HIST 284 : THE COURT OF HENRY VIII

This course focuses on the dynamic reign of Henry VIII, a king who reshaped the religious life, the international relations, and the monarchy of England. The events of his reign were some of the most significant in all of the island's history, and his personality was big enough to match them. In studying the court of Henry VIII, we will explore the nature of Renaissance kingship, its ceremony and pageantry, the roles of courtiers and government officials, the courts of his wives and children, diplomacy and warfare, the physical environment of palaces and progresses, the fine arts, and the long afterlife of the Henrician era.