England and France agreed to the Treaty of the More on 30 August 1525, six months after the French army suffered a major defeat at Pavia. The agreement marked a reversal in Henry VIII’s foreign policy.

At Pavia, Emperor Charles V’s forces defeated the French. They captured King Francis I. Francis was taken into captivity, leaving his mother, Louise of Savoy, to act as regent in France.

Henry VIII had been allied with Charles against France and initially saw Francis’s defeat as an opportunity. He maintained claims to French territory and hoped Charles would support an English invasion. The emperor had his own priorities and showed little interest in helping Henry expand in France.

A practical problem also loomed at home. Henry’s government had tried to raise money for war through the Amicable Grant earlier in 1525. Resistance was widespread enough that the demand was abandoned.

Cardinal Thomas Wolsey changed direction. Negotiations began with representatives of Louise of Savoy and produced an agreement associated with the More, Wolsey’s property in Hertfordshire.

Under the treaty, England agreed to give up some of its territorial claims against France. In return, France agreed to substantial financial payments, including an annual pension of £20,000. The treaty also settled money owed to Henry’s sister Mary, the widow of the former French king Louis XII.

England agreed to work for the release of Francis I. The agreement also addressed English concerns about Scotland and the possibility of renewed French support for the Duke of Albany.

Francis remained a prisoner until 1526, but England had already altered its position. The alliance with Charles V had failed to produce what Henry wanted, while renewed war with France had proved difficult to finance. The Treaty of the More gave Wolsey another course.