By 1550, the Kingdom of England under Henry VIII had undergone significant territorial transformations through conquest, administrative reform, and religious revolution that fundamentally altered its political structure and territorial control.
The Acts of Union (1536, 1543) formally incorporated Wales into the Kingdom of England, ending centuries of separate Welsh principality status. Wales was divided into thirteen counties following English administrative models, with Welsh law replaced by English common law. The new Welsh counties—including Monmouthshire, Glamorgan, Pembrokeshire, and others—received representation in the English Parliament and adopted English governmental structures, creating a unified Anglo-Welsh kingdom.
English control in Ireland remained limited to the Pale around Dublin, encompassing roughly one-third of the island. The Irish Parliament in Dublin governed English settlements, while Gaelic chieftains controlled much of the interior through traditional clan systems. Henry VIII's assumption of the title "King of Ireland" (1542) represented theoretical rather than practical sovereignty over the entire island.
England proper was divided into approximately 40 counties (shires), each governed by appointed sheriffs, justices of the peace, and lord-lieutenants representing royal authority. The county system provided the foundation for local administration, taxation, and military organization. Major counties included Yorkshire, Kent, Essex, Devon, Cornwall, and others, each with distinct local traditions and administrative practices.
The English Reformation (1534) had dissolved monasteries and restructured ecclesiastical territories, transferring vast monastic lands to royal control and private ownership. Dioceses remained important administrative units, though bishops now served under royal rather than papal authority.
Major cities like London, York, Bristol, and Norwich maintained chartered municipal governments with mayors, aldermen, and guilds controlling local trade and governance. London, with approximately 120,000 inhabitants, dominated English economic and political life.
The Scottish border remained militarized with special Warden courts managing cross-border disputes, while northern counties maintained distinct administrative practices adapted to frontier conditions and ongoing Scottish tensions.
