She regarded the kingdom as a vassal kingdom, and as bound to aid its overlord.
It was only by the promise of a heavy subsidy that Henry in 1229 could buy the Papal confirmation of Langton's successor.

But the baronage was of other mind than Henry as to this claim of overlordship, and the demand of an aid to Rome from the laity was at once rejected by them.

Her spiritual claim over the allegiance of the clergy however remained to fall back upon, and the clergy were in the Pope's hand.

Gregory the Ninth had already claimed for the Papal See a right of nomination to some prebends in each cathedral church; he now demanded a tithe of all the moveables of the priesthood, and a threat of excommunication silenced their murmurs.
Exaction followed exaction as the needs of the Papal treasury grew greater.
The very rights of lay patrons were set aside, and under the name of "reserves" presentations to English benefices were sold in the Papal market, while Italian clergy were quartered on the best livings of the Church.
[Sidenote: Fall of Hubert de Burgh] The general indignation at last found vent in a wide conspiracy.

In 1231 letters from "the whole body of those who prefer to die rather than be ruined by the Romans" were scattered over the kingdom by armed men; tithes gathered for the Pope or the foreign priests were seized and given to the poor; the Papal collectors were beaten and their bulls trodden under foot.
The remonstrances of Rome only made clearer the national character of the movement; but as enquiry went on the hand of the Justiciar himself was seen to have been at work.