers, leaving England
increasingly sidelined both diplomatically . His decisions during this period were shaped
by several interconnected aims: to assert himself as a warrior king in the image of
Henry V’s success at the Battle of Agincourt, to secure the Tudor dynasty and
succession and to resolve the Great Matter of his annulment to Catherine of Aragon.
These aims were pursued in a financial context that was increasingly strained, with war
efforts costing £3.5 million by his death, and the argument that his foreign policy was a
failure is rooted in these spiralling costs and a number of fleeting military successes.
However, a more nuanced assessment reveals that while Henry was able to defend the
autonomy of the Crown through his 1534 Break with Rome, and secure his succession
through his marriages, his later foreign policy was largely reactive, financially ruinous
and increasingly detached from Europe’s centres of power. Thus, although not wholly
without merit, Henry VIII’s foreign policy in this period is best characterised as a costly
and short-sighted failure.
Henry’s most urgent and overarching foreign policy goal at the start of this period was
solving the King’s Great Matter - specifically the annulment of his 24-year marriage to
Catherine of Aragon. Yet, rather than enhancing England’s international position, the
failure of Henry to resolve the Great Matter through diplomacy shows how England
remained a relatively minor power in Europe. The Treaty of Amiens (1527) in which
Henry aligned with France against Charles V, was a calculated attempt to pressure the
Holy Roman Emperor (who had kidnapped the Pope) into granting papal dispensation
for the annulment, and signalled a move towards international recognition for England
as an equal partner in France’s anti-Habsburg crusade. In the short term, the Break with
Rome had surprisingly few geopolitical repercussions. The Emperor Charles V was
preoccu[ied with the threat of the Ottomans during the mid 1530s, which allowed Henry
to assert royal supremacy through the 1534 Act of Supremacy without immediate
retaliation from Catholic Europe. Furthermore, the deaths of Catherine of Aragon and
Anne Boleyn in 1536 created the potential for a reset in relations with the Emperor,
particularly as hostilities flared between Charles and Francis. These moments of
opportunity show that Henry’s international position, while precarious, was not entirely
irredeemable, and for a brief window, the crisis of annulment appeared containable.
However, Henry’s failure to secure the annulment diplomatically - and the timing of his
Break with Rome - quickly isolated England and exposed the dangers of overestimating
England's influence. Charles’ victory at the Battle of Landriano 1529 and the resulting
Peace of Cambrai confirmed his dominance over Italy and the Pope, making it clear that
© Humanities Unlocked. | AQA A-Level English Literature 2025 | For personal use only. Redistribution is
prohibited.
this view.
Henry VIII’s foreign policy in the later years of his reign (1527-47) unfolded amidst a
Europe dominated by the rivalry between Habsburg and Valoi powers, leaving England
increasingly sidelined both diplomatically . His decisions during this period were shaped
by several interconnected aims: to assert himself as a warrior king in the image of
Henry V’s success at the Battle of Agincourt, to secure the Tudor dynasty and
succession and to resolve the Great Matter of his annulment to Catherine of Aragon.
These aims were pursued in a financial context that was increasingly strained, with war
efforts costing £3.5 million by his death, and the argument that his foreign policy was a
failure is rooted in these spiralling costs and a number of fleeting military successes.
However, a more nuanced assessment reveals that while Henry was able to defend the
autonomy of the Crown through his 1534 Break with Rome, and secure his succession
through his marriages, his later foreign policy was largely reactive, financially ruinous
and increasingly detached from Europe’s centres of power. Thus, although not wholly
without merit, Henry VIII’s foreign policy in this period is best characterised as a costly
and short-sighted failure.
Henry’s most urgent and overarching foreign policy goal at the start of this period was
solving the King’s Great Matter - specifically the annulment of his 24-year marriage to
Catherine of Aragon. Yet, rather than enhancing England’s international position, the
failure of Henry to resolve the Great Matter through diplomacy shows how England
remained a relatively minor power in Europe. The Treaty of Amiens (1527) in which
Henry aligned with France against Charles V, was a calculated attempt to pressure the
Holy Roman Emperor (who had kidnapped the Pope) into granting papal dispensation
for the annulment, and signalled a move towards international recognition for England
as an equal partner in France’s anti-Habsburg crusade. In the short term, the Break with
Rome had surprisingly few geopolitical repercussions. The Emperor Charles V was
preoccu[ied with the threat of the Ottomans during the mid 1530s, which allowed Henry
to assert royal supremacy through the 1534 Act of Supremacy without immediate
retaliation from Catholic Europe. Furthermore, the deaths of Catherine of Aragon and
Anne Boleyn in 1536 created the potential for a reset in relations with the Emperor,
particularly as hostilities flared between Charles and Francis. These moments of
opportunity show that Henry’s international position, while precarious, was not entirely
irredeemable, and for a brief window, the crisis of annulment appeared containable.
However, Henry’s failure to secure the annulment diplomatically - and the timing of his
Break with Rome - quickly isolated England and exposed the dangers of overestimating
England's influence. Charles’ victory at the Battle of Landriano 1529 and the resulting
Peace of Cambrai confirmed his dominance over Italy and the Pope, making it clear that
© Humanities Unlocked. | AQA A-Level English Literature 2025 | For personal use only. Redistribution is
prohibited.
