One of my favorite early modern historians, John Guy, has a new (brief) biography of Henry VIII just published. BBC History Magazines Extra podcast has a 30 minute interview with Guy about the early Tudor age. Interesting how H VIIIs personality and style sometimes carried on into his daughters reign (and how sometimes she tellingly departed from her fathers style too). In the interview, right at the end (starting around 34:30) they ask Guy to lay out what he thinks were Henrys key strengths and weaknesses as a ruler. Setting it out here in bullet point format... • This is a charismatic man, a man who if he walked into a room, you would stand up. Literally, and take your hat off. • He was clearly something of an orator. It was said during his last speech in Parliament, he had the ability to make grown men weep. • Brave, athletic, prudent in war • Willing to promote men of low birth (Wolsey, Cromwell, etc.) • He could be loving to wives and children - but they damn well better obey him... and he didnt want them meddling in religion. on the other hand.... • Ferocious desire for revenge on those whom he felt betrayed him • Utterly egocentric - becomes a megalomaniac. Believes hes Christs deputy on earth with status of Old Testament patriarch • Punishes crimes of mind. (Contrasted with QE, who cared more about outward conformity) • Could be almost delusional, e.g. hed truly convinced himself that his break with Rome was actually a decision based on matters of conscience. ---------------------- Anyway, good reminders in this interview just what a strange and striking quintet -- grandfather to father to son to first daughter to second daughter -- the House of Tudor were. And what a shadow Elizabeths father cast on all the political and cultural goings on throughout (esp. during early years of) Oxfords life. historyextra/podcast/tudors/henry-viii-and-henry-young-king
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 02:54:26 +0000