Though he sought to show support for the King, he was executed in 1540. In recent years Cromwell has been called everything, from Henry VIII’s most trusted minister, to his most Notorious minister. Regardless of one’s opinion in this regard, there can be no doubt that he had the ear of the sovereign and did push the advancement of Protestant reform in England. Though he was highly motivated by a number of issues, in the end, the means that he employed to bring about his designs were considered somewhat Machiavellian and he faced the scourge of his antagonists when his day finally came in court. It has rightly been pointed out that service to the King at this time was a very precarious proposition.