Hampton Court Palace

Hampton Court Palace near London was the home of the humble servant of Jesus, Cardinal Wolsey. After this magnificent dwelling, he felt that the only fitting abode for him was the Papal Palace in Rome. Ambitious as he was, the Emperor Charles would never allow an Englishman to be Pope lest he ignore the Bull of Borgia and send a colony to the New World.

The Cardinal hated Charles for blocking his Papal ambitions. Wolsey first suggested to Henry that he break the alliance with Spain by divorcing his wife Catherine, the aunt of the Emperor.

Charles retaliated by invading Rome in 1527, and taking the Pope captive. This shut the door to any divorce from Rome and led to the downfall of the Cardinal. Henry went on to declare himself head of the "church" in England and broke the ties between England and Rome.


Reference

Gwyn, Peter, The King's Cardinal, The Rise and Fall of Cardinal Wolsey, Barrie & Jenkins, London, 1990. (This book should be entitled: The Cardinal's King!!