Book description
Henry VIII always had problems with women. Born on 28 June 1491, he
lived in the shadow of his elder brother Arthur and his dour and
autocratic father, Henry VII. Elizabeth of York, Henry's mother, died
when he was twelve and thereafter he lived under the thumb of his
formidable grandmother, Lady Margaret Beaufort, who beneath a pious
exterior was the arch-conspirator of the last days of the Wars of the
Roses. Everything changed when Arthur died of tuberculosis at Ludlow
Castle in 1502, less than six months after his marriage to the Spanish
princess, Catherine of Aragon. Henry VII died in April 1509 when his
sole heir was nine weeks away from his eighteenth birthday. His
grandmother acted as regent until his birthday and he married his
brother's widow, Catherine on 11 June, two weeks before their joint
coronation. Henry quickly swept away the musty cobwebs of his father's
court. He loved magnificence, merriment and the hunting field, and could
fire an arrow further than most of his professional archers. Henry could
dance everyone off their feet and could drink most men under the table.
But Henry became frustrated and angry at his lack of sons by Catherine
and his attention began to wander. Some time in 1526 he fell
passionately in love with Anne Boleyn. At the age of 35, the time for
youthful frolic had ended. To achieve his heart's overpowering desire,
the executions had now to begin. Young Henry provides readers with an
unique and compelling vision of the splendours and tragedies of the
royal court, presided over by a magnificent and ruthless monarch.
Robert Hutchinson was defence correspondent for the Press Association
1976-83 before moving to Jane's Information Group to launch JANE'S
DEFENCE WEEKLY. He is a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London
and a contributing author to THE ARCHAELOGY OF THE REFORMATION. He is
the author of Last Days of Henry VIII, Elizabeth's Spy Master and Thomas
Cromwell. He was appointed OBE in the 2008 Honours List.
