KING IS DEAD

Sub-titled 'The Last Will and Testament of Henry VIII', the Will of the King in which the dying monarch confirmed the royal line of succession and made bequests to his most trusted councillors is one of the most intriguing and contested documents in British history. On 28th 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. Scholars have disagreed over its intended meaning, its authenticity and validity, and the circumstances of its creation. The popular TV historian Suzannah Lipscomb (the one with the beautiful titian long curly hair) explores the background to the drafting of the Will and offers her own illuminating interpretation of a key constitutional document of the Tudor period. 'An elegantly written forensic examination of Henry's will.' - Saul David. With 16 pages of colour photos, 246 page paperback.