Bastard Prince: Henry VIII's Lost Son [Paperback]

Beverley A. Murphy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2004

It took Henry VIII 28 years, three wives, and a break with Rome before he secured a legitimate male heir. Yet he already had the illegitimate Henry Fitzroy. Fitzroy was born in 1519 after the king's affair with a gentlewoman named  Elizabeth Blount. He was the only illegitimate offspring ever acknowledged by Henry VIII, and Cardinal Wolsey was even one of his godparents. The Duke of Richmond, Fitzroy was educated as befitted a Renaissance prince and the offices bestowed upon him included Lord Lieutenant of the North and Lord Admiral of England; indeed rumors abounded that Henry VIII intended to make him King of Ireland. Widely reported to resemble his father, in both looks and character, he weathered the difficult years of the Reformation far better than either his sisters. This work examines just how close he came to being crowned King Henry VIX of England.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: The History Press (January 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0750937092
• ISBN-13: 978-0750937092
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 4.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,391,376 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #97 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Historical > British > King Henry VIII

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Book for aficionados of the Tudor period, July 7, 2006

By 

Elizabeth A. Root (Laurel, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bastard Prince: Henry VIII's Lost Son (Hardcover)

Dying at the age of 18, Henry Fitzroy is, in the end, a person of little or no historical significance. There was the potential that he could have become historically significant, but he didn't; this may make him a little interest to general history readers. On the other hand, as the king's acknowledged son, there is also considerable documentation about his life, and it did intersect with some of the flashpoints of history. For the reader interested in the period, his story fleshes out the life and upbringing of a high-ranking male. Murphy also checks upon some of the minor, disputed details of the question of the succession.

What is very interesting about biographies like this is that they bring out the details of the period better than biographies of the famous. The latter are so filled with political and social events that very often the subject isn't developed as a person, even when there is copious information. In a way, that is a shame. It would be nice to have "personal" biographies of such people where the already heavily documented major historical events are a background to their daily life. I had read a great deal of information about the Tudors before I learned that Henry played cards with (and lost to!) his cellarer, or that Anne Boleyn, obviously a woman after my own heart, insisted that he move his fighting cocks so that she could sleep in in the morning.

One problem that I do have with Murphy is that she struggles so hard to make him seem more important. If his neighbors were bringing him gifts when he was 12, I think it is more likely to ingratiate themselves with him and his father, not because he was personally doing a fabulous job of managing his estates. His life wasn't one that was eccentric or fascinating or wittily told that I would recommend it to everyone, but I think that people really interested in the period will find it improves their general understanding.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting topic, but the writing didn't grab me, February 14, 2006

By 

MommaMia - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Bastard Prince: Henry VIII's Lost Son (Paperback)

I love Henry...love any book about him, his wives, his children, I have all of them. This one caught my eye because it was written about one of his children you rarely hear anything about other than his mother's name and that he died relatively young. I was excited to start reading, but found the presentation wasn't grabbing my attention, and I found myself not being as interested in the information presented as I thought I would be. I suppose you could call the presentation as text-bookish. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy non-fiction, especially historical non-fiction, but this one just didn't keep me interested.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The man who was allmost Henry The Ninth of England, July 22, 2002

By 

"thetudor" (WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bastard Prince: Henry VIII's Lost Son (Hardcover)

This book is a must read for those interested in Tudor Royalty.It reveals an entirely different view of Henry VIII and the problems[real and imagined]he faced concerning his desire for a legitimate male heir to the Throne of England.The politics surrounding Henry VIII and his Court are well researched and presented in a clear way which involves the reader with the Duke of Norfolk and Anne Boleyn's backers and Family[Seymour] as they fought for power and the favor of the King.