Henry VIII: King and Court - Review

Contemporary Review, Oct, 2001

Henry VIII: King and Court. Alison Weir. Jonathan Cape. [pound]20.00. 639 pages. ISBN 0-224-06022-8. This book is a good example of biography mixed with social history to produce a study of a man and his times. The author's aim is 'to draw together a multitude of strands of research in order to develop a picture of the real Henry VIII, his personal life ...

the court he created and the people who influenced and served him'. For 'the first time ever', we are told, this book 'sets the life and reign of the King ... against a realistic portrayal of his court'. The writer makes great use of on-lookers' descriptions of court life to give readers a vibrant picture of the seat of government. She shows that the general understanding of the King has become distorted over the centuries and that the 'real' Henry VIII was, at least in his earlier years, far removed from the vulgar tyrant of popular myth. Whether he 'excelled all who ever wore a crown' is, however, another question.