Thomas Wolsey – From Butcher's Son to Cardinal and the Great Matter

The episode traces Thomas Wolsey’s meteoric rise from modest origins in Ipswich to the pinnacle of Tudor power, exploring how his wealth, court influence and papal favour positioned him as Henry VIII’s chief adviser. It also examines how the failure over the ‘Great Matter’ – the annulment of Catherine of Aragon – precipitated his fall, revealing the fragile balance between monarchy, church and personal ambition in early sixteenth‑century England. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices