What do you think?
Henry Tudor: The Incredible Diaries of Me!
Horrible Histories meets Horrid Henry meets Loki, in the laugh-out-loud funny diary adventures of a royally awful young Henry VIII.
Prince Henry is eight and a half, and definitely the BEST at EVERYTHING. The best at jousting, the best at sword fighting, the best at archery and wrestling, and stealing pies from the kitchen. But after a mysterious stranger challenges Henry to a series of competitions, nothing seems to be going his way. Can Henry prove to everyone that they’re wrong, he’s right (as always), and he IS the best at everything? And just who is this mysterious stranger anyway?!
Discover the rudest, snobbiest, most chaotic new voice in middle grade, with this hilarious, mostly historical diary series starring the famous royal that everyone loves to hate, from bestseller Danny Wallace
Prince Henry is eight and a half, and definitely the BEST at EVERYTHING. The best at jousting, the best at sword fighting, the best at archery and wrestling, and stealing pies from the kitchen. But after a mysterious stranger challenges Henry to a series of competitions, nothing seems to be going his way. Can Henry prove to everyone that they’re wrong, he’s right (as always), and he IS the best at everything? And just who is this mysterious stranger anyway?!
Discover the rudest, snobbiest, most chaotic new voice in middle grade, with this hilarious, mostly historical diary series starring the famous royal that everyone loves to hate, from bestseller Danny Wallace
Paperback
About the author
Danny Wallace
59 books646 followersDaniel Frederick Wallace is a British filmmaker, comedian, writer, actor, and presenter of radio and television. His notable works include the books Join Me, Yes Man, and the TV series How to Start Your Own Country. As an author, Wallace's bestselling books have been translated into more than a dozen languages.
He began writing reviews for video game magazines at the age of 13 for school work experience: a reviewer had become ill and so Wallace was given the opportunity to review a game. At 18 he started writing comedy, mainly through the magazine Comedy Review. He specialised in radio production at the University of Westminster.
At 22, he became a BBC producer. He was part of the production team behind British Comedy Award-winning Dead Ringers, the original producer of the critically acclaimed cult hit The Mighty Boosh, and the creator and producer of Ross Noble Goes Global. As a journalist, Wallace has worked for The Scotsman, The Guardian, The Independent, Elle, Cosmo, The Times and other publications.
In 1999, Wallace challenged comedian Dave Gorman, who at the time was his flatmate, to find 54 other people called Dave Gorman ("one for every card in the deck, including the Jokers"). Wallace accompanied Gorman on his quest and the men created Are You Dave Gorman?, an award-winning comedy stage show about what happened during their journey. A BBC series, also co-written and co-produced by Wallace, followed, as did a book, written by both men.
In 2003, Wallace's book Join Me was published. The book explains how he "accidentally started a 'cult'" called Join Me. The movement would go global, with each member committing to undertaking one random act of kindness for a stranger every Friday ("Good Fridays"). Tens of thousands joined. Join Me celebrates "Karmageddon 10" in December 2011. Traditionally, hundreds of members travel to London for the meet-up and undertake good deeds for strangers, with Wallace present. The movement is now generally referred to as the "Karma Army", although members are still typically "Joinees". He became a minor celebrity in Belgium whilst on his quest for Joinees. While on a book tour through America, Wallace was dubbed a "Generation X legend" by the Wisconsin State Journal.
Wallace next wrote a short book called Random Acts of Kindness: 365 Ways To Make the World A Better Place, with the help of submissions from Joinees. It includes many humorous Random Acts of Kindness (RAoK) ideas, such as "Contradict Demeaning Graffiti", and "Make An Old Man Very Happy."
Wallace's second solo book, Yes Man was published in July 2005. In it, he describes how he spent six months "saying Yes where once I would have said No", to make his life more interesting and positive. In this book he shows the tribulations and mischief that he got up to while he said yes to any question or proposal. The book was described as "one of those rare books that actually has the potential to change your life" by the San Francisco Bay Guardian and as "a fascinating book and a fascinating experiment" by David Letterman. A film adaptation of Yes Man was developed with Warner Bros. and stars Jim Carrey and Zooey Deschanel. It was released in 2008 in the US and the UK. Wallace appeared on screen in a cameo in a bar scene in the last ten minutes of the film, holding a British pint glass.
Danny Wallace and the Centre of the Universe was published in 2006. It is linked with World Book Day which in 2006 was on Thursday 2 March. It tells the story of Wallace's trip to Idaho, to visit a manhole cover in a small town, whose residents have proclaimed it the centre of the universe. The cover identifies it as a "Quick Read"; the price and length of the book have been curbed in order to encourage people who may not often read books to purchase it.
Wallace's book, Friends Like These, was released on the 3 July 2008, and tells the story of how he spent a summer trying to track down his old school friends from his days in Dundee,
He began writing reviews for video game magazines at the age of 13 for school work experience: a reviewer had become ill and so Wallace was given the opportunity to review a game. At 18 he started writing comedy, mainly through the magazine Comedy Review. He specialised in radio production at the University of Westminster.
At 22, he became a BBC producer. He was part of the production team behind British Comedy Award-winning Dead Ringers, the original producer of the critically acclaimed cult hit The Mighty Boosh, and the creator and producer of Ross Noble Goes Global. As a journalist, Wallace has worked for The Scotsman, The Guardian, The Independent, Elle, Cosmo, The Times and other publications.
In 1999, Wallace challenged comedian Dave Gorman, who at the time was his flatmate, to find 54 other people called Dave Gorman ("one for every card in the deck, including the Jokers"). Wallace accompanied Gorman on his quest and the men created Are You Dave Gorman?, an award-winning comedy stage show about what happened during their journey. A BBC series, also co-written and co-produced by Wallace, followed, as did a book, written by both men.
In 2003, Wallace's book Join Me was published. The book explains how he "accidentally started a 'cult'" called Join Me. The movement would go global, with each member committing to undertaking one random act of kindness for a stranger every Friday ("Good Fridays"). Tens of thousands joined. Join Me celebrates "Karmageddon 10" in December 2011. Traditionally, hundreds of members travel to London for the meet-up and undertake good deeds for strangers, with Wallace present. The movement is now generally referred to as the "Karma Army", although members are still typically "Joinees". He became a minor celebrity in Belgium whilst on his quest for Joinees. While on a book tour through America, Wallace was dubbed a "Generation X legend" by the Wisconsin State Journal.
Wallace next wrote a short book called Random Acts of Kindness: 365 Ways To Make the World A Better Place, with the help of submissions from Joinees. It includes many humorous Random Acts of Kindness (RAoK) ideas, such as "Contradict Demeaning Graffiti", and "Make An Old Man Very Happy."
Wallace's second solo book, Yes Man was published in July 2005. In it, he describes how he spent six months "saying Yes where once I would have said No", to make his life more interesting and positive. In this book he shows the tribulations and mischief that he got up to while he said yes to any question or proposal. The book was described as "one of those rare books that actually has the potential to change your life" by the San Francisco Bay Guardian and as "a fascinating book and a fascinating experiment" by David Letterman. A film adaptation of Yes Man was developed with Warner Bros. and stars Jim Carrey and Zooey Deschanel. It was released in 2008 in the US and the UK. Wallace appeared on screen in a cameo in a bar scene in the last ten minutes of the film, holding a British pint glass.
Danny Wallace and the Centre of the Universe was published in 2006. It is linked with World Book Day which in 2006 was on Thursday 2 March. It tells the story of Wallace's trip to Idaho, to visit a manhole cover in a small town, whose residents have proclaimed it the centre of the universe. The cover identifies it as a "Quick Read"; the price and length of the book have been curbed in order to encourage people who may not often read books to purchase it.
Wallace's book, Friends Like These, was released on the 3 July 2008, and tells the story of how he spent a summer trying to track down his old school friends from his days in Dundee,
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 29, 2026
Fun times! Gave me Lady Jane Grey vibes for kids and without magic
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Simply put, Henry Tudor: The Incredible Diaries of Me! was a fun, tongue-in-cheek imagining of the Tudor monarch’s childhood. Danny Wallace’s writing was sharp, providing fodder for all of us who have wondered whether the king’s narcissism was a result of his unexpected accession, or if he always had a quasi God complex. The illustrations were cute too— I loved the interstitial commentary of sorts by the jester.
The premise was interesting, although I wish Henry’s foe had been more impactful— as it was, the person was a worthwhile choice. However, I think Henry’s ego could have taken a greater hit had it been someone with more power. Perhaps that is the reason the Black Vizard was that particular character, however. Henry’s opinion of himself was so off the mark that only someone with a lower standing could knock him down a peg.
The resolution was a bit too quick in my opinion— Wallace should have given Henry more time to stew before he reversed course and appealed to his audience. However, doing so led to a conclusion that was more in line with who we have historically perceived Henry as. Had he truly felt a moment of humility and shame, it probably would have felt inaccurate and disingenuous.
While I hope elementary/primary school-aged children would enjoy this ‘diary’, I think they would need to learn about Henry VIII before reading it. Most of the humor relies on understanding the foreshadowing that Wallace continuously employs. Thus, while its demographic skews younger, Henry Tudor: The Incredible Diaries of Me! may be better suited for a late elementary/primary school audience, or even middle school/early secondary school.
Thank you very much to Simon & Schuster Children's UK and NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this ARC!
The premise was interesting, although I wish Henry’s foe had been more impactful— as it was, the person was a worthwhile choice. However, I think Henry’s ego could have taken a greater hit had it been someone with more power. Perhaps that is the reason the Black Vizard was that particular character, however. Henry’s opinion of himself was so off the mark that only someone with a lower standing could knock him down a peg.
The resolution was a bit too quick in my opinion— Wallace should have given Henry more time to stew before he reversed course and appealed to his audience. However, doing so led to a conclusion that was more in line with who we have historically perceived Henry as. Had he truly felt a moment of humility and shame, it probably would have felt inaccurate and disingenuous.
While I hope elementary/primary school-aged children would enjoy this ‘diary’, I think they would need to learn about Henry VIII before reading it. Most of the humor relies on understanding the foreshadowing that Wallace continuously employs. Thus, while its demographic skews younger, Henry Tudor: The Incredible Diaries of Me! may be better suited for a late elementary/primary school audience, or even middle school/early secondary school.
Thank you very much to Simon & Schuster Children's UK and NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this ARC!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book was a hoot! Not only a great way to bring history to life for younger readers, but it’s super entertaining, fun and filled with humour. It’s the perfect read for youngsters and adults alike (I may fit into the latter category…!)
Henry Tudor is a youngster full of grand potential. We get to read his inner most thoughts, his cunning and devious plots and his day to day life as an 8 1/2 year old in Tudor times V his nemesis The Black Vizard!
Set out in a diary format with some fab illustrations, I read the book in near one sitting and was thoroughly entertained throughout. It’s a great idea for a series and certainly had similar vibes to horrible histories, Horrid Henry and the Bad gods guide to being good (Loki) but with a historical twist.
It’s a must for all young bookworms shelves and I can only hope for more to come in this series!
Thank you to the author and publisher for this book on NetGalley in return for my honest thoughts and review.
Henry Tudor is a youngster full of grand potential. We get to read his inner most thoughts, his cunning and devious plots and his day to day life as an 8 1/2 year old in Tudor times V his nemesis The Black Vizard!
Set out in a diary format with some fab illustrations, I read the book in near one sitting and was thoroughly entertained throughout. It’s a great idea for a series and certainly had similar vibes to horrible histories, Horrid Henry and the Bad gods guide to being good (Loki) but with a historical twist.
It’s a must for all young bookworms shelves and I can only hope for more to come in this series!
Thank you to the author and publisher for this book on NetGalley in return for my honest thoughts and review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
What a right royal romp, this had us guffawing with laughter and snickering at the evil plots of Henry Tudor aged 8.5. The diary style made for perfect chapters and easy bite size reading for younger readers. The illustrations were the perfect addition and the comic strip style used for the three challenges was cleverly done.
The story was engaging and witty, the humour great for both child and adult and kept us chuckling as we read through. The history and daily life was easily woven in and really gave a great insight into the period.
Perfect for any horrid Henry fans or Loki, I can see this being a hit for younger readers and parents alike.
Thank you to the author, publishers and Netgalley for our copy.
The story was engaging and witty, the humour great for both child and adult and kept us chuckling as we read through. The history and daily life was easily woven in and really gave a great insight into the period.
Perfect for any horrid Henry fans or Loki, I can see this being a hit for younger readers and parents alike.
Thank you to the author, publishers and Netgalley for our copy.
July 25, 2026
I love Danny’s other books, so was thrilled to see a new one! This is the diary of Henry VIII when he was 8.5 years old. I think kids will love this - it’s funny, gorgeously illustrated by Tor Freeman and ticks off for those history fans! This has even got the promise of a sequel too! Properly made me chuckle a few times!
August 27, 2026
My son enjoyed this book.
He said:
I liked that this was like a diary and that Henry Tudor thinks he is amazing but other people thinks he isn't. I really enjoyed the map in the book.
He said:
I liked that this was like a diary and that Henry Tudor thinks he is amazing but other people thinks he isn't. I really enjoyed the map in the book.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews