Robert Hutchinson - Young Henry

reivew by Maggie on show 9th June
I ADMIT I AM A BIT OF A FAN OF HENRY V111 ALONG WITH FRANK SINATRA AND JOHN SARGEANT. HE HAS ALWAYS BEENA A BIT OF A PIN UP. THIS BOOK TELLS US OF HIS CHILDHOOD, GROWING UP UNDER HIS MOTHER AND FATHER ELIZABETH AND HENRY V1.
A MUCH WANTED SECOND SON, HE WAS BONNY LIVELY IN COMPARISON WITH HIS GENTLE AND SCHOLARLY OLDER BROTHER. HE ALSO HAD 2 SISTERS MARGARET AND MARY AND ADORED HIS MOTHER WHOM HE LOST AT AGE 11, AS SHE GAVE BIRTH TO YET ANOTHER STILL BORN DAUGHTER, ONE HAD DIED WHILE STILL A TODDLER.
THE NEED TO HAVE SONS IS SOMETHING WHICH DOMINATED JHENRY'S LIFE AS DID WITH HIS SON THIS WAS NECESSARY TO SECURE THE SUCCESSION AS THERE WERE MANY WHO FELT THE CLAIM ON THE THROMNE WAS PRECARIOUS.
HENRY BECAME KING IN APRIL 1509. HE WAS TALL GOOD LOOKING, SPORTING (HE COULD SHOOT AN ARROW FURTHER THAN ANYONE AND OUTRIDE ANYONE TOO). HE LOVED BEING KING BUT HATED PAPERWORK LEAVING IT TO HIS COUNCILLORS AND ESPECIALLY WOLSEY TO DO THE WORK.
AFTER HIS FATHER DIED HENRY BECAME KING. ONE OF HIS FIRST ACTIONS WAS TO WED KATHERINE OF ARAGON WHO HAD BEEN LIVING IN PENURY SINCE HER HUSBAND, HIS BROTHER ARTHUR, HAD DIED, HER FATHER IN LAW REFUSED TO SEND HER HOME TO SPAIN AS HE WOULD HAVE HAD TO RETURN HER DOWRY AND SHE WAS REALLY SKIMPING AND SAVING WHEN HENRY RAISED HER UP TO BE HIS QUEEN, CAUSING HER TO LOVE HIM TIL SHE DIED, DESPITE HIS CRUEL TREATMENT OF HER AND HIS DAUGHTER MARY.
IF THE LONGED FOR BOY HAD BEEN BORN, I AM SURE HENRY WOULD NOT HAVE CAST HER OFF AS HE DID BUT HE WAS ABLE TO CONVINCE HIMSELF THAT ANNE BOLYN WAS THE ANSWER TO HIS DESIRE FOR A BOY, WOMEN NOT CONSIDERED ABLE TO RULE ALONE. THOUGH HIS DAUGHTER ELIZABETH 1ST PROVED THEM WRONG!!!
THIS IS AN INTRUIGING LOOK AT HENRY'S EARLY LIFE, SOME INTERESTING FACTS HOW HIS FATHERS CAREFUL HJOARDING O MONEY WAS SOOON FORGOTTEN AND HE SPENT QUITE RECKLESSLY ON JEWELS GOLDEN TRINKETS AND LATER ON WITH WARS ON THE FRENCH.
ONE GESTURE WHICH PLEASED THE COMMON MAN WAS WHEN HE HAD EMPSON AND DUDLEY PUT TO DEATH, THE TAX COLLECTORS WORKING FOR HIS FATHER. THEY WERE ACCUSED OF LINING THEIR OWN POCKETS TOO. NO CHANGE THEIR THEN!!!
WELL WRITTEN AND INFORMATIVE, I LOVED IT!! AND HENRY TOO.
REVIEW BY MAGS