How much of a threat did the Pilgrimage of Grace pose to Henry VIII?

The pilgrimage of Grace was the largest rebellion that a Tudor monarch faced. The rebellion started in the north of England in 1536 following Henry’s decision to dissolve the monasteries in an attempt to seize their wealth. Due to Henry and Cromwell’s cunning, the rebellion passed with very little loyalist blood being spilt. It could be argued that the rebellion posed an enormous threat to Henry. If nothing else, the sheer number of men that the rebellion attracted posed a threat. 40,000 men from the north of England marched south with the intention of heading to London. This was much larger than the royal army and, as a result, it is possible the Pilgrims could have reached well into the south before facing any opposition. Equally, the range of people that the rebellion attracted arguably makes the rebellion more of a threat. The common people, gentry (including the leader of the rebellion Robert Aske) and even some of the nobles (including the lord of Pontefract castle) were attracted to the rebellion. Arguably, had the rebellion not been quashed so quickly, other nobles sympathetic to the cause may have been attracted to it leading to another civil war. In this sense, the pilgrimage was an enormous threat to the crown. However, the variety of the pilgrimage was also a major weakness for it. Due to the wide geographic area the rebels came from, there was significant disparity between the rebels interests depending on the area they came from. The issues ranged from economic decline to specific issues with local lords (Henry had tried to impose a southern noble on the more troublesome northern provinces). This failed to present a united front weakening the rebellion. It is worth noting that very few of the rebels that originated from the common people were interested in the religious aspect of the rebellion- a sharp contrast to the leaders of the rebellion (Aske and the gentry) who were very much more concerned with the religious aspects of the monasteries closing. To conclude, it can be argued either way but perhaps it is more convincing to say that the Pilgrimage of Grace was a great threat but, due to Henry’s shrewdness, the threat was negated.