What happened after Cromwell's career ended

After Cromwell, Henry VIII did not appoint a single direct successor to hold Cromwell's extensive powers as Lord Privy Seal, Chief Minister, and head of the king's government. Instead, power became more dispersed among various factions at court. However, a few figures emerged as significant political leaders in the aftermath.

1. Thomas Wriothesley and Stephen Gardiner: Wriothesley, a staunch conservative, became Lord Chancellor in 1544 and aligned with Gardiner, the Bishop of Winchester, to promote traditional religious values and suppress Protestant influences.

2. Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford (later Duke of Somerset): As a prominent reformist and the uncle of Prince Edward (the future Edward VI), Seymour rose in influence, eventually dominating the court after Henry VIII's death.

Without a central figure of Cromwell's organizational genius and political shrewdness, Henry VIII's government oscillated between conservative and reformist policies. Wriothesley and Gardiner struggled to assert dominance but faced challenges from the rising Seymour faction, which gained the upper hand by the king's death in 1547.