Little relating to the divorce was actually achieved between
1530 and 1531. The loss of Cardinal Wolsey was a major blow to
Henry VIII as Wolsey had a creative mind and was very hard
working and the years straddled the time before Thomas Cromwell
came to the fore. What did occur between these years was an
attempt by Henry to bribe various renowned European theologians
to come out in favour of supporting his divorce. Ten did but
when it became known that this support was the result of a cash
incentive, its impact was minimal. The three men who acted as
Henry’s senior advisors – the Duke of Norfolk, the Duke of
Suffolk and the Earl of Wiltshire (Anne Boleyn’s father) – could
not begin to match Wolsey’s ability and the whole divorce
process floundered. To an extent the issue had become a farce as
some theologians who had been asked to adjudicate on the matter
made it clear that not only had there been an attempt by Henry
to bribe them, but also Catherine of Aragon attempted a counter-
bribe, allegedly! Rumours al