during this period Wolsey expanded his numerous building projects on a massive scale. The Scottish problem was settled by the earl of victory over the duke of Albany Surrey’s at Wark Castle in 1523, but domestic troubles were not so easily dispatched. Wolsey’s Much has been made of the earl of apparent hatred for Wolsey, though as Greg Surrey’s Walker has demonstrated in the John Skelton and the Politics of the 1520s, Cardinal’s relationship with the Howard family is far from clear. More troubling were the lingering difficulties resulting from the death of the duke of Buckingham. Though Buckingham had been executed in 1521 and his son marginalized, his former friends at court persisted in circulating rumors that it was Wolsey who had been responsible for his downfall. That alone was not necessarily a problem for the apparently indomitable Lord Chancellor: however, he also managed to anger Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk and close friend. This was perhaps somewhat unfair, as Suffolk blamed Henry’s Wolsey for the failure of the 1523 campaign against the French. While Wolsey’s tendency to micromanage may well have played a part in difficulties, the Suffolk’s efforts of his allies (Charles V and Charles III, duke of Bourbon and constable of France) almost certainly doomed the invasion from the start. Whatever the reasons, by 1523 Wolsey had earned himself a powerful enemy close to the king. The emergence of a public opposition to dominance provided a nucleus around Wolsey’s which anti-Wolsey resentment would crystallize in later years. For the moment, however, Wolsey seemed to turn from strength to strength. Though it appears his ambitions did not extend to the triple crown, he was raised as a candidate in the conclaves of 1521/1522 and 1523 and enjoyed some imperial support from Charles V and Margaret of Austria. Despite the extreme unlikelihood of either conclave choosing a non-Italianate candidate it doubtlessly flattered Wolsey (and, perhaps in absentia, more importantly, Henry) that he was considered a potential contender at all. While managing papal ambitions, Wolsey managed to secure the title Henry’s for Henry as a direct result of the growing religious tensions stirred by Defensor fidei Martin Luther. Previously refused in 1516, this title was finally granted in 1521 as an expression of papal thanks for That Wolsey was utterly committed to Assertio. Henry’s
during this period Wolsey expanded his numerous building projects on a massive scale. The Scottish problem was settled by the earl of Surrey’s victory over the duke of Albany at Wark Castle in 1523, but Wolsey’s domestic troubles were not so easily dispatched. Much has been made of the earl of Surrey’s apparent hatred for Wolsey, though as Greg Walker has demonstrated in John Skelton and the Politics of the 1520s, the Cardinal’s relationship with the Howard family is far from clear. More troubling were the lingering difficulties resulting from the death of the duke of Buckingham. Though Buckingham had been executed in 1521 and his son marginalized, his former friends at court persisted in circulating rumors that it was Wolsey who had been responsible for his downfall. That alone was not necessarily a problem for the apparently indomitable Lord Chancellor: however, he also managed to anger Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk and Henry’s close friend. This was perhaps somewhat unfair, as Suffolk blamed Wolsey for the failure of the 1523 campaign against the French. While Wolsey’s tendency to micromanage may well have played a part in Suffolk’s difficulties, the efforts of his allies (Charles V and Charles III, duke of Bourbon and constable of France) almost certainly doomed the invasion from the start. Whatever the reasons, by 1523 Wolsey had earned himself a powerful enemy close to the king. The emergence of a public opposition to Wolsey’s dominance provided a nucleus around which anti-Wolsey resentment would crystallize in later years. For the moment, however, Wolsey seemed to turn from strength to strength. Though it appears his ambitions did not extend to the triple crown, he was raised as a candidate in the conclaves of 1521/1522 and 1523 and enjoyed some imperial support from Charles V and Margaret of Austria. Despite the extreme unlikelihood of either conclave choosing a non-Italianate candidate in absentia, it doubtlessly flattered Wolsey (and, perhaps more importantly, Henry) that he was considered a potential contender at all. While managing Henry’s papal ambitions, Wolsey managed to secure the title Defensor fidei for Henry as a direct result of the growing religious tensions stirred by Martin Luther. Previously refused in 1516, this title was finally granted in 1521 as an expression of papal thanks for Henry’s Assertio. That Wolsey was utterly committed to
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