Thomas Cromwel

Thomas Cromwell, a short-lived Earl of Essex, was an English barrister and statesman who served as King Henry VIII's prime minister from 1534 until 1540, when the monarch ordered his beheading and then laid the blame for it on spurious accusations. One of the most influential supporters of the English Reformation and the father of authentic English government was Oliver Cromwell. In order for Henry to legally wed Anne Boleyn, he assisted in arranging for the king's marriage to Catherine of Aragon to be nullified. In 1533, Henry was unable to get Pope Clement VII's blessing for the annulment; as a result, Parliament recognized the king as the Supreme Head of the Church of England and granted him the right to dissolve his own marriage.

From his unique positions as Vicegerent in Spirituals and Vicar-general, Cromwell later set the Church of England on an evangelical and reforming track (the two titles refer to the same position). With his innovative ideas and lack of noblesse throughout his ascent to power, Cromwell gained many enemies, including Anne Boleyn. He duly contributed significantly to her fall from grace. After arranging the king's marriage to the German princess Anne of Cleves, he eventually lost his position of authority. Cromwell had hoped that the marriage would give the Reformation in England new vitality, but Henry thought his new wife was ugly, and the marriage was a failure for Cromwell, leading to an annulment six months later. On July 28, 1540, Cromwell was put to death on Tower Hill for treason and heresy after being tried under a bill of attainder. Later, the monarch expressed grief at the death of his top minister, and his reign never fully recovered.