Henry VIII Tudor Appointments Timeline
A chronology of titles and appointments made during the reign of King Henry VIII
Please note this timeline is a work in progress
21st April 1509
Henry VIII became king
Prince Henry succeeded his father as King Henry VIII.
1509 (late April)
New Council formed
Henry’s grandmother, Margaret Beaufort, took control and formed a new council. Members of the council included Thomas Howard, Thomas Ruthall, Thomas Lovell, William Wareham Archbishop of Canterbury, Henry Marnay and Richard Fox. Thomas Ruthall retained his postion as King’s secretary while Thomas Lovell was appointed Treasurer of the Chamber. Henry Marnay became Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard.
1509 (23rd June)
Knights of the Order of the Bath
To mark the coronation, Henry created 24 new Knights of the Order of the Bath.
1509 (24th June)
Henry and Catherine Coronation
King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon rode in procession from the Tower of London to Westminster Abbey. Henry rode on horseback while Catherine travelled in a litter covered in cloth of gold. Henry was crowned King Henry VIII and Catherine was crowned Queen consort at Westminster Abbey. Henry sat in Edward I’s coronation chair to receive the crown of Edward the Confessor. The service was conducted by William Warham, Archbishop of Canterbury. After the ceremony a coronation banquet was held at Westminster Hall. The streets of London were decorated with tapestries and cloth of gold and food and drink were set out on trestle tables for the people.
1509 (late June)
Linacre Royal Physician
Thomas Linacre was appointed Royal Physician.
1509 (November)
Thomas Wolsey King’s Almoner
Henry VIII appointed Thomas Wolsey as King’s almoner.
1510 (23rd January)
Speaker of the Commons
Thomas Englefield became Speaker of the Commons.
1510 (April)
Thomas Wolsey Appointments
Thomas Wolsey became a Knight of the Garter and a member of the privy council
1510 (10th July)
Thomas Howard Appointments
Henry created Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey, Earl Marshall
Autumn 1511
Thomas Wolsey joined the King’s Council.
Thomas Wolsey became a member of the King’s council. Henry was impressed with the way that he handled governmental matters quickly and efficiently.
during 1512
Edward Howard became Lord Admiral
Sir Edward Howard, son of the Earl of Surrey, was appointed Lord Admiral. The position had become vacant following the death of the Earl of Orford.
early 1512
Cuthbert Tunstall position
Cuthbert Tunstall was appointed Chancellor to the Archbishop of Canterbury.
6th February 1512
Speaker of the Commons
Robert Sheffield was appointed Speaker of the Commons.
during 1513
Gerald, 9th Earl of Kildare, became Lord Deputy of Ireland.
February 1513
Thomas Wolsey Dean of York
Thomas Wolsey was appointed Dean of York.
4th May 1513
Thomas Howard Lord Admiral
Thomas Howard, brother of the late Edward Howard, was appointed Lord Admiral.
Late October 1513
Wolsey made Bishop of Tournai
Thomas Wolsey was created Bishop of Tournai.
during 1514
Earl of Worcester
Charles Somerset, the bastard son of Henry Beaufort, became Earl of Worcester
during 1514
Dean of York
John Yong was appointed Dean of York Minster.
during 1514
Thomas Cromwell entered Wolsey’s service.
Thomas Cromwell, aged around 19 years, entered Thomas Wolsey’s service.
during 1514
George Boleyn became royal page
Thomas Boleyn secured a place for his son, George, as a page in the royal chamber.
2nd February 1514
New Peers created as part of the Candlemas celebration
Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey, became Duke of Norfolk while his son became Earl of Surrey. Charles Brandon was created Duke of Suffolk. Margaret Pole became Countess of Sa;osbiru and Arthur Plantagenet was created Viscount Lisle.
6th February 1514
Wolsey became Bishop of Lincoln
Thomas Wolsey was created Bishop of Lincoln.
Summer 1514
Thomas Wolsey Administrator of Tournai
Thomas Wolsey, who had been made Bishop of Tournai following Henry’s conquest of the town in 1513, was now appointed administrator of the see of Tournai. His appointment was opposed by the citizens of Tournai, the French and Rome.
July 1514
Wolsey Cardinal request
Henry wrote to the Pope requesting that Thomas Wolsey be created a Cardinal. Although a sum of money was negotiated as annates for Wolsey’s appointment as Archbishop of York and duly paid, Wolsey’s appointment as Cardinal was not forthcoming.
August 1514
Mary Boleyn Maid of Honour
Thomas Boleyn secured a place for his daughter Mary to be Maid of Honour to Princess Mary.
5th August 1514
Wolsey Archbishop of York
Thomas Wolsey was created Archbishop of York. His appointment came with the London residence of York place.
late October 1514
Anne Boleyn to France
Thomas Boleyn removed his daughter, Anne, from the court of Margaret regent of the Netherlands and sent her to join her sister at the French court.
5th November 1514
Mary crowned Queen of France
Mary Tudor was crowned Queen of France in the abbey of the church of St Denis. Her tenure as Queen was to be short-lived as King Louis XII died on 31st December 1514.
8th February 1515
Thomas Neville Speaker of the Commons
Thomas Neville was elected Speaker of the Commons. His first task was to request personal immunity for all members while in the House to enable them to hold free debates.
10th July 1515
Albany regent of Scotland
The Duke of Albany was officially created Regent of Scotland.
div class=”chronology-date”>22nd December 1515
Wolsey created Chancellor
Thomas Wolsey was appointed Chancellor of England after William Warham resigned to spend more time in his see.
February 1516
Thomas More refused the King’s appointment
Following a successful mission in Flanders, King Henry VIII offered Thomas More a permanent position and a pension. However, More turned the position down, possibly because he did not want to give up his law practice.
12th May 1516
Master of the Rolls
Cuthbert Tunstall became Master of the Rolls following the death of John Yonge.
18th May 1516
Keeper of the Privy Seal
Richard Foxe, Bishop of Winchester, resigned his position as Keeper of the Privy Seal in protest at Wolsey’s decision to finance Maximilian’s campaign against Francis I in Italy. He was replaced by Thomas Ruthall.
18th May 1516
King’s Secretary
Dr Richard Pace was appointed King’s Secretary. He replaced Thomas Ruthall who had become Keeper of the Privy Seal.
During 1517
Thomas More became a Councillor
Thomas More entered the King’s service as a councillor.
During 1518
Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber
This post was created to allow a number of young noblemen more private access to King Henry VIII. Those chosen for this post became Henry’s close friends and generally shared his love of sports.
During 1518
Thomas More Privy Council
Thomas More became a member of the Privy Council.
17th May 1518
Wolsey Legate a Latere
The Pope determined that Thomas Wolsey could be temporarily given the status of Legate a Latere so that he could receive Campeggio.
July 1518
Thomas More Secretary to the King
Thomas More gave up his post as Under-Sheriff of London and discontinued his law practice in order to devote his time to his new role as Secretary to the King.
During 1518
Thomas Boleyn Ambassador to France
Thomas Boleyn was appointed English ambassador to the French court.
During 1519
William Carey – Gentleman of the Privy Chamber
William Carey, a descendant of the Beaufort family was appointed a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber.
28th June 1519
Holy Roman Emperor Elections
Charles I of Spain was elected Holy Roman Emperor by the electors of Germany in Frankfurt. He was thereafter known as Emperor Charles V and ruled over the German States, the Habsburg Empire, Burgundy and Spain. He also held land in Italy and the New World.
Published Feb 17, 2021 @ 1:22 pm – Updated – Dec 7 2024
Harvard Reference for Henry VIII Tudor Appointments Timeline:
Heather Y Wheeler. (2021 – 2024). Henry VIII Tudor Appointments Timeline Available: https://www.tudornation.com/henry-viii-titles-timeline Last accessed December 13th, 2024