What limited the power of Henry VIII?

Almost nothing except the Pope and available funds -- which is why he declared himself head of the Catholic church in England and seized all the monasteries to get hold of their wealth. He was about as absolute a monarch as Britain has ever had. read more

Earlier kings could be constrained by their barons to some degree, and later ones by the change to a constitutional monarchy, but Henry VIII was a plain old tyrant, in my opinion. He had his good qualities, but restraint in his exercise of power was not among them. read more

Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon appeared before papal legates in 1529 to argue whether their marriage was valid. (Frank O Salisbury, 1910) When Henry came to the throne, England was a Catholic nation subject to the Pope in Rome. read more

‘Henry VIII powers’ allow the government to change an act of parliament, or even to repeal it, after it has been passed and without the need to go through parliament a second time. The clauses take their name from the 1539 Statute of Proclamations, which allowed Henry VIII to rule by royal proclamation, ie by decree. read more

Henry VIII powers — the use of secondary legislation to amend the text of primary legislation — are used all the time in sensible, non-despotic ways. read more