Henry VIII

The Untimely Death of Thomas Cromwell

One of the many irrational beheadings Henry VIII ordered as an older king was the execution of his loyal and indispensably helpful minister Thomas Cromwell. King Henry’s deteriorating brain function might have been the result of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a condition only recently diagnosed by medical science, but it may have also been due to… Read more The Untimely Death of Thomas Cromwell

Edward VI

No one expected King Edward VI to die so young. Although he was re-written retroactively as “frail” and unhealthy, there is no evidence to support that conclusion. A French ambassador described Edward as being “remarkably tall for his age” when the future king was four years old, which indicates reasonably good health. (Murphy, 2011:246). Furthermore,… Read more Edward VI

King Louis XII of France

The future King Louis XII was born on on 27 June 1462 to  Charles, Duke of Orléans and Marie of Cleves. Louis of Orléans was the 2nd cousin of King Louis XI, known as Louis the Cunning, who (along with his daughter, Anne of Beaujue) had been the main instrument of putting the Tudors on… Read more King Louis XII of France

Why Didn’t Cranmer See Edward VI Alone Before the King’s Death?

By June of 1553 King Edward VI knew he was dying. The young monarch was in constant pain, but had been using the last few weeks remaining to him to actively try to ensure a Protestant Britain after his death. Although John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, is often – even usually – accused of being King… Read more Why Didn’t Cranmer See Edward VI Alone Before the King’s Death?