20. Henry VIII

Henry VIII (1509-47) was described by historian Simon Jenkins as the ‘Hercules of English history – part tyrant, part polymath, part renaissance prince, who tore up the Plantagenet rulebook’. He was a prolific builder of English monarchy giving the nation a new identity, free from the shackles of Rome. His impact on religion, on government and on society was unprecedented, leaving a significant imprint on 21st century Britain. His countless iniquitous deeds, his disastrous marriages and the gratuitous purges of his foes and friends alike have done more to amalgamate his greatness than to tarnish is colossal legacy. CHARACTERS Henry VIII – King of England Catherine of Aragon – Queen of England Anne Boleyn – Queen of England Jane Seymour – Queen of England Anne of Cleves – Queen of England Catherine Howard – Queen of England Catherine Parr – Queen of England Henry VII – King of England (1485-1509), father of Henry VIII Elizabeth of York – Queen of England, mother of Henry VIII Prince Arthur – eldest son of Henry VII Mary - Queen of France, daughter of Henry VII Margaret Tudor – daughter of Henry VII, Queen of Scotland, wife of James IV Princess Mary – daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon Princess Elizabeth – daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn Prince Edward – son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour Thomas Wolsey – Lord Chancellor Thomas More – Lord Chancellor Thomas Cromwell – Chancellor of the Exchequer Thomas Cranmer – Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Howard, duke of Norfolk – nobleman and uncle of Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard Anthony Denny – Groom of the stool to Henry VIII Edmund Dudley and Richard Empson – financial agents of Henry VII Martin Luther – leading figure of the Protestant Reformation William Tyndale - leading figure of the Protestant Reformation Robert Aske – lawyer and leader of the Pilgrimage of Grace Margaret Pole – daughter of George, duke of Clarence Elizabeth Blount – mistress of Henry VIII Henry FitzRoy – illegitimate son of Henry VIII and Elizabeth Blount Mary Boleyn – mistress of Henry VIII and sister of Anne Thomas Culpeper – courtier of Henry VIII and associate of Catherine Howard Francis Dereham - courtier and associate of Catherine Howard Ferdinand II of Aragon – King of Aragon and Castile Charles V – Holy Roman Emperor Louis XII - King of France Francis I – King of France James IV – King of Scotland James V – King of Scotland Simon Jenkins – Historian Thomas Wyatt – contemporary politician Lord Mountjoy – contemporary Characters referenced from the past Edward III, King of England (1327-77) Henry V, King of England (1413-22) Edward IV, King of England (1461-70, 71-83) George, duke of Clarence – brother of Edward IV Thomas Becket – Archbishop of Canterbury under Henry II CREDITS John Dowland - The King of Denmark’s galliard Tu es Petrus – Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina Roxis boy – chain rattling hinzebeat – plate with cutlery kyles – window small trailer rv glass smash with an axe debris fall metal grill bulbastre – wooden boat row water arthni – clothing rustle sagetyrtle – distant cheer inspector – fireworks distant b bockelsound – glas weinglas einschenken trinken abstellen craigsmith – r09-12 wooden thuds and slams 1skyland – walking on grass soundmary – wild horses running danmitch3ll – distant horns jergonda – hangmans rope black snow – sword slice 5 ensasz – wooden door smash open Jordishaw – stabbing sound Tim Kahn - footsteps