ABSTRACT
Of all of the episodes in Henry VIII’s crowded life, none of his appearances at either of his ancient universities have received much attention, even though they were closely bound up with the perception of his role as king.1 He is usually associated with Oxford or Cambridge through events that he managed from a distance, from Westminster or London: like canvassing the universities about his ‘Great Matter’ in discarding Katherine of Aragon; or his seizure of Cardinal College in Oxford from Thomas Wolsey; or his refoundation, in the final weeks of his life, of smaller colleges to make Trinity College, Cambridge.2 For scholars at the universities, Henry VIII was seldom present, but he was never out of mind.
