June 11, 2026
The Autobiography of Henry VIII: with Notes by His Fool, Will Somers by Margaret George
Nearing the end of his life, Henry VIII's fool Will Somers sends a package to Catherine Carey, daughter of Mary Boleyn Carey and very possibly Henry VIII. It is an autobiography that Henry wrote late in life, and Will has added comments to clarify or expand some parts.
This is a huge novel, over 900 pages, written from Henry VIII's POV, which certainly differs from actual historical sources. From Henry's viewpoint, it was always someone else's fault, never his, were someone took advantage of his kindly and trusting nature. Never once does he connect the dots and admit or realize that all of his problems were of his own making. At one point, Henry refers to himself as a "kind and gentle husband to all his wives," which is laughable at best and certainly delusional. He also couldn't figure out why none of the European princesses wanted to marry him after he beheaded Anne Boleyn.
One of my favorite parts was when he advised his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves (my absolute favorite of the six wives), that he is having their marriage annulled and she reacts with delight and grabs a pen and signs the documents immediately. Henry is stunned that she doesn't want to be married to a fine specimen of masculinity like him (25 years older than her, weighing 400 lbs., smelly from an oozing leg ulcer, vindictive if anyone crosses him - yeah, he's a catch all right). The cover art is a painting of a young Henry, which was pretty much how he saw himself his entire life.
I would have like more commentary from Will, since his remarks were frequently witty and demonstrated that while he loved Henry, he had no illusions about Henry's nature. Recommended for readers of historical fiction, especially Tudor fiction, who want a different perspective on Henry VIII.
A realistic portrait of what Henry VIII looked like late in life
