Did Cardinal Wolsey really run England for Henry?
When Henry inherited the throne from his father, he was eighteen years old — and though most men of eighteen were considered mature in Tudor England, he had been sheltered and was quite inexperienced for his years. He had been kept so sequestered from the world that he rather understandably spent quite a few years being a bit of a playboy, and was more than content to spend his days hunting, dancing, composing and following the other popular pursuits of a gentleman. Cardinal Wolsey, on the other hand, was very experienced, and was a master of organization and strategy — an excellent choice as the power behind the throne, who ran the country quite admirably, while keeping the young King informed as to current events and policies. Over time, as the drama of Henry’s personal life affected policies and the very legal and social structure of the country itself, Wolsey was hard pressed to keep up with an ever changing and increasingly opinionated and mature Henry. Wolsey’s inability to pro
