b) Do you agree with the view that the Break with Rome was brought about primarily by Henry’s desire for a male heir? Use sources 4, 5 & 6 and your own knowledge to explain your answer.
The Break with Rome was brought about by a number of reasons, namely Henry’s desire for a male heir and thus the need to obtain a divorce, the role of the Anne Boleyn faction and their reformist influence and Henry’s desire for greater power and revenue. Source 4 disagrees with the question because it argues that the divorce, which did not necessarily have to go through Rome, and the reformist influence had an impact. Source 5 partly agrees with source 4 that the reformist faction did influence Henry, but also argues that Henry had no clear policy and ultimately Anne’s pregnancy pushed proceedings along, implying that a desire for a male heir underlay Henry’s motives, thus agreeing with the question. Source 6 disagrees with the question and the other two sources arguing that the Break with Rome was caused by Henry’s desire for more authority and power. Ultimately we shall see that all these factors contributed to the Break with Rome, indicating that it was not solely caused by Henry’s desire for a male heir, though it can be argued that it was the primary cause.
There is evidence that the Break with Rome was caused by Henry’s desire for a male heir. As source 4 stated, “Henry VIII wanted a divorce” because his wife Catherine of Aragon had reached the menopause. This factor is also shown in source 5 which states that “Anne’s pregnancy was a pressing factor.” This indicates that whilst there were other reasons for the Break with Rome, the underlying catalyst and therefore cause was the desire for the male heir, as Anne and Henry believed the pregnancy would produce a boy. The desire for a male heir was fuelled by a fear for the dynastic dynasty of the Tudors. The Wars of the Roses