Tudor Survivor: The Life and Times of William Paulet

Description

A captivating portrait of a great man who for many years held the purse strings of England, and both witnessed and was instrumental in the greatest events of the periodFrom the Siege of Boulogne to the execution of two queens, the Reformation, and the beginnings of Elizabeth's Golden Age, Paulet was there, and the story of his fascinating life reveals both the nature of life at the Tudor court and the birth of the modern nation state. The ultimate courtier, Henry Paulet served at the courts of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary, and Elizabeth for an astonishing 46 years and was one of the men responsible for introducing the changes in religious, economic, and social issues which shaped England as it is today. He was a judge at the trials of Fisher, More, and the alleged accomplices of Anne Boleyn, and though born a commoner, by his death he was the senior peer in England and, as Lord High Treasurer, he held one of the most influential positions at court. With his long and varied career within the royal household and in government, the story of his life also gives valuable insight into everyday life, from etiquette and bathing, to court politics and the monarchs themselves.