Henry VIII: the young king

in The Consolidation of the Tudor Dynasty 1485-1547

‘Heaven smiles, earth rejoices; all is milk and honey and nectar,’ wrote Lord Mountjoy when Henry VIII became king. Thomas claimed “If ever there was a day, England, if ever there was a time for you to give thanks to those above, this is that happy day, one to be marked with a pure white stone and put in your calendar. This day is the [end] of our slavery, the beginning of our freedom, the end of sadness, the source of joy”. But what was the start of Henry VIII´s reign really like? What were Henry VIII’s aims? Who determined foreign policy? How successful was it? This podcast examines personality, Renaissance King, war, Arthur, Henry V. French campaigns, Field of the Cloth of Gold and London. Glyn's key concept is "Self-Fashioning".