An Examination of Henry VIII’s 1535 Progress to Bristol

In the summer of 1535, Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn travelled to Bristol on an exceptional progress. The gestes, an itinerary for the king’s summer progress published each year, were crafted to display Henry as the new head of the Church of England, and present Anne as his new queen. Alongside the royal progress route, Cromwell’s men travelled on their own “parallel progress,” auditing monastic holdings and keeping in close contact with the king. Often dismissed as simply magnificent vehicles for Henry’s more recreational pursuits, this paper argues that progresses were, instead, vital means through which the king exercised and reinforced monarchical power in the localities of England. Not always splendid, but often subtle and personal, progresses provided vital and intimate access to the king and Cromwell away from the court’s traps. Using the Eltham Ordinances, state papers, warrants, household accounts, and a close examination of the king’s itinerary, this paper will explore the 1535 progress to Bristol in detail for the first time, ultimately arguing that it was vital in consolidating the Reformation in England and beyond, by displaying Henry as he wished to be seen on the public stage.