Today I want to find out a little about Reginald Pole, an English cardinal whose close connection to Henry VIII eventually developed into bitter hostility.
Reginald was born on the 12th of March 1500 at Stourton Castle in Staffordshire. His mother was Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, whose father had been George, Duke of Clarence. This made Reginald a descendant of the Plantagenet royal family and a second cousin of Henry VIII.
During Reginald’s early life, Henry appeared to treat him generously. The King contributed towards his education, provided him with an income and helped to finance his studies at the University of Padua in Italy. Reginald became a highly educated scholar, mixing with some of the leading religious thinkers of Renaissance Europe.
Henry may have believed that Reginald’s learning and royal connections would make him a valuable and loyal servant. However, the issue of Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon placed the two men on opposing sides.
In 1529, Reginald was sent to Paris to investigate whether scholars there supported Henry’s attempt to have his marriage annulled. Henry later reportedly offered him important church positions, including the Archbishopric of York or the Bishopric of Winchester, if he would support the King.
Reginald refused.
His opposition was not just based on personal dislike of Henry. As a committed Catholic, he believed that the Pope possessed authority over matters involving marriage and the Church. He was also concerned about the political consequences of declaring Henry’s marriage invalid, particularly what this might mean for the legitimacy of Henry and Catherine’s daughter, Mary.
Reginald eventually left England and lived in France and Italy. From abroad, he watched as Henry broke with Rome, declared himself Supreme Head of the Church of England and married Anne Boleyn.
In 1536, Reginald sent Henry a treatise entitled Pro ecclesiasticae unitatis defensione. It strongly rejected the King’s religious supremacy and condemned his treatment of the Church. Reginald even encouraged Catholic rulers in Europe to oppose Henry.
For Henry, this was more than a religious disagreement. Reginald was a Plantagenet descendant criticising the King from overseas and had connections throughout Catholic Europe. Henry may have regarded him as both a political and dynastic threat.
Unable to reach Reginald, the King turned against members of the Pole family who remained in England. Reginald’s brothers and several of his relatives were arrested during investigations into the alleged Exeter Conspiracy. His brother Henry Pole was executed in 1539.
His mother, Margaret Pole, was imprisoned in the Tower of London for more than two years. She was executed on the 27th of May 1541, despite continuing to protest her innocence. Reginald was devastated and later described himself proudly as the son of a martyr.
Henry’s actions did not persuade Reginald to abandon his beliefs. Instead, they strengthened his opposition to the King and his determination to defend the Catholic Church.
After Henry’s death, Reginald finally returned to England during the reign of Mary I. He helped to restore England’s relationship with Rome and became the last Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury in 1556.
Reginald died in London on the 17th of November 1558 during a possible influenza epidemic. He was 58 years old. Remarkably, he died on the same day as Queen Mary, only around twelve hours after her death.
He was buried at Canterbury Cathedral, bringing to an end the life of a man who had once enjoyed Henry VIII’s support, but ultimately sacrificed his homeland, his royal favour and much of his family rather than act against his religious conscience.
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