The gracious king, beholding the two voices of Britain, Oxford and Cambridge, paid much for all those things then necessary to oversee the remaining adornment to them, bringing gifts to the utmost. And he gave colleges (as two shining lights), and they splendidly illuminated the British nation. The one here at Oxford is called Christchurch, which has a great multitude of the studious, and Cambridge was assigned the other greatly honoured one, and it bears the name of the Holy Trinity.

The Oxford college that became Christchurch was originally established as Cardinal's College by Cardinal Wolsey in 1525. Following Wolsey's fall from favour and his death, it was refounded by Henry as King's College in 1532, and again as Christchurch in 1546. Trinity College, Cambridge was founded with a huge endowment by a bequest in Henry's will.