King’s Secretary

William Paget and the Last Years of the Reign of Henry VIII

The compelling story of the end of Henry VIIIs reignand how the fate of England was determined by the kings secretary and minister, William Paget

In the closing years of Henry VIIIs reign, the future of England hung in the balance. The kings potential heirs consisted of two daughters of disgraced parentage and a young son too inexperienced to rule. With a French invasion imminent and the royal dynasty in crisis, Englands noble families vied to manipulate the succession for their own ends.

In this dramatic account, Andrew Johnston shows how one vital member of Henry VIIIs court attempted to protect the future of the kingdom, and himself. Of humble origins, William Paget was the successor of Thomas Cromwell as Henry VIIIs trusted secretary. He became the kings closest confidant in the chaotic final years of his reign, oversaw the crisis of Tudor succession, and n