The King is Dead: The Last Will and Testament of Henry VIII

by Suzannah Lipscomb

Overview

On 28 January 1547, the sickly and obese King Henry VIII died at Whitehall. Just hours before his passing, his last will and testament had been read, stamped, and sealed. The will confirmed the line of succession as Edward, Mary, and Elizabeth; and, following them, the Grey and Suffolk families. It also listed bequests to the king's most trusted councillors and servants.

Henry's will is one of the most intriguing and contested documents in British history. Historians have disagreed over its intended meaning, its authenticity and validity, and the circumstances of its creation. As well as examining the background to the drafting of the will and describing Henry's last days, Suzannah Lipscomb offers her own illuminating interpretation of one of the most significant constitutional documents of the Tudor period.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681776217
Publisher:	Pegasus Books
Publication date:	01/09/2018
Pages:	232
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Suzannah Lipscomb, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer in History at New College of the Humanities, London, and also teaches Early Modern History at the University of East Anglia. She has appeared on BBC, ITV, and BBC Radio, as well as co-presented Inside the World of Henry VIII on the History Channel. Her new three-part series on the Tower of London aired on National Geographic Channel. She is the author of 1536: The Year that Changed Henry VIII, and writes frequently for BBC History Magazine and History Today

Editorial Reviews

"A delightful story of intrigue and manipulation that shows how Henry really couldn't control his kingdom."-- "Kirkus Reviews"

"A detailed, forensic approach to dismantling the popular conspiracy theories about certain factions messing with Henry's will. A great bit of scholarship that Tudor fans will need on their shelves"-- "British Heritage Travel"

"Nimbly scrutinizes Henry VIII's unusual final will to lend new insight into the king's state of mind and religious beliefs during the last months of his life while also settling potential timeline incongruities."-- "Publishers Weekly"

"The bequests can still thrill us, even after half a millennium. Fittingly, Lipscomb's book contains a gallery of beautiful illustrations. Both wonkish and elegant, The King Is Dead allows us a peek inside."-- "New York Times Book Review"

"This well-researched book provides an alternative scenario for the preparation and execution of Henry VIII's will. Readers of Tudor England and English history will find this to be a fascinating story."-- "Library Journal"

From the Publisher

"A detailed, forensic approach to dismantling the popular conspiracy theories about certain factions messing with Henry’s will. A great bit of scholarship that Tudor fans will need on their shelves"

British Heritage Travel

"The bequests can still thrill us, even after half a millennium. Fittingly, Lipscomb’s book contains a gallery of beautiful illustrations. Both wonkish and elegant, The King Is Dead allows us a peek inside."

New York Times Book Review

10/24/2016
British historian Lipscomb (A Journey Through Tudor England) nimbly scrutinizes Henry VIII’s unusual final will to lend new insight into the king’s state of mind and religious beliefs during the last months of his life while also settling potential timeline incongruities. Henry’s hybridization of Protestant and Catholic tenets and his plethora of female heirs added extra intricacies to his final wishes. This was especially so after the brief reign of his Protestant son, Edward VI, as England wrestled with the idea of both a queen regnant and undergoing yet another change in religion. Lipscomb deftly walks readers through the will, with Henry elevating the daughters whom he declared legally illegitimate and excluding his elder sister’s Scottish heirs on the extraordinary assumption that he could essentially will the crown to whomever he chose, decades after his demise. Henry’s biggest miscalculation stemmed from trusting his ambitious advisers to follow his wishes after his death; a clear analysis shows that these men helped undermine Henry’s wishes regarding religion during Edward VI’s reign and then temporarily interrupted the succession with Jane Grey’s brief accession. Lipscomb shows that Henry remained mentally astute as he made extensive—and necessary, as it turned out—plans to secure the Tudor dynasty, believing in his own power to the last. Illus. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

10/15/2016
Rarely has a personal document had as much constitutional significance as the last will and testament of Henry VIII of England (1491–1547). The survival of the Tudor dynasty was precarious, having been founded by his father, Henry VII, 24 years previously. After two failed marriages, Henry VIII conceived a male heir with his third wife, Jane Seymour. But Edward was nine years old when Henry sensed that his death was near. Henry prepared a will to provide for governance of the kingdom during his son's minority and for a peaceful succession if his son did not have a male heir. Did Henry, however, actually draft his will or did a faction of Protestant councillors alter it in their favor? Tudor historian Lipscomb (history, New Coll. of the Humanities; 1536: The Year That Changed Henry VIII) argues that the document was altered without Henry's knowledge months before his death, and that the will was successful in assuring the survival of his dynasty until Elizabeth I's death, but failed to curb the regency councillors' ambitions for power. VERDICT This well-researched book provides an alternative scenario for the preparation and execution of Henry VIII's will. Readers of Tudor England and English history will find this to be a fascinating story.—Glen Edward Taul, Campbellsville Univ. Lib., KY

Library Journal

2016-09-17
Lipscomb (A Journey Through Tudor England: Hampton Court Palace and the Tower of London to Stratford-upon-Avon and Thornbury Castle, 2015, etc.) shows Henry VIIIs attempt to continue control over both church and state.His last will, signed a month before his death, set forth the steps of succession beginning with his son, Edward. After arranging for possible children of his current and any future wives, he pronounced first Mary, then Elizabeth to be the next successors. In naming his son, he also stipulated that Edwards heirs, or named successors, were primary. In another scenario, instead of naming the heirs of his sister, Margaret, he skipped to the heirs of the daughter of his sister, Mary: Frances Greyi.e. Lady Jane Grey. In the 1540s, after war with the Scots, Henry arranged with Marie de Guise, James Vs widow, to wed her infant daughter Mary to his son Edward. However, de Guise had bigger plans for her daughter in France and renounced the match. Henry never forgave a slight, so Mary Queen of Scots was left out of the succession plans. Another of Henrys stipulations was that Masses should be said for his soul. This was particularly artful, as he had dissolved monasteries whose members prayed for souls. Hedging his bets, Henry still left land and revenues for Masses and prayers to ensure his place in heaven. He designated more than a dozen executors and regents in hopes the transfer of power would be smooth. The author, who shows her deep knowledge of the Tudor period throughout the book, rejects the many charges that Henrys will might have been changed or altered or that undue influence was used. It was treason to even suggest that the king might die. Afterward, the story was completely different, with Edward Seymour and Chief Secretary William Paget seizing control of the Regency and the kingdom. A delightful story of intrigue and manipulation that shows how Henry really couldnt control his kingdom.

Kirkus Reviews