Henry VIII Established the Royal Navy
One area where Henry’s military ambitions did work to the country’s advantage was his establishment of a permanent English navy- an achievement that was undoubtedly one of Henry’s most positive. The English Navy on his ascension to the throne was practically none existence. It consisted just five ships, more fitting for the trade expeditions that Henry VII utilized them for than warfare at sea.
Henry set to work immediately at increasing his navy. He had to. War with France was looming. So Henry began by buying up second hand Italian and Hanseatic warships and by 1512 had a fleet of sufficient size to send to France under Sir Edmund Howard.
As his reign progressed and the King alienated more and more European powers with his foreign and religious policies, he recognized the importance of protection at sea. So it was essential he create a formidable navy. Henry set up dockyards for the construction of his ships along the River Thames at Deptford and Woolwich. These areas had the advantage of being close to the woodlands of Kent and Sussex, which supplied the timber for their construction. Henrys’ ships were up to the minute. They were sturdy enough to accommodate the new style canons used in sea battles but remained nimble enough to maneuver in the water. Existing ships were refitted rather than scrapped, allowing them to accommodate the modern innovations. One such ship was the Mary Rose.
The navy was also designed to be permanently in operation. Even in peacetime, thirty ships were to remain in use. So Henry set up a permanent administrative structure for the navy and a navy board. For the first time, schools were established for officers. The navy became professional. To that end, Henry established its headquarters and the first navel dockyards at Portsmouth.
Henry’s navy had their most significant test in 1545, when, outnumbered by the French invasion force, they did battle under the command of Lord Lisle in the waters around Portsmouth. The campaign, which saw the Mary Rose lost at the Battle of the Solent, was hard won. However, by the time Henry died in 1547, his fleet still numbered between 40 and fifty ships- a tenfold increase from the start of his reign. Henrys’ navy laid the foundations for bigger and better things, and honestly earned the King the title “Father of the English Navy.”