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Fool: In Search of Henry VIII's Closest Man
The first biography of Henry VIII’s court fool William Somer, a legendary entertainer and one of the most intriguing figures of the Tudor age
In some portraits of Henry VIII there appears another, striking figure―a gaunt and morose-looking man with a shaved head and, in one case, a monkey on his shoulder. This is William or "Will" Somer, the king’s fool, a celebrated wit who reportedly could raise Henry’s spirits and spent many hours with him, often alone. Was Somer an “artificial fool,” a cunning comic who could speak freely in front of the king, or a “natural fool,” someone with intellectual disabilities, like many other members of the profession? And what role did he play in the tumultuous and violent Tudor era? Fool is the first biography of Somer―and perhaps the first of a Renaissance fool.
After his death, Somer disappeared behind his legend, and historians struggled to separate myth from reality. Unearthing as many facts as possible, Peter K. Andersson pieces together the fullest picture yet of an enigmatic and unusual man with a very strange job. Somer’s story provides new insights into how fools lived and what exactly they did for a living, how monarchs and courtiers related to commoners and people with disabilities, and whether aspects of the Renaissance fool live on in the modern comedian. But most of all, we learn how a commoner without property or education managed to become the court’s chief mascot and a continuous presence at the center of Tudor power from the 1530s to the reign of Elizabeth I.
Looking beyond stereotypes of the man in motley, Fool reveals a little-known world, surprising and disturbing, when comedy was something crueler and more unpleasant than we like to think.
In some portraits of Henry VIII there appears another, striking figure―a gaunt and morose-looking man with a shaved head and, in one case, a monkey on his shoulder. This is William or "Will" Somer, the king’s fool, a celebrated wit who reportedly could raise Henry’s spirits and spent many hours with him, often alone. Was Somer an “artificial fool,” a cunning comic who could speak freely in front of the king, or a “natural fool,” someone with intellectual disabilities, like many other members of the profession? And what role did he play in the tumultuous and violent Tudor era? Fool is the first biography of Somer―and perhaps the first of a Renaissance fool.
After his death, Somer disappeared behind his legend, and historians struggled to separate myth from reality. Unearthing as many facts as possible, Peter K. Andersson pieces together the fullest picture yet of an enigmatic and unusual man with a very strange job. Somer’s story provides new insights into how fools lived and what exactly they did for a living, how monarchs and courtiers related to commoners and people with disabilities, and whether aspects of the Renaissance fool live on in the modern comedian. But most of all, we learn how a commoner without property or education managed to become the court’s chief mascot and a continuous presence at the center of Tudor power from the 1530s to the reign of Elizabeth I.
Looking beyond stereotypes of the man in motley, Fool reveals a little-known world, surprising and disturbing, when comedy was something crueler and more unpleasant than we like to think.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published September 19, 2023
15 people are currently reading
209 people want to read
About the author
Peter K. Andersson
30 books7 followersA specialist inpopular culture, everyday life and streetlife, mainly during the late 19th century, Peter K. Andersson is Senior Lecturer in History at Sweden's Lund University.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 12, 2024
A strictly academic work that is neither a standard nor chronological biography on this rather enigmatic character from Tudor history.
With the use of contemporaneous sources and comparisons outside of the Tudor court, Andersson explores to what extent was the fool a servant or a courtier. Andersson also acknowledges that there is too little information on the actual man - Will Somers - for the reader to gain any real insight into him - what we know is based upon scant administration records of the Tudor period.
I came into this wanting to know more, but came away no closer to finding any real substance to the real man. I have given it three stars are this looks to be the first - for me anyway - real attempt to put some flesh on the bones of an elusive historical person.
Definitely one for those with an interest in the Tudor and Elizabethan courts.
With the use of contemporaneous sources and comparisons outside of the Tudor court, Andersson explores to what extent was the fool a servant or a courtier. Andersson also acknowledges that there is too little information on the actual man - Will Somers - for the reader to gain any real insight into him - what we know is based upon scant administration records of the Tudor period.
I came into this wanting to know more, but came away no closer to finding any real substance to the real man. I have given it three stars are this looks to be the first - for me anyway - real attempt to put some flesh on the bones of an elusive historical person.
Definitely one for those with an interest in the Tudor and Elizabethan courts.
August 26, 2023
I originally requested this book from Princeton Press because I was thrilled to see a historical dissection of a lesser-discussed component of Tudor England. My excitement for this book ended up going far beyond that, thanks to Peter K. Andersson's compassionate exploration of Renaissance attitudes on disability and how that intersected with the use of titles like "clown," "fool," and "jester," including how it pulls through to modern day. I highlighted SO many quotes in this book! A massive massive thank you to Princeton Press for the advance copy.
Selected quotes:
"The story of Will Somer sheds light on other things - like how people with a disability or an eccentric turn of mind have been treated in history, the relation between royalty and commoners in the Renaissance, and notions of what constituted comedy in the early modern period."
"The most foundational aspect of the early modern concept of folly is usually said to be the distinction made between artificial and natural fools. But when studied up close, it seems that all court jesters were natural fools in some way or another - hired because of a physical or intellectual disability, or thanks to their plebeian or rustic character, deemed amusing in its contrasting relation to the conduct of the court."
"But the primary reason for focusing on an individual fool is to finally release the many men and women who were labelled fools during the early modern period from the oppression of terminology. [...] I would like to give just one of all these fools the opportunity to be considered as an individual and thus to see whether after that he remains just a fool or is something more complex and, perhaps also in turn, makes the word "fool" more complex. [...] Repeatedly we see how people with an intellectual disability, for instance, are in public only allowed to be representatives of their diagnosis. I therefore consider it relevant to look at an individual beyond categories such as natural and artificial fool without ruminating on which category is the more suitable. The impossibility of the answer, the unreachability of the man himself, is exactly the point."
Selected quotes:
"The story of Will Somer sheds light on other things - like how people with a disability or an eccentric turn of mind have been treated in history, the relation between royalty and commoners in the Renaissance, and notions of what constituted comedy in the early modern period."
"The most foundational aspect of the early modern concept of folly is usually said to be the distinction made between artificial and natural fools. But when studied up close, it seems that all court jesters were natural fools in some way or another - hired because of a physical or intellectual disability, or thanks to their plebeian or rustic character, deemed amusing in its contrasting relation to the conduct of the court."
"But the primary reason for focusing on an individual fool is to finally release the many men and women who were labelled fools during the early modern period from the oppression of terminology. [...] I would like to give just one of all these fools the opportunity to be considered as an individual and thus to see whether after that he remains just a fool or is something more complex and, perhaps also in turn, makes the word "fool" more complex. [...] Repeatedly we see how people with an intellectual disability, for instance, are in public only allowed to be representatives of their diagnosis. I therefore consider it relevant to look at an individual beyond categories such as natural and artificial fool without ruminating on which category is the more suitable. The impossibility of the answer, the unreachability of the man himself, is exactly the point."
November 2, 2025
One of the main problems with the popular Tudor book industry is that it focuses on biographies, but there are few Tudor people suited for one. Thus, the end result is frequently either a book filled with speculation or a retelling of the sixteenth century with occasional digressions on how so-and-so “would have” been there or done this. This academic book, while not quite an anti-biography, is mainly a study of fools in Renaissance courts with the life of Somer being the lynchpin.
Andersson’s learning is clear and his writing style is crisp, accessible, and sometimes humorous (ex. “The incessant greenness of his clothes speak for themselves”). The main obstacle for a casual reader is the subject matter and not the language. The structure is more thematic than biographical, an approach that is appropriate for someone whom we know so little. The “search” for Somer, despite arguably not even being the main point of the book, is not entirely fruitless– there are even hints of his interior life, like a possible fondness for collecting buttons.
The book offers a revisionist opinion on court fools, emphasizing the non-political aspects of fools– Andersson thinks that scholars have traditionally overemphasized the fool’s alleged role as critic to justify studying them. Somer thus emerges not as a great knowing comedian, but as someone whose main role was to be laughed at because of who he passively is. While there is much merit in this interpretation, it is sometimes overemphasized. Somer’s presence in legitimizing portraits, or the role that he and other fools play in providing a glimpse of the “outside” to the court suggest that, while it may not have been their primary role, the fool did have a political role, even if it was abstract.
This quibble notwithstanding, this book is a breath of fresh air for modern Tudor biographies and provides a fascinating look into the world of marginal figures at court.
Andersson’s learning is clear and his writing style is crisp, accessible, and sometimes humorous (ex. “The incessant greenness of his clothes speak for themselves”). The main obstacle for a casual reader is the subject matter and not the language. The structure is more thematic than biographical, an approach that is appropriate for someone whom we know so little. The “search” for Somer, despite arguably not even being the main point of the book, is not entirely fruitless– there are even hints of his interior life, like a possible fondness for collecting buttons.
The book offers a revisionist opinion on court fools, emphasizing the non-political aspects of fools– Andersson thinks that scholars have traditionally overemphasized the fool’s alleged role as critic to justify studying them. Somer thus emerges not as a great knowing comedian, but as someone whose main role was to be laughed at because of who he passively is. While there is much merit in this interpretation, it is sometimes overemphasized. Somer’s presence in legitimizing portraits, or the role that he and other fools play in providing a glimpse of the “outside” to the court suggest that, while it may not have been their primary role, the fool did have a political role, even if it was abstract.
This quibble notwithstanding, this book is a breath of fresh air for modern Tudor biographies and provides a fascinating look into the world of marginal figures at court.
November 30, 2024
3.5
This was really interesting to have all we know about Will Sommers, who was mostly Henry VIII fool (He did make appearances occasionally with all the Tudor children that came next) and the fool who appears in most royal portraits. We don't know too much, but the stuff we do know is here. It's just fascinating that this man saw so much, yet remains out of our reach to know him. It's also quite odd on how many portraits he ended up in. And the fact he made appearances in Henry's personal psalter which is highly unusual. No one really knows what the main motivation of them were and why he was chosen above others. His face also has a mysterious attribute. His expression is hard to read. Like that portrait of Mary, Henry and Will is so interesting. What is he doing there? Why was a puppy chosen for him to hold? He also appears in a portrait that was painted by someone unknown, Henry sits to the left, Will is next to him and it then has all his children who all look quite young. Will has left a remarkable imprint in Tudor history. There is another portrait that has Henry in the middle, Mary and Philip are bringing strife on one side, Elizabeth is bringing peace on the other. And Will is there. And he even had plays written about him. Just fascinating and I wish we knew more. I bet he could've told some fascinating stories.
This was really interesting to have all we know about Will Sommers, who was mostly Henry VIII fool (He did make appearances occasionally with all the Tudor children that came next) and the fool who appears in most royal portraits. We don't know too much, but the stuff we do know is here. It's just fascinating that this man saw so much, yet remains out of our reach to know him. It's also quite odd on how many portraits he ended up in. And the fact he made appearances in Henry's personal psalter which is highly unusual. No one really knows what the main motivation of them were and why he was chosen above others. His face also has a mysterious attribute. His expression is hard to read. Like that portrait of Mary, Henry and Will is so interesting. What is he doing there? Why was a puppy chosen for him to hold? He also appears in a portrait that was painted by someone unknown, Henry sits to the left, Will is next to him and it then has all his children who all look quite young. Will has left a remarkable imprint in Tudor history. There is another portrait that has Henry in the middle, Mary and Philip are bringing strife on one side, Elizabeth is bringing peace on the other. And Will is there. And he even had plays written about him. Just fascinating and I wish we knew more. I bet he could've told some fascinating stories.
May 24, 2025
*3.75 Stars*
Very much an academic title but still interesting nonetheless to dive into what we know and what we don’t know about Will Sommers. If you want to read about the theory of how fools were perceived and understood in Tudor England, this is the book for you.
Very much an academic title but still interesting nonetheless to dive into what we know and what we don’t know about Will Sommers. If you want to read about the theory of how fools were perceived and understood in Tudor England, this is the book for you.
Read
October 10, 2023Was there anything, aside from consanguinity, that united the Tudor dynasty as it lurched back and forth from Catholicism to Protestantism across the middle decades of the 16th century? One answer to that question, surprisingly, was a man named William Somer, Henry VIII’s last and best-loved fool. It is not simply because surviving court accounts reveal the cares taken on Somer’s behalf by succeeding monarchs. It is also because, remarkably, he appears in five portraits with them – all but one family groupings – across four reigns. One portrait might be an anomaly; five over 50 years surely represents a statement.
As Peter K. Andersson writes in Fool: In Search of Henry VIII’s Closest Man, the first full length study of Somer’s life and posthumous mythos, Somer appears to have been ‘a good luck charm for the Tudor dynasty’. But his presence in the paintings still raises more questions than it answers.
Somer first appears on the record on 28 June 1535 in an entry in the royal wardrobe accounts for two doublets, two coats and a cap. Andersson is sceptical of later stories of Somer amusing Henry VIII for hours with improvised verse, but the two must nevertheless have spent considerable time at close quarters. Any reader expecting insight into the dynamic between fool and king is likely to be disappointed, however. ‘Henry VIII’s closest man on a purely geographic level, perhaps, but apparently seldom regarded’, is Andersson’s summary of their relationship.
Read the rest of the review at HistoryToday.com.
Mathew Lyons writes the ‘Months Past’ column for History Today.
As Peter K. Andersson writes in Fool: In Search of Henry VIII’s Closest Man, the first full length study of Somer’s life and posthumous mythos, Somer appears to have been ‘a good luck charm for the Tudor dynasty’. But his presence in the paintings still raises more questions than it answers.
Somer first appears on the record on 28 June 1535 in an entry in the royal wardrobe accounts for two doublets, two coats and a cap. Andersson is sceptical of later stories of Somer amusing Henry VIII for hours with improvised verse, but the two must nevertheless have spent considerable time at close quarters. Any reader expecting insight into the dynamic between fool and king is likely to be disappointed, however. ‘Henry VIII’s closest man on a purely geographic level, perhaps, but apparently seldom regarded’, is Andersson’s summary of their relationship.
Read the rest of the review at HistoryToday.com.
Mathew Lyons writes the ‘Months Past’ column for History Today.
May 20, 2024
What a fantastic book! Thoroughly researched! Through the life of William Somer, the King’s fool, a fascinating insight into the life of Henry VIII!
September 21, 2024
Unfortunately, when there is not much information, you do rely heavily on other sources.
Will we ever know the true story of Will Sommers? Probably not, but I hope he can rest easy now.
Will we ever know the true story of Will Sommers? Probably not, but I hope he can rest easy now.
September 4, 2025
Much like other readers I too found this a little academic, but then again I'm not sure how else this biography could have been written.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews