Diplomacy of Pirates: Foreign Relations and Changes in the Legal Treatment of Piracy Under Henry VIII

Abstract

This work examines Henry VIII’s contribution to the legal defining and treatment of piracy during his reign and his influence over subsequent Tudor monarchs’ own relationship with piracy and privateering. Through examination of the shift in legal language, piracy as a crime to a paid profession, and the ambiguous definition of who a pirate was it becomes clear that Henry’s reign witnessed a significant transformation in piracy which directly influenced diplomatic relations throughout Europe.