Henry VIII was Britain’s most powerful monarch, yet he was not born to rule. Thrust into the limelight after the sudden death of his elder brother, Prince Arthur, Henry succeeded his father as king in 1509, and began a reign which was to alter the course of English history.
As a virtuous and intelligent young prince, Henry’s romantic disposition was nurtured and developed by his upbringing. As the ‘spare’ to the throne, his early life was spent in a shared household with his two sisters, and in close proximity to his adored mother, who taught him to read and write. The young and indulged prince Henry grew to be a gifted athlete and a lover of the arts. He excelled in Latin and mathematics and was an accomplished musician. His accession to the throne after the tumultuous rule of his father provided England with hope of a new beginning.
Bestselling royal historian David Starkey’s captivating biography is a radical re-evaluation of Henry VIII, the British monarchy’s most enduring icon.