Henry’s piety has received much attention from historians. They have particularly focused on the cult of Edward the Confessor, Henry’s relationship with and construction of Westminster Abbey, and his magnificent almsgiving. There has also been an appreciation that the political and the pious overlapped in a way our secular world does not fully appreciate. This thesis builds on this work. It examines Henry’s standard pious acts including saint veneration, pious patronage of religious orders and institutions, and his relationships with key religious figures throughout his reign.

This thesis traces the evolution of Henry’s pious acts in support of his political actions, in times of peace and in times of challenge and conflict. Case studies, covering Henry’s response to military conflict, central dynastic moments, and the daily exercise of religious patronage, where evidence is available, reveal an underappreciated and complex set of pious practices which aimed at concrete results. This thesis considers general trends in Henry’s pious practices and specific responses to external events. It evaluates times when Henry’s authority was well established and considers how his practices altered in times of challenge, most notably the period of baronial revolt and rebellion.

Despite his employment of sophisticated pious strategies, and his sensitive ceremonial and ritual response to events, these largely ultimately failed to achieve Henry’s objectives. Piety alone, however considered, was not enough to paper over his failures as a king. Indeed, the elevated sense of kingship revealed by a detailed consideration of Henry’s piety only further highlighted his political failings and the difference between his elevated expectations and those of his lay and ecclesiastical subjects. However, this more nuanced picture of his piety provides a new lens through which to consider how Henry saw his role as a king, and to understand the motivations behind his actions.