2021-07-28

Thomas Cromwell executed in 1540

The Right Honourable Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex    
On this day in 1540 The Right Honourable Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex was murdered by King Henry VIII ... who had a penchant for executing people on trumped up charges as well as mere whims. The cruel monarch lived to regret killing his friend after retrospect convinced him that the advice and support of Cromwell was more important than any political matter his debauched court could contrive.

Cromwell was a proponent of the English Reformation and he was instrumental in engineering various maneuvers involving the kings marriages. He made many enemies during his heyday. The beginning of the end for him was arranging the king's marriage to the homely (depending mostly on the portrait viewed) German princess Anne of Cleves, who Henry VIII ultimately found repulsive to the point of annulment after six months.

Cromwell was arraigned under a bill of attainder and executed for treason and heresy on Tower Hill on July 28, 1540. The king later expressed regret at the loss of his chief minister. Henry soon realised the enormity of his mistake in having such an able and loyal minister put to death.

Having taken Cromwell for granted all those years he suddenly found himself without the brilliant and able administrator that he had made matters of state look easy. That bitter realization that none around could even approach Cromwell’s ability to take care of business effectively.

Henry even transferred blame to his ministers saying that "the light pretexts and false accusations" they made caused him to to have the most faithful servant he had ever had put to death.

Such is the nature of power gone mad. Henry VIII grew from a handsome witty and capable young royal to become a cruel self-serving despotic tyrant and murderer without redeeming virtue. So much for the Tudors.