6 greatest men in British history - Page 4 of 8

Thomas Cromwell (1485-1540)

When he was chief minister to King Henry VIII, Thomas Cromwell engineered the break with Rome. But he did more than advocate the Reformation – he started to define the rights and status of the English Parliament in England and the King’s relationship with Parliament: the idea that the highest law of the land is that which is voted for in Parliament and assented to by the King is one that remains to this day. He was also a terrifically good organiser and a moderniser.