Dear friends. What do we know of Cardinal Wolsey, right hand man to Henry VIII until he fell out of favour?
Best selling historical novelist Alison Weir brings the Cardinal to life in her new book. We learn about a man whose religious calling was somewhat reluctantly accepted; a man who nurtured a secret love, and who lost everything dear to him.
Today is my turn on the book blog tour for The Cardinal.
Publisher's Description
It begins with young Tom Wolsey, the bright and brilliant son of a Suffolk tradesman, sent to study at Oxford at just eleven years old.
It ends with a disgraced cardinal, cast from the King’s side and estranged from the woman he loves.
The years in between tell the story of a scholar and a lover, a father and a priest. From the court of Henry VIII, Tom builds a powerful empire of church and state. At home in London, away from prying eyes, he finds joy in a secret second life. But when King Henry, his cherished friend, demands the ultimate sacrifice, what will Wolsey choose?
My Thoughts
Like you, my perceptions of Cardinal Wolsey have inevitably been shaped by the portrayals of him in The Tudors (Sam Neill) and the Wolf Hall dramatisations (Jonathan Pryce). But neither of the TV productions dwelt on him as a man, revealed his background or explained the complexities of his life.
Imagine starting at Oxford University, aged 11. Thomas, or Tom as he was known, must have encountered snobbery and disdain not just for his age but for being the son of a tradesman. However he won them round his fellow scholars, receiving his degree at 15 and being lauded as "The Boy Batchelor."
He continued his studies, but what he really wanted was to gain a role in high public office in some capacity. The best way to achieve it was through the Church, but Tom was reluctant to swear vows of chastity, poverty and obedience. This became a recurring theme throughout his life.
Tom worked for a time at the university but eventually accepted his calling to join the priesthood. He was both humiliated and redeemed at his first parish when he drank too much alcohol and was put in the stocks, but the villagers turned on his captors and urged them to release the young cleric.
Tom rises through the ranks to be become Henry VIII’s chief adviser and cardinal. He was envied by many at court who resented his influence over the monarch. All was going well until Henry became determined to marry Anne Boleyn, leaving Wolsey to find a solution to the King's Great Matter, and a divorce from much-loved queen Katherine of Aragon.
He succeeds, but at a price, and finds the king hard to handle as Henry becomes older and more embittered.
Loved and Lost
This is a tale of two men, king and commoner, the special, deep-rooted bonds that brought them together, and the forces that drove them apart. It's also a story where women feature prominently, among them his mistress Joan Larke, with whom he had two children. Alison Weir discovered that after their split, Larke and her new husband lived just a mile from Wolsey. Their only son was called Thomas.
Alison Weir does serious research for each novel and brings Tudor times to life in a way that is both authentic and compelling. It was great to learn about a pivotal character in Henry's court who has been largely overlooked by historians.
Asked who she would like to portray Thomas Wolsey in any new dramatisations, Weir told Book Notions her choices would be Kenneth Branagh, Hugh Bonneville, Bill Nighy or Jude Law. Who would your choice be? Do tell in the comments.
About the Author
Disclosure
I was gifted with an advance digital copy of The Cardinal in return for an honest review. Thanks to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours, the publishers and the author.
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