So Great a Prince: The Accession of Henry VIII - 1509

by Lauren Johnson

England, 1509. Henry VII, the first Tudor monarch, is dead; his successor, the seventeen-year-old Henry VIII, offers hope of renewal and reconciliation after the corruption and repression of the last years of his father's reign.


The kingdom Henry inherits is not the familiar Tudor England of Protestantism and playwrights. It is still more than two decades away from the English Reformation, and ancient traditions persist: boy bishops, pilgrimages, Corpus Christi pageants, the jewel-decked shrine at Canterbury. So Great a Prince offers a fascinating portrait of a country at a crossroads between two powerful monarchs and between the worlds of the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance.


Historian Lauren Johnson tells the story of 1509 not just from the perspective of the young king and his court, but from the point of view of merchants, ploughmen, apprentices, laundresses, and foreign workers. She looks at these early Tudor lives through the rhythms of annual rituals, juxtaposing political events in Westminster and the palaces of southeast England with the religious, agrarian, and social events that punctuated the lives of the people of young Henry VIII's England.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Tudor Period, Biography, British Literature, 16th Century, Royalty

336 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2016

About the author

Lauren Johnson grew up in Bristol and now lives in London. She studied History at Oxford University, taking a Double First. Her Masters in Medieval Historical Research explored the impact of the Wars of the Roses on noblewomen.

Lauren's latest book explores daily life in the first year of Henry VIII's reign: SO GREAT A PRINCE, ENGLAND AND THE ACCESSION OF HENRY VIII (Head of Zeus). Dan Jones has called it "a gripping and important work from a very talented new writer."

Lauren’s debut novel THE ARROW OF SHERWOOD (Pen & Sword Fiction) draws on her research experience to root the myth of Robin Hood in the brutal, complex reality of the twelfth century. Professor Nigel Saul described it as "an original modern re-working of the medieval tale, avoiding anachronisms while offering rich period detail." Dr Annie Gray said: "The retelling of this most English myth feels entirely fresh and new."

Sharing her passion for history with tens of thousands of visitors, Lauren is Research Manager for a costumed interpretation company based at major heritage sites including the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace. In this capacity she has interpreted everything from the Anglo-Norman world to Charles Dickens’s London with the courts of Henry VIII and Henry II looming large in between. She has also spoken at academic conferences and given talks in libraries and museums nationwide.

Reviews

[Deborah Pickstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have not been so excited by a straight history for a very long time! Lauren Johnson is a peerless historian (and has already proved herself able to write HF with The Arrow of Sherwood), writing a fascinating and rivetingly good snapshot social history of England in the year of the transition from the reign of Henry VII to that of Henry VIII, 1509. The wealth of detail about life for real people at that time is so good that I would recommend this as an invaluable resource to anyone writing about the period on any basis plus we get insight into a period that is not very well covered in general. I was particularly delighted to learn a good deal about Margaret Beaufort, a very much neglected female figure of power in an age when women didn't get much access to it. I have a few rather dark suspicions about her, myself - were I to write a novel, that is! My imagination was set on fire when I discovered that she had actually briefly been Regent as Henry VIII was underage when he first acceded to the throne.

So much arrant nonsense has been written about the Tudor era that it has been quite spoiled for me in the past. It is a fascinating period as it is - why do historians and novelists feel so many urges to rewrite history and make up tales when the truth is better than they could ever invent? As a child and young person I was - of course - enchanted by Elizabeth, that fascinating virago and flirt because of her unusual position as a woman in charge and I was oh so keen to see women considered equal, as I was happily sure we are; she was one of the best indicators of that in history!

Anyone who has read my reviews may be familiar with my disdain for historians who self proclaim and don't produce history but made up stuff and a lot of their own opinions - Ms Johnson is the real deal. I can hardly wait for her next book on Henry VI (another neglected character).

All hail this fabulously talented and clearly hard-working historian! Highly recommended to one and all and friendly and approachable to boot. I am off now to order my very own copy of this book, which I rarely do as I read so much; this one I need as a reference book!

[Orsolya · Rating 2 out of 5]

The reign of Henry VIII might possibly be the most famous of all English monarchs. Everyone knows something about Henry, even over 500 years later. Less attention, seemingly, is focused on the transition of rule from his father, Henry VII, to Henry VIII’s first monarchial year of 1509. Lauren Johnson highlights this time period in, “So Great Prince: The Accession of Henry VIII: 1509”.

Johnson’s chosen title of “So Great a Prince” is a huge misnomer as it implies to readers that the text is a political and/or biographical portrait of Henry VIII and the first year of his reign. This is not the case as Johnson instead presents a study of the life in England during this period. “So Great a Prince” fits in the “What to expect” and “What life was like…”- style pieces and showcases the lives of both gentry and lay people. Such a text is welcome but the title and assumption is false advertising.

Johnson undoubtedly conducted ample research into medieval/pre-Reformation English life and therefore offers readers an insight into everything from laws, eating habits, and holidays; to dress, sex life, housing, and health. Although a compelling topic and angle; “So Great a Prince” suffers from two major downfalls.

First, the text doesn’t feature any new information. Those familiar with the topic will only find “So Great a Prince” to be a refresher course or ‘filler-read’. The text is wonderful as an introductory piece but not necessarily for those well-read on the subject as the rehashed material can become boring.

Second, Johnson’s writing is inconsistent and the material is a cluster being “all over the place”. One moment Johnson is firmly academic while the next includes pure speculation and assumptions. The material jumps back-and-forth between Henry VII and Henry VIII and simply needs a more streamlined editing job. Oftentimes, “So Great a Prince” reads like a college research paper.

The tone of “So Great a Prince” absorbs a very flowery narrative which, while it can engage the average reader, is better suited for a historical fiction novel (seriously: Johnson would pen a great HF piece).

The second half of “So Great a Prince” is slightly stronger, more informative, and is clearer in its execution. This doesn’t redeem the entire book but the latter half is noticeably smoother than the former.

The final chapter of “So Great a Prince” is noticeably rushed and obviously hurried to meet its end making for a clumsy pace. However, Johnson’s last two pages is a clever tie-in with the beginning of the text.

“So Great a Prince” is infused with a section of color photo plates. Sadly, though, these are all photos that Tudor-history readers have seen countless times. Nothing to see here, folks! Also appearing at the end of “So Great a Prince”, adding credibility to the text, is a cast of characters, genealogical tree, notes (although not heavily annotated), and a bibliography of both primary and secondary sources.

Johnson’s “So Great a Prince” is not terrible… it is merely not what it sets out to be and suffers heavily from execution errors such as a scattered layout, structural issues, repetition, no new information (lacking compelling material), etc. The work, admittedly, would be suited for a novice Tudor history reader and is recommended as thus. However, those well-read on the topic won’t find anything new here and can stand to skip “So Great a Prince” unless seeking a rehash course. In regards to Johnson’s floral narrative; she should truly pen a historical fiction novel (I suspect that it would be great).

[Alan Tomkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I expected more of a history of Henry VIII's first year on the English throne, but this book actually is more of a richly detailed travelogue of England in the early years of the Tudor dynasty. It may not be fair to say that Henry's activities are treated as somewhat incidental in this text, but they are definitely peripheral throughout most of the book. The research is impressive. The evocative writing transports the reader to 1509 England, with all the sights & sounds, rigors and routines, attitudes and beliefs that were typical of the time. Life was lived according to the church calendar, and the Catholic church dictated nearly all aspects of people's lives. It is all really rather fascinating. Just think of this book as an immersive visit to early sixteenth century England rather than a Tudor history. For me it has been a great setup for a biography of Henry VIII; and I do realize that by the time Henry died in 1547, Tudor England had changed dramatically in ways and to a degree that would have been unrecognizable to his subjects of 1509 celebrating his coronation with hopeful anticipation. Overall, a good and interesting book.

[Stephanie Kline · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, while I had very high expectations for this book, it felt just like any other book I've read about general life in Tudor England. I expected this to be specifically about the death of Henry VII and the crowning of the 17-year-old Henry VIII. I wanted to read in detail about Henry VII's reputation, the political and social landscape of the time period, and the adversity the new young king faced as he rose unexpectedly to power. I wanted this to be more FOCUSED, because that's what the back cover blurb led me to expect. Instead, I read about the clothes people wore in 1509, the process of and focus on education and apprenticeship, love and sex in the Tudor marital bed, holy days, fasting, and the church calendar, and countless other generalized Tudor topics that I've read many times before.

Occasionally within each chapter, the names of Henry VII or Henry VIII would be called out, and some context would be given to make the topic of that chapter a little more meaningful to 1509... but it was never very convincing. In my opinion, this wasn't so much a book about the accession of Henry VIII and the year 1509. It was a book about life in Tudor England.

I'm not sure if this is because the year 1509 was, perhaps, not that interesting in real life? I can't imagine that was the case, but maybe the author wasn't able to get much juicy information about this narrow topic and time period when she researched it. Either that, or the description of the book is misleading and she always intended on wring a more general account of life. Either way, I'm disappointed. Not bad writing, and it was certainly well researched, but it wasn't what I was looking for.

[Elentarri · Rating 3 out of 5]

So Great a Prince: England and the Accession of Henry VIII by Lauren Johnson
Rating: 3.5 stars
Date read: 9 June 2024

The subtitle "England and the Accession of Henry VIII" is precisely what this book is about.  This is not a biography of Henry VIII of the many unfortunate wives.  This book provides a broad introductory overview of what a very Catholic England, especially in terms of rhythms and rituals, was like for both the common people and the nobility in 1509-1510, when King Henry VII died, and his son succeeded him to the throne.  The King Henry's are just a small facet of the whole tapestry of English life in 1509.  Johnson organises the first year of Henry VIII's rein in chronological order (from 25 March 1509 - 25 March 1510), with each chapter heading specifying a particular important date in the English calendar e.g. Lady Day, St George's Day, Midsummer, Lammas, Christmans, Plough Day, Shrove etc.  Each chapter also provides an overview of an aspect of daily life, such as land ownership, sex (marriage, prostitution, how, when and why to do it, and what was forbidden, and the legalities involved), pageants and religious observances/customs/rituals, finances, running a business, farming, food provision, fashion, birth and death customs, law courts, education, immigration etc.  Since I am neither English, or Catholic, or a time traveller from the early 16th century, this was an interesting peak at life then, and how different it would be after Henry VIII was done being king, and how different life is now.

[Katie Galucki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an easy-to-read history of Tudor England when Henry VIII ascended to the throne in 1509. I was nervous about reading a non-fiction account of the time period but found Lauren Johnson's writing style to be a pleasure to read. She made an already fascinating part of history seem more accessible and easy to understand.

[Wesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first non-fiction read - loved it. A change from my usual Philippa Gregory but has definitely sated my Tudor obsession, for now.

[Laura Rowley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first non-fiction history book I had read for quite some time and I really did enjoy it. I was slightly disappointed, however, when I began reading this book as it wasn't quite what I was expecting. The title 'So Great A Prince' implies that this is a biographical book about Henry VIII, focusing on his accession and first year on the throne. Whilst this is examined in some detail, the main discussion of the book concerns the social history of England during the year 1509.

Don't let this put you off though! Lauren Johnson carefully interweves the story of Henry's first year as king with analysis of what daily life was like for his subjects during the early Tudor period. I thought the structure of this book was really original and clever, as each chapter followers the course of the religious calendar. The book begins on Lady Day 1509, and takes us on a journey through time. We visist England in 1509 for Easter, St George's Day and Christmas, finally coming full circle to Lady Day 1510.

Another great thing about this book is that Johnson gives the reader mulitple perspectives about life in Enlgand during the early sixteenth century. We hear about the experiences of the king and court, but also of a laundress, a merchant and an apprentice, to name but a few. Johnson takes us on a journey, her writing style is really easy to follow and I think this would be a great read for anyone interested in Tudor history.

So if you are looking for a biography of a young Henry VIII, this is probably not the book for you. I would, however, recommend David Starkey's 'Henry: Virtuous Prince' for a glance at Henry's early years. Although, if you are interested in social history definitely check this out!

[Sherry Sharpnack · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been a voracious reader about the Tudors for as long as I can remember, some time in childhood. So I've read about Henry VIII pretty extensively, biographies and novels. This one intrigued me, however, b/c its focus was the young Henry, in the first year of his reign - 1509. This is the year he turned 18 and the year he married the Dowager Princess of Wales - Catherine of Aragon, a love match, apparently.
What I got in this book was not so much a book about Henry, but more a book about life in 1509 for "average" English people. There was also a lot about Henry VII's unpopular ministers, Empson and Dudley. Yet I remember NO WHERE that the author told us that Dudley was the father of the future infamous Duke of Northumberland, John Dudley, of Lady Jane Grey fame, OR the grandfather of Elizabeth I's favorite, Robert Dudley!
That seems a GLARING oversight to me, and is a sign of the superficiality of the treatment of the subject matter in this book. If you're an experienced Tudor fan, this book will give you no new information; you will already know the highlights. If you have only met Henry VIII through a TV show and are looking for an informative first introduction to Henry VIII and some about his father, this would be a fine place to start. Otherwise.... go w/ the more authoritative biographies from David Starkey or Alison Weir.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A clear skeleton of timeline facts. Lots of interesting facts about social life in Henry VII and Henry VIII.
Not really what I was expecting, having read about Elizabeth I's life experiences. I found, in this regard, that Henry VIII life events were not elucidated to a great extent.
At some regard, I may have been spoiled by the authors I've read, as main stories of life events have been written clearly; such as Katherine of Aragon's miscarriages.
I liked that Johnson gave church times of year throughout the chapters and wrote without rancour of Wolsey and Cromwell, Surrey and Fox.

[Sabrina Dragoni-Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Great a Prince, by the historian Lauren Johnson, is an excellent snapshot of England in 1509, the year of the accession of a young Henry VIII to the throne. The told story is not only concentrated on the King and his courtiers, but also on common people's daily life. An intriguing and inspiring book, the second effort of this young and incredibly skilled, knowledgeble and highly witted historian. I highly recommend it.

[Maegan Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with any heavy informational book, this took me a little bit longer to read than usual. Plus I skipped a day or two of reading. But this was very enjoyable. It mixed courtier's POV with commoners POV of important days of the year and also got into the justice and education system. It wasn't so heavy that I couldn't get through it or was pushing myself to finish. The writing was fluid and made reading very easy.

[English · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come.

[Heidi Malagisi · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are some books that leave a very good impression on you. Books that even when you stop reading it and move to another, you keep thinking about it. For me, this is one of those books. “So Great a Prince: The Accession of Henry VIII 1509” by Lauren Johnson is a page turner, but not because of the main character Henry VIII, but because Johnson writes about how the average citizen was affected by the accession of Henry VIII.

Johnson breaks down the book into chapters based off of important days and times for medieval society: Lady Day, Easter, St. George’s Day, May, Midsummer, Lammas, All Saints, and All Souls, Christmas, Plough Day, and Shrove. Unlike our modern calendar, Lady Day was the start of the new year which was on March 25th and for this book, its theme was new beginnings with the death of Henry VII.

Each chapter in this book not only has a specific day or time, but it has a theme such as religion, education, death/ illness, and the judicial system. Johnson is able to give a new perspective on this time with the amount of research she had done to make this book possible. She tells the stories of the King and his court but she also tells the stories of the common person. Common people like Alice Middleton, the wife of a mercer who would later marry Thomas More, and John Rastell who was a coroner, had his own legal practice and a printer.

In this book, Johnson reminds us that 1509 may have been a big deal for the Tudor monarchy, but for the common people, it was just another year. Johnson makes this perfectly clear by saying:

Through the eyes of those who lived through it, we can experience the wealth of a world that was vibrant, vivid and exciting, where London streets fluttered with cloth-of-gold to welcome a new king, the shrines of Canterbury Cathedral groaned under the weight of precious stones and vast pageants played out the ideals and fears of communities across the country. A world of peace and of danger. Of prosperity and plague. A world that would be swept away during the course of its young king’s reign. (page 3)

Johnson is able to masterfully give us a snapshot into the world of the young king. I found myself so enthralled by this book. I felt like Johnson wrote this book in such a way that it feels like you could walk the streets of London during 1509. We all know the facts about this time from the perspective of the monarchy, but the monarchy was only one piece to the puzzle that is this time. This book was so educational and entertaining at the same time. Johnson is a new historian, but she is making a big impact with this book. If you really want to understand the world that the Tudors lived in from the commoner to the king, this is a definite must-read. It will be a book you want to read again and again.

[David Allen Hines · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book would actually be focused on the court of King Henry VIII at the time he took the throne, but despite the title of this book, there are actually not many pages devoted to Henry and the political intrigue surrounding his father's death and his accession. Nonetheless, this is a very good book. It is a history of society and how people lived at the time Henry VIII took office. I have read many books on Henry VIII, but reading this book I learned a great deal about social life at the time he took over than I had ever known before. Understanding the English society around 1509 gives you a much greater insight into the world as Henry began his reign and helps explain some of his actions. For those well versed in his reign, it also demonstrates just how drastically he changed the face of English daily life over the course of his reign.

This book is also very readable, yet detailed. I look forward to reading more books from her in the future, her writing is that good, but I do hope the title of her next book more accurately reflects its content! I actually hope she writes a similar book about English society in the final year of Henry's reign. There is a book called The Last Days of Henry VIII by Robert Hutchinson but that book is all about the court, not the society.

[Moira Walshe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the content but I was disappointed with the way it was presented. The title and chapter headings imply that we are reading a account of the holy days and festivals of the year 1509 but after a brief introduction to the theme of each chapter, Ms. Johnson whisks us away to discuss a whole variety of subjects which in fact do not bear any relevance to the date of the calendar. These meander rather haphazardly through each chapter without any structure or relevance to the chapter title. This approach was difficult to read and because it did not flow in a cohesive manner the plot was rather lost in a meaningless series of events and I found that I had to keep re-reading it as I kept losing the thread. It would have read better had she tried to adhere to the church year for example and wrote what was relevant under that particular heading. Not a great read and I struggled. I've given it a generous three because there was undoubtedly much research and I liked the different characters that were introduced to us.

[Helene Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review - I wasn't really sure what to expect of this book as there is only so much you can write about the first year of an accession. However, this book was really interesting because it contrasts what we know about the royal court with what was happening in the towns and cities, showcasing real people and real events from the 'general public' with the better-known story of the royal family. It also examines some of the influences that made Henry VIII who he was, at least at the start of his reign, including Empson and Dudley, Margaret Beaufort and Katherine of Aragon, as well as introducing people who would become important later on like Thomas More and Wolsey. Well worth a read if you've an interest in Henry VIII in particular, as it sheds some light on the period before he becomes the caricature we all recognise.

General Subject/s? - History / Tudors / Henry VIII

Recommend? – Yes

Rating - 17/20

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This needs a better title. It isn't so much about Henry VIII in 1509 - its about what all of England is like in 1509, with plenty of examples of how people from all levels of society were living at the time.

Still, it was a fascinating look at Tudor England, following events, big and small, from spring 1509 to spring 1510. It was quite amazing, actually, how Johnson was able to dig up so many details about the more ordinary people of the time period, as always, mostly through court records, mostly squabbles over property, and gives a much more full portrait of what the times were like as Henry VII came to the throne, with no one having the least clue of all the ups and downs the century was going to have.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars The book is not what I expected going off the title. I thought the book would be much more on the early years of Henry VIII's reign. Instead the book was more in the vein of the "What was Life Like in Tudor England." Which wasn't necessarily bad, but just not what I expected. It was very enlightening learning the early paths of some of the people I was familiar with, such as the Duke of Suffolk and Cardinal Wolsey (thank you "The Tudors"). The ending of the book was very abrupt.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid piece of work that doesn't outstay its welcome. It's a first rate examination of a moment in Tudor history that tends to be over-looked, and a part of the 16th century that is equally shunned in favour of more bloodthirsty and lustful later years. It flies by with just the right amount of detail.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book! Really interesting and full of information about everyday like back them. I was surprised about several different things - and changed my way of thinking of how I thought like was back then.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

well written & researched
a fresh look at Henry VIII-- in 1509

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good and also interesting unknown facts. I think Richard IIII was a very diverse character and whatever side of the fence you sit on about him this was still a good read.

[Nora Hardy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent overview of 1509 for all levels of Tudor society - education, clothing, amazingly comprehensive. Not as comprehensive about the young Henry VIII - many tantalizing glimpses.

[Su · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating journey through 12 months of England, her Monarch and her population.

[Debra Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! A very enjoyable read!

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's more of an overview of English life than about Henry VIII himself, but it's still a good read.

[Jess Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

a refreshing survey of 1509 across the board and a good reminder of both the end of VII and the beginning of VIII. Thomasine Percyval was an enlightening revelation from this

[Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. Would buy this for my collection. Informative and concise - would recommend.

[E.J. Cullen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Up to about page 80 and this book is so meandering and disjointed that I've developed head pain.

Finished. Summary: You gotta be kidding me. What is this, April Fool's? Any editors left alive? Henry VIII, my azz.