The Disillusion of King Henry VIII

THE DISILLUSION OF KING HENRY VIIIA comic novel, written by Kerry John Furber, with contributions by Ian Thomson.In 1527, the 36-year-old, philandering, King Henry VIII of England, was feeling a little peeved. His 42-year-old Spanish wife of 18 years, the Queen, Catherine of Aragon, had done her best to issue forth a surviving male heir to the English throne. Sadly, her six pregnancies, during the first nine years of their marriage, had resulted in two stillborn daughters, a stillborn son, two sons who died in infancy, and a surviving girl child who became notorious as Bloody Mary, Queen Mary 1st of England. On top of that, Henry was conducting affairs with the Boleyn sisters, Mary and Anne. He was looking for a way out. In September 1527, Henry and his Lord Chancellor, Cardinal Wolsey, dispatched Sir William Knight, the 52-year-old, weary, Archdeacon of Huntingdon, down through France, across the Alps, and onwards to Rome, in order to petition the then Pope, Clement VII, to grant Henry a divorce on a technicality of Biblical origin. This is the story of Sir William's involvement in what became known as the King's Great Matter, from June 1527 until he returned to London in February 1528, and concludes in the late summer of 1529, when the Papal Legatine Court was held in Blackfriars, London, to finally hear the evidence proper regarding Henry's requested marriage annulment. This is a funny, fictional telling of an astonishing story from an incredible time, mixing in some facts, in so far as they are known (and often confused), with liberal helpings of fantasy and hilarity. On top of that, it's a love story, an adventure, a parody, and a musing upon what life just may have been like during these tempestuously torrid times. WARNING: READER DISCRETION ADVISED.This book contains scenes of a sexual nature and profane language which could cause offence. It is not recommended for readers under the age of 15 years.This book is for entertainment only and should not be used for historical reference purposes.