Claire | July 25, 2022
On this day in Tudor history, 25th July 1535, the Feast of St James, Eustace Chapuys, the imperial ambassador, reported that a furious King Henry VIII had nearly been driven to commit murder. What had driven the king to this fury? His fool, Will Somer. Find out more about what Somer did to anger his […]
Claire | July 25, 2020
On this day in Tudor history, 25th July 1535, the Feast of St James, the imperial ambassador wrote about a furious King Henry VIII who’d apparently been nearly driven to commit murder! What had angered the king? Well, it involved Henry VIII’s fool and some foolish name-calling. Find out more in my latest “on this […]
Claire | July 25, 2019
On this day in history, 25th July 1535, the Feast of St James, Eustace Chapuys, the imperial ambassador, wrote to Nicolas Perrenot de Granvelle, one of Emperor Charles V’s advisors, and included a post-script regarding Anne Boleyn and her daughter, Elizabeth, being verbally attacked by Will Somer (Summer), King Henry VIII’s fool. Chapuys recorded: “P.S.-He […]
Claire | July 25, 2017
With his letter written on the Feast of St James (25th July) 1535, to Nicolas Perrenot de Granvelle, who was Charles V’s advisor, Eustace Chapuys included an interesting post script. It was written in cipher, but said: “P.S.—He the other day nearly murdered his own fool, a simple and innocent man, because he happened to […]
Claire | June 15, 2013
On 15th June 1560, William Somer (Sommers), former court fool to Henry VIII, Edward VI and Mary I died in Shoreditch, London. He was buried at St Leonard’s Church, Shoreditch. Somer served as Henry VIII’s fool from June 1535 and just a month later got into trouble with the King. In July 1535, Eustace Chapuys, […]
