William Benet (diplomat) facts for kids

William Benet (who died on September 26, 1533) was an important English ambassador. An ambassador is like a special messenger or representative for their country in another country.

Early Life and Education

William Benet was the younger brother of Dr. Thomas Benet, who was a church official. William became a doctor of civil law by 1521. This means he studied laws that deal with people's rights and private matters. He might have studied at Oxford University, a famous university in England.

Starting His Career

By 1522, Benet was a church official, known as a canon, in Old Leighlin. He also worked in Cardinal Wolsey's special court. Cardinal Wolsey was a very powerful advisor to King Henry VIII. Benet often helped Wolsey by visiting churches and monasteries. He made sure that people Wolsey wanted were chosen for important positions.

These tasks showed that William Benet was good at diplomacy. Diplomacy is the skill of managing relationships between different countries or groups. Because of this, King Henry VIII chose him for a very important job.

Working as an Ambassador

In November 1528, King Henry VIII sent William Benet to Rome as an ambassador. He went with other important people like Dr. William Knight and Stephen Gardiner. Their main goal was to talk to the Pope, Clement VII, about King Henry VIII's marriage.

The King's Marriage Issue

King Henry VIII wanted to end his marriage to Catharine of Aragon. He needed the Pope to agree to this. Benet and the other ambassadors had to convince the Pope that the King's first marriage was not valid. They also wanted the Pope to make a decision in the King's favor.

However, plans changed, and Benet returned to England for a short time. He was then sent back to Rome in May 1529. His new job was to stop the Pope from making a quick decision about the King's marriage.

Seeking Peace in Europe

Benet also had another big task. He was asked to help make peace between two powerful rulers: Francis I, the King of France, and Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor. He also worked to free the French King's sons, who were being held in Spain.

In the autumn of 1529, Benet met Emperor Charles V in Bologna. He tried to persuade the Emperor to agree to King Henry VIII's divorce. He also worked on a general peace agreement for all of Europe.

Final Years and Death

William Benet returned to Rome in May 1530. For the next year and a half, he worked hard to help King Henry VIII's cause. He was called back to England in November 1531 but soon returned to Rome in February 1532. His instructions were to delay the Pope's decision until the Emperor was back in Spain.

He was present when the Pope and the Emperor met again in Bologna at the end of 1532. By April 1533, he was back in Rome.

Meanwhile, back in England, a new law was passed that stopped people from appealing to Rome. In May 1533, Thomas Cranmer, a church leader in England, announced that the King's marriage was over. The Pope reacted strongly to this. On July 11, he issued a sentence of excommunication. This meant the Pope officially cut off King Henry VIII from the Catholic Church.

After this, Benet's work in Rome was finished. He was called back to England. He began his journey home with Edmund Bonner and Sir Edward Carne. Sadly, William Benet never made it back to England. He died in Susa, Italy, on September 26, 1533. His friends had some trouble getting his belongings back, as they were claimed by the local ruler, Charles III, Duke of Savoy.

Church Positions Held

William Benet held several important positions in the church during his life. These included:

• Canon of Salisbury (starting April 1526)
• Prebendary of Ealdland, London (starting November 1526)
• Archdeacon of Dorset (starting December 1530)
• He also held positions in places like Southwell, Marnehull, Aston, Hertfordshire, and Sutton, Surrey.

Many letters he wrote while he was abroad are still kept in official archives today.