Thomas Cromwell - The Real Man Behind Wolf Hall Documentary

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#Biography #History #Documentary

[@PeopleProfiles]

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[@margaridarosa5019]

Magna carta

[@margaridarosa5019]

I love him

[@pluslou]

I first became interested in Thomas Cromwell's story after watching the Wolf Hall series. This documentary has given me more to consider. Thank you.

[@seandoyle2983]

The book is a marvelous read.

[@oNe-TwO-fReE]

Same here. I have just watched this series which sparked a great interest in this man.

[@brandonkelleher2651]

Definitely read the books if you liked the show. The books are even better and the show only covers the first two books in the trilogy.

[@oNe-TwO-fReE]

Thanks Guys. I shall take your advice and purchase the books. They sound very good. @@brandonkelleher2651

[@BrettHowell-wo1ik]

The series on PBS is Excellent, as much so as the first novel id say but the books are phenomenal and are the same feel and vibe just immensely expanded apon as well as being full of Easter eggs for Anglophile's and Renaissance History buffs such as myself.....the Finale 3rd and last book, The Window and the Light, is the greatest work of Historical Fiction produced this Century, imo. Just my opinion though lol

[@jacquelinelion9879]

I always liked history in school (it was one of my favorite subjects), but many of my school friends didn't - "boring" was the most common response - memorising dates ("From Plato to Nato - blink and you miss a monarch" we used to say), but with all the wonderful possibilities today, history really has come alive. This documentary has taught me so much more than what I learned about Thomas Cromwell at school. Between books, films and the internet, not to mention modern archeological studies, it is an exciting period to be studying history at school. I just can't get enough of it all. Thank you so much.

[@stevenleslie8557]

No one was safe from execution in Henry's realm. In fact being his friend was probably the most dangerous position in his court. He was in the habit of extinguishing his best and brightest (Moore, Wolsey, Cromwell) in the Kingdom.

[@wholefoodplantbasedmama5398]

And now we have Trump who is much the same. It’s a characteristic of sociopaths and narcisists.

[@Epitaph1334]

@@wholefoodplantbasedmama5398 *Biden

[@stevenleslie8557]

@@wholefoodplantbasedmama5398 Trump's been out of office for a year. Move on.

[@elainemd313]

@@stevenleslie8557 Sadly, Biden isn't out yet and is following the path of Josef Stalin, who arrested anyone he thought was a rival. I know Soviet Expats who see the parallel in his FBI raids on Trump associates.

[@alancoe1002]

Among the survivors, the buffoon Suffolk, his childhood crony, who almost lost his head by marrying Henry's sister without permission. He did fine His grandchildren... not so fine.

[@hanselpollack4075]

Thank you for this comprehensive look into a man much maligned, as well as, respected. As a native of the American South, I had heard from family lore, how Cromwell had persecuted, and sent fleeing Aristocrats, and lesser noblemen here in the 1500s. My father’s family settled in the Carolinas with a Land Grant in the 1700s, but my mother’s family is of Mayflower ancestry. This makes English history an integral part of our family history.

[@baycast]

Thank you. This is a superb video giving Thomas Cromwell his rightful place as Henry's righthand man. He has been sadly overlooked so often.

[@rambleon3698]

His evil was never overlooked.

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

There are few people less overlooked

[@user-fq8rs7rz3i]

I think I would describe Thomas Cromwell as AMORAL. Truly disgusting, just like Henry viii .

[@martinmargerrison2300]

I really enjoyed that. So easy to watch and listen to. Wonderfully illustrated as well. It would be an excellent piece of work for schools and colleges. Thank you very much for posting.

[@loisroberts8171]

How much is global myth and how much factual history - myths passed down via historical myth makers maybe?

[@DarkKing009]

Wolf Hall! I love a TV series and book series

[@athelstan927]

It's the slow quiet that compels me with show

[@ellenbryn]

Cromwell's ruthlessness towards Anne was both pragmatic and personal: he'd seen what happened to his former master Wolsey when he'd failed to secure a divorce quickly enough for Henry; moreover, Wolsey had died cursing Anne for his downfall, and i don't think Cromwell was above avenging him.

[@big1dog23]

I thought his portrayal in "The Tudors" seemed quite accurate, while his portrayal in "Wolf Hall" seemed implausibly generous. Like Wolsey, he got stuff done, and like Wolsey he paid for it w/ his life. The narrator says Wolsey died "on his way to the Tower," while the majority of historians say he died while in the Tower, possibly by suicide. I'd like to know the truth of it.

[@utubefreshie]

Political maneuverings were cutthroat back then...literally! 😆

[@jamiegormer1010]

@@big1dog23 he's buried in the grounds of Leicester abbey ruins ,so wasn't in the tower of London when he died ,

[@AC-ze1nh]

Anne's fate was sealed when she couldn't deliver Henry a son. Henry is fully responsible for what happened to her and used his minions to do the dirty work. I don't think Henry's reputation ever recovered from divorcing Catherine and the way he treated her afterwards. And although Anne too was unpopular, her execution was also seen as an act of tyranny by Henry. He struggled to find a Consort outside of England afterwards. No royal princess wanted anything to do with him.

[@jangorski-mescir3522]

@@big1dog23 It's well documented in state papers that Wolsey fell ill on the journey back to London, and died at Leicester on 29 November 1530, around the age of 57. Just before his death he reputedly spoke these words: 'I see the matter against me how it is framed. But if I had served God as diligently as I have done the King, he would not have given me over in my grey hairs'.

[@brockjazz8838]

Despite or fascination with Henry VIII and his colorful reign, he was still an evil monarch who killed people on a whim.

[@dolinaj1]

HVIII was a serial killer.

[@kellyshomemadekitchen]

Yes. A total of 70,000 I’ve read recently 😓

[@jonniemckaig883]

I would classify him as a Mad King even. He was very obsessive as well as paranoid.

[@tuner1972]

EVIL!!! MuH Muh !!!

[@tonydipietro5553]

If it were today, he’d be CANCELED!

[@oobrocks]

Henry 8th was a monster

[@kateguilfoyle5155]

There seems to be an industry in rehabilitating Thomas Cromwell, with Wolf Hall and this documentary. Thomas Cromwell took inventory of the monasteries and convents throughout England in the move by Henry VIII to get his hands on the lands of the Catholic Church, in what was described as ‘the biggest land grab since the Norman Conquest.’ It is common for Protestants/those who repeat history without question to characterise the greed of Henry and his vandalism as justified by the Catholic Church being wealthy , but the monasteries served as universities and schools and operated effectively to support themselves. The convents served as hospitals and, on their destruction, ordinary English people were completely without medical care until Florence Nightingale. The first seizure by Henry (under Cromwell) were the chantry churches, justified under a spurious theology as they were devoted to prayers for the dead - only thing, the priests of the chantry churches served as school teachers for the local children and so ordinary people in England were deprived of education on their destruction. The Tudor claim to the throne was tenuous and was based on battle. Henry used the lands of the Catholic Church to create a hierarchy that was loyal to him (together with the elimination of rivals). The award of the estates to a newly created nobility (now dwelling in country seats with the name ‘Abbey’ or Priory’ in the title, bought a social structure whose interests lay in supporting the Tudor monarchy and in justifying their betrayal by adhering to the new faith and its justifications. Thomas Cromwell’s part in the distribution of land from communally owned land that benefitted the poor to the wealthy was absolutely pivotal. Thomas Cromwell also took a nice slice for himself by the way. So spare me the reconstitution of Thomas Cromwell as a man who acknowledged his poor origins - sure, he, like many of the mountebanks promoted by Henry, came from more humble origins than those whom they persecuted. However, there was nothing noble in his advancing himself under the tyranny of Henry. The tyranny was enforced by Cromwell and ultimately he, like all those similar personalities under Stalin, also fell victim to it. Holbein captured his mean, piggy eyes perfectly in a portrayal of the rise of the mediocre.

[@stephenbastasch7893]

Sadly, but understandably, Wolf Hall duplicated its late author's prejudice in white-washing Cromwell at the expense of Thomas More. It even cast a miserly-looking, poorly-attired and seedy-looking actor to portray More - a portrait completely at odds with the nobility of Holbein's contemporary renderings of More and his family.

[@zillahwanogho6631]

Wow you seem very well versed and knowledgeable, in the rise and demise and Sir Thomas Cromwell. 👏 However sadly 😥 he was seriously badly effected by the death of Cardnal Wolsey. Agreat man of stature that I feel in his end was badly treated by t King Henry 👑 and his wife Ann Boelyn.

[@user-ev4ie2wx7k]

Just another Tudor history lesson. Nothing new, nothing enlightening. Get over the Tudors. We’ve had more than enough intellectual research and “thought” on the subject. Despite it being a significantly bloodthirsty era, Henry was not always the monster about whom listeners love to hear. However, it was what it was, do not bring your 21st.C mores in the constant pontification and secondhand opinions of quasi historians. Just tapping into a ghoulish streak in your listeners, it’s insulting and, actually, there have been other reigns, more intellectually interesting - but not bloodthirsty enough to catch the imagination of your listeners.

[@linrienterprises-wx2vv]

Thank you, I enjoyed this documentary.

[@ninalever9773]

A brilliant documentary which gives a good introduction to who Cromwell really was. Cromwell was a loyal king's servant, a hardworking man and very capable of doing the job. I think he surprised his own emotions and put them aside. He learned that to survive at an early age.

[@fiachramaccana280]

Before the split with Rome it was local monasteries that took care of the poor. The poor law was simply a device to enable the seizure of monasteries and their land. Totally inadaquate in practice but as a political figleaf perfectly fit for purpose. As it enabled the greatest land theft in history other than the Norman Conquest.

[@dianeaustin2414]

Well said.

[@Daughterofminerva]

Great work! I appreciated the effort to show him as a person beyond the dour bureaucrat. Honestly, it seems to me that he was just an ambitious man who wanted to make a career, but at the same time he was trying to do his best for his country and his king. Let us be honest, Henry would have broken from Rome even without Cromwell, because his problem was his lack of a male heir. Cromwell just tried to accomplish the deed as well and fast as possible.

[@user-rp7yt3zd5r]

Only one word for this - excellent stuff, thank you. This from an Australian who became fascinated with Comwell and Wolf Hall and now has small library with books on Cromwell, Henry, his queens and the Cromwell entourage.

[@jamesrouillardjas1671]

I find little to distinguish between Henry VIII & Caligula. Rome had to endure Caligula for only four years - and Caligula’s crimes started in childhood - spooking his own family & relishing his father Germanicus’ death. Clearly a psychopath. But Henry was subtler & more skilled at encompassing his best servants’ destruction. I lean to Hilary Mantel’s view more than to any other

[@margaretkairu7418]

Philip II of Spain and the Spanish Armada should be next

[@iwatchDVDsonXbox360]

I think if there will be a video about spanish monarch then first one will be Carlos I or Isabel I.

[@ladybabbleon]

Nope! I've already been asking for Cesare Borgias! 😜

[@Qwerty-yp3jq]

@@ladybabbleon No, Cesare Borgias video should come out on Dec 25, I think we all know why.

[@Kim-gv5bw]

No,they were 40 years away!!

[@attackfive8659]

Excellent documentary on T. Cromwell, a figure who is often overlooked. James I of England, his life and times, deserve similar attention.

[@MaiMai-eo7zk]

Yes. I wish there were more videos on all the Stuart monarchs.

[@laceylewis3197]

@@MaiMai-eo7zk there is a video on all 4 of them. “The rise and fall of the Stewart’s: a bloody reign.”

[@vseddonvs]

Fascinating ,no idea he had such an influence on England,thank you for this in depth look at this man .

[@sairysv8625]

He must have been extremely intelligent.

[@conemadam]

This was one of the best presentations about the the very extraordinary and complex Thomas Cromwell. Thank you.!

[@XKAHAN1]

A brilliant man who deserved better than what he got. Primary source material tells the tale. 🦊🖤🐾

[@simonbletsoe7059]

Excellent video, mate. His secular and pragmatic approach to his work aided the Tudors greatly. Unfortunately they tired of his role in separating church from state from Rome and back again. He caught the axe. Great, man.

[@lucyosborne9239]

I think the fact of his ongoing personal charity speaks volumes of his character and beliefs. In the Tudor era, it seems to me that those who wished to keep their heads must have had to speak the right words, if not actually believing them. With a man as capricious and unstable and Henry VIII, it must have seemed like living in a mine field, never knowing who was going to crush you with trumped up lies by which Henry was somehow convinced. I think he "held his hand close to his chest" as a means of survival, and in that he displayed enormous courage and wisdom. Did he really want the stations to which he was elevated? No one can say, because he never did.

[@gordonclarkson2672]

Contrary to popular belief, Henry was a weak king whose opinion was often that of the last person he spoke with. In Medieval and Early Modern Europe such monarchs were often the worst and most dangerous kind.

[@JACNAC]

He probably got what he deserved; from his enemies and from his supporters.

[@davidduncan4521]

@@gordonclarkson2672 I agree he was not a good King, but he did right by establishing the Church of England and giving England back some of the identity that the Normans stole with the favor of the papacy.

[@marypaus3286]

What?!!!!

[@lucyosborne9239]

@@davidduncan4521 I have no idea what you're trying to say here. The Normans stole The Church of England? Did the papacy get damaged?

[@kellyfrost1052]

Very well done! A complicated time which you summarized well.

[@richardshiggins704]

Fascinating and detailed . Beautifully narrated .

[@awomanwithaplan]

My impression of Cromwell, was that he was, indeed, a very thoughtful, insightful man of action. He was faced with all sorts of intrigue from the run-of-the-mill sort, to the breathtaking, and in the midst of that environment, he was able to accomplish a great deal for the good by being an excellent navigator. I agree with Lucy Osborne, below, that his ongoing personal charity speaks to his character and beliefs. I would have been honored to know him!

[@marypaus3286]

And he slauhterthousands of irishmen and stole from them all mwans of livlihood, forbade their right to pratice their religion and speak the irish language .He was the start pf the poverty which assailed Ireland. In the years thst followed.

[@danmitchell1955]

Are you mixing him up with Oliver Cromwell ? That sound more of Oliver Cromwell and not Thomas .

[@oleabsalonsen1990]

omg so sorry, thank you for the correction Dan, mmuch appreciated.

[@kateguilfoyle5155]

Honoured to know him?! Would you have been honoured to know Lavrenty Beria? Cromwell was Henry’s henchman. There seems to be a fiction here that the ‘dissolution’ of the monasteries meant that the monasteries/convents/churches ‘dissolved’ along with their priests and nuns. There has been no mention of the priests hanged at the doors of their church, the Abbots hanged at their abbeys (Glastonbury for one), the Carthusian monks executed in total, the Benedictine monks all executed. The list goes on - the popular uprisings against the repression of the Faith that Henry put down by a cynical betrayal by pretending his word could be relied upon - the Pilgrimage of Grace is one, (40,000 people), but there were many more local uprisings - all in the regime in which Thomas Cromwell took a pivotal role and in which he benefitted (until suddenly he didn’t).

[@miriamcarroll4260]

@@marypaus3286here, here!!! Horrible man.

[@charlessteele4256]

I'd always seen him as a scheming villain. This documentary sheds an entirely different light on him. He was guilty of helping to engineer Anne Boleyn's downfall, but he seems to have done his best to rein in Henry VIII's megalomania. I was impressed by the irony of the two Holbein portraits on a mantel in the Frick Museum - the man of principle and the schemer who both were beheaded by their king, but now I have to look at him differently.

[@noelpucarua2843]

"look at him differently" Keep an eye on him, more like.

[@charlessteele4256]

@@noelpucarua2843 Politics was a contact sport back then. I'm not saying Cromwell was a saint, but he wasn't an Iago.

[@noelpucarua2843]

@@charlessteele4256 How could he be an Iago? Iago is a fictional character. No one accused you of saying he was a saint. Straw man arguments get burned.

[@charlessteele4256]

@@noelpucarua2843 Iago is, of course, fictional, but he was an example of pure evil. I think you missed the point. Cromwell was a supporter of charities, so he wasn't a total villain. He did his best to keep Henry VIII from doing worse than he did. He was a strange mixture of practical politics. Like Thomas Moore, it eventually cost him his head.

[@noelpucarua2843]

@@charlessteele4256 Being a supporter of charities may have been an attempt to save his soul but it didn't save his head. And I wonder, at the end, did he feel he had even saved his soul.

[@Daughterofminerva]

Basically the king was just a man playing to do the king and his ministers did all the job. Honestly, I respect more Henry VII than Henry VIII,since he really worked in first person to make his state stable and strong,instead of delegating everything. Although I understand that the first priority for Henry VIII was to produce an heir, to avoid the fall of England into anarchy after his death.

[@tomdanks3427]

Yeah he was probably afraid that civil war if he didn't have a son and if would if most likely happened. But I did find it interesting that his daughters had the same education as a king to be he probably had a feeling that one of his daughters would take charge after he was gone. But Henry the 8th was the father of the navy .

[@craigvoigt5798]

Interesting and intelligently written, thanks People Profiles!

[@Drunkwithsuccess]

Yes and yes. Cromwell was a Machiavellian who understood what it took to survive but he undoubtedly was a loyal servant of his king and state.

[@tracyhodgkins7516]

I haven't watched the whole thing, I haven't got time at the moment, but I think it's worth pointing out that there is no evidence at all that Walter Cromwell was violent to Thomas. Hilary Mantell brilliantly uses Walter's violence as a plot device in the Wolf Hall trilogy, but she would be the first to point out that the books are novels and are not meant to be taken as absolute truth in every respect. During his time at Henry VIII's court, Thomas Cromwell made exactly one reference to his father, and this was a positive comment. There is no evidence at all that his father was violent, just as there is no evidence that Thomas served time in prison in his youth. Thomas Cromwell did tell someone he'd been in prison, but he could quite easily just have been confirming or playing up to the view that many of the nobility and landed gentry at court had of him because they knew he was 'low born'.

[@againnam]

This was fascinating! Thank you!!!

[@danielashaw539]

Highly interesting! Enjoyed watching! Thank you!

[@mohammedpanju2236]

EXCELLENT Bio-Documentary expertly narrated. Thank you very much for uploading. A Must-Watch for all students of Tudor History.

[@timothyduhamel-lockwood7540]

I find it interesting and cool that Mark Rylance is doing the voice over for this. Has anyone caught that? He played Cromwell in Wolf Hall.

[@michellesorensen7518]

Thank you for sharing that; very cool. Xx

[@suebates4985]

It's not Mark doing the voice over.

[@deborahlongworth4904]

I thought it was Mark Rylance also

[@ladydiva295]

This is not Mark Rylance narrating.

[@rebeccabeach7722]

Sorry, but that is certainly not Mark Rylance's voice. Would have been cool, though!

[@sylviawolff2148]

Thankyou for this insight into the politics of Henry VIII’s reign . Poor Thomas Cromwell never stood a chance against the duplicitous Howard’s despite his honest allegiance to the King. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed your well researched post

[@ronaldwhite6476]

One of the best videos I have ever watched on KZbin ever.

[@idkhistory5850]

Good video I remember studying about him in my history class.

[@candyclews4047]

Cromwell was loyal to Wolsey and Henry admired that in him. Shame Henry could not have been loyal to Cromwell.

[@gordonduffett5138]

As a Christian, I think your description of the Protestant reformation, was fair. Thank you for these high quality documentaries.

[@lewisbensted7161]

Your imaginary friend doesn't exist

[@anyahanley6698]

very informative and interesting

[@lyndsieannette957]

This channel is EXCELLENT.

[@wretch1]

Great presentation. Thank you

[@luckyspurs]

It's interesting that he doesn't appear to have forgotten his working class/common upbringing, even when he was within court. The continued charity, specifically aimed at the common poor, is very revealing. Given he almost certainly would have received no outside credit or encouragement for this. It seems to have been very internally driven; whether it be for good or possibly guilt-cleaning and selfish reasons.

[@jamesconstable3680]

Wonderful job !!

[@maralene1411]

Very thorough. I enjoyed it

[@marysepradet6162]

je suis en admiration devant Cromwell, depuis que j'ai lu les romans d'Hilary Mantel, et je suis contente de voir un docu sur sa vie !

[@julianamsan3104]

ses livres sont magnifiques!!

[@catholiccrusader5328]

Thomas Cromwell should have read that part of the Bible that says; 'what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world if they loose their life in the process.'

[@elainemd313]

...their "soul."

[@madiantin]

Really interesting, thank you.

[@LeePenn2492]

Good video..informative and interesting. A man of his times who could get the job done .

[@ethanramos4441]

“Oh, justice is what you’ve threatened with” Thomas Cromwell

[@Bufoferrata]

"Then, I am not Threatened."

[@Bufoferrata]

@@DBEdwards: Great dialogue in that film, wasn't it?

[@stoneagepunk]

Very interesting, thank you!

[@ianmckernan1944]

Absolutely loved it. I have discovered so much I didn't know about Thomas. Yhank you to all involved in this production.

[@droneboy2928]

well done. thank you.

[@jacksimpson-rogers1069]

As an ex-British subject, it has amused me greatly that even by the time of my youth, British royalty retained the title "Fidei Defensor" that the Pope granted to Henry VIII, and surely no longer considered valid when Henry grabbed Papish powers over England for himself. The idea of being "head of the Church" also appealed to James VI King of the Scots, agreed and even insisted upon being an Englishman, as James I King of England.

[@j0nnyism]

Whether you side with Cromwell or more there’s no doubt who Holbein favoured

[@teddyroon]

Thank you for this extremely interesting and informative video. I have learned a lot through it and my view of Cromwell, which heretofore had been very negative has softened.

[@ladybabbleon]

Still rooting for that Borgias series!

[@kingcrazymani4133]

There has to be something missing from the official histories. Cromwell was “the most loyal servant” according to Henry. What secrets did he go to his death with? Was he ill when “Henry” decided it was time to meet the axeman? Put me in the suspicious camp. For reasons that some day may be known. A lot happened in the 1530s, some in history books and some not yet. Cromwell and Wolsey were at the center of it all.

[@tracyhodgkins7516]

Cromwell was predominantly executed because of the failure of the Cleves marriage, which he orchestrated. In addition, and dangerously if it was found out, Cromwell had dealings with Evangelicals (early Protestants) in Zurich. England had no official ties with Switzerland at the time, but they did have people there whose religious beliefs and teaching would have been considered heretical by Henry VIII. Cromwell was also hated by the nobility, especially the arch snob the 3rd Duke of Norfolk, because of his 'low birth'. Thetford Priory, where generations of the Howard's, the Duke's family, were buried, was closed in 1540, one of the last to be closed in the dissolution of the monasteries. The Duke was incensed because he had to move all his ancestors to Framlingham for reburial. Then, in April 1540 Cromwell was created Earl of Essex. It's likely that this pushed the Duke too far and he or someone close to him whispered in the king's ear about Cromwell's dealings with Evangelicals in Zurich. Cromwell was arrested on charges of treason and heresy in June 1540 and executed on the 28th July.

[@kingcrazymani4133]

@@tracyhodgkins7516 Thanks.

[@ria1636]

Much better narration and tone than the rushed one for Katherine of Aragon. Thank you.

[@neenaj365]

The Cromwells are in my family tree. Will have to check who goes where now. Thank you for another illuminating video.

[@danawinsor1380]

This is really fabulous. This lecture is both informative and pleasant to listen to. Also, I don't want to forget the beautiful sequence of historical images.

[@marysepradet6162]

I am reading at the moment "the mirror and the light", which brings me to a great admiration for Cromwell ... but I am also astonished and disgusted when I saw that this first class bastard Thomas Howard lived until 81 ... there is definitely no justice in this world ..; sorry for my bad English, I am French

[@marlettevandermerwe7138]

I am absolutely overjoyed that you feel exactly the same as I do about Norfolk. Your short comment says it all. Thank you.

[@marysepradet6162]

yes, glad to see I am not alone !@@marlettevandermerwe7138

[@StephanieSoressi]

The information in this doc is so dense, I tried slowing the speed, but that made it comical. I usually listen to audiobooks sped up; feeling the need to slow it down was a first. Perhaps my ability to focus is worn at the end of the day. I shall have to watch it again, and even read the transcript to absorb it all.

[@Psiballl]

I think czar Nicholas II would be a good pick for the next video if that hasn't been done already

[@aww773]

Thomas Cromwell elevated not only himself but his relatives. Among them were the ancestors of Oliver Cromwell who retained their lands and later found themselves into the house of commons. In short, with no Thomas Cromwell there is no Oliver Cromwell.

[@dianeaustin2414]

Good point.

[@ludokatolonc]

Oliver Cromwell era sobrinho-neto de Thomas Cromwell.

[@pamelaturnbull4344]

I always have quite admired Thomas Cromwell, rather like Cecil, he was a clever bloke at a very dangerous time and place. Holbein's portrait doesn't do him any favours ! Cromwell, to me, in that portrait, always looks like he wants to be up and off doing his immaculate administration.

[@elizabethmurphy9742]

They were jealous because Cromwell had the King's ear and they couldn't get close to him to sway him to their own agendas. All that Cromwell did was because it was the King's wish, and he was ever loyal, even in his death.

[@msatxgault560]

I want more on Chapuys & his diaries. I bet they hold some juicy secrets. He was like a fly on the wall...

[@julieblackstock8650]

Probably my favourite Historical Character

[@ZENmud]

At 51m25s ~ mention of "at Pontifract...". My NJ HS (Morristown) had exchange students from Pontifract, back in 1971-73 (don't remember which semester) ~ and although we weren't hosts, one or two of them came out (suburbs) for an overnight. I hadn't thought of that dim memory until watching this fine documentary.

[@ZENmud]

Add: there was an early scene of a hand and quill pen, writing on parchment (presumably) ~ except the hand was writing from right to left. Seems like the editor didn't catch the clip being horizontally flipped... (!) 👁️👁️🎥

[@patricialong5767]

For his troubles, he lost his head. It was said that Cromwell had more money/property than the King and he may have been aspiring to take the place of the King. That is probably conjecture, but still.

[@kristooley4112]

excellent treatise.

[@gwinniboots]

An excellent video. I think he was complex- he cared about the country and it’s people yet he could be ruthless in following the desires of the king.

[@Sly_Lent1]

Happy Thanksgiving!

[@sony5244]

Cromwell was a realists who tried to maneuver through a difficult and selfish, murderous king . He was an intelligent man who tried to balance the good of England and a hostile group of nobles who try to enrich themselves.

[@johnlandau7111]

In my opinion, Thomas Cromwell had no strong religious beliefs and no strong ethical values either. He was a loyal servant of King Henry, however. This was in part because it was to his personal advantage to serve the king and to enhance his wealth and power. But also, perhaps he may have genuinely believed in a strong, authoritarian state as what was best for England. If so, it was one of his very few strongly held convictions. Otherwise, he simply served his own interests and those of his employer at any given time, whether this was Wolsey, Henry Italian prince or a London merchant.

[@mangot589]

I get quite a few comments on my “stay calm/learn” tee. “What does that mean?” comments. So, basically, there’s nothing new under the sun, here, and be grateful you live in these “worst time ever” times🙏😉

[@Asplera]

Thank you for another great vdo. I perceive Cromwell as a person combining his own ambition with the overall improvement of the state. I would assume he is an INTJ. However, the biggest fault I see lies in King Henry VIII who is obviously a Feeler who made decision based on his whims and moods. One claims Henry became erratic after he fell and passed out from a joust. I think it also involves the fact that he’s the ‘spare’. He was not groomed for being a ruler since the start and possibly with the mentality of being the younger, the more inferior, the spare.

[@vdotme]

I think it wasn't so much interior or spare but the nature of his education. His brother would have been taught politics and history and closely followed managing of a state while Henry was probably into the arts if his later years were anything to go by. He was also isolated from the public and given titles but no public responsibilities ie not trained for the job even after his brother died. He'd probably have still been the same character but with a lot more awareness had he done so, avoiding some of his most impetuous moves.

[@russcooke5671]

I bit like Harry now.

[@russcooke5671]

@@DBEdwards what reason

[@melissakrauss1266]

It's ironic that Martin Luther was against the divorce between Henry and Catharine isn't it?

[@sandman9390]

🤔 how is that Ironic?

[@deaustin4018]

I always thought Robert Bolt was a bit one sided on Cromwell and even on Rich. Fascinating to hear this more in depth study of Cromwell.

[@katherinecollins4685]

Very interesting

[@jamessheridan4306]

What about Richard Rich? Aside from his brief appearance in A Man For All Seasons, we see little about him.

[@johannafreeburn3061]

faithful servant of britain. sometimes we need to pick our battles, but, for someone who worked so diligently, and put his neck on the line in pursuit of 'justice' for the many, i think it is clear, a good man.

[@melindaschwenk-borrell9374]

Nicely done! so good to hear a relatively brief but substantive summary of such a pivotal person. Poor man was so let down by the King. Fascinating.

[@hitmaniaatlantic7314]

Cromwell was an audacious schemer, no doubt. Willing to bend the rules to advance his position at court by fabricating charges against Anne Boylen and having five others executed is sign of a shrewd tactician. What Cromwell failed to realise is that Henry VIII is no fool. Henry knew how dangerous Cromwell can be and couldn't have him outlive him to have room to manoeuvre. He made too many enemies and ultimately met an awful death in the end. He lived by scheming and died by being schemed himself.

[@lwscijunkie]

The painting at 2:41 is Bayard-defend-un-pont-sur-le-garigliano-1503-henri-felix-emmanuel... I am intrigued by the African/black knight with the crossbow in the lower left quadrant.

[@paulinekingston7479]

Awesome thank you, I shall watch more of your documentaries. I have read Hilary Mantell's books several times, I realise they are historical fiction, however they have alerted me to the fact that Cromwell was not the evil nasty man others have portrayed him as. How about his son Gregory? What happened to him??

[@marysepradet6162]

I am abslolutely fascinated by this man .. i red the 3 books from Hilary Mantel 3 times ! well , the style is not exactly easy and so many Thomas in these books ... but what a delight !

[@stephanbach1652]

I would never trust Cromwell, either Thomas or Oliver.

[@petah-peoplefortheendlesst4668]

What timing! I just started reading Diarmaid MacCullough's "Thomas Cromwell: A Revolutionary Life"

[@ilyasali81]

Can you please do the Marquis de Lafayette

[@sarahhearn-vonfoerster7401]

Just as dangerous and treacherous as Henry VIII was Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk, who had no qualms about sacrificing his own family when necessary. Despicable history.

[@robinhooduk8255]

its always the same, advisers always mess up when they get ideas of their own, they get obsessed and blinded by their own ideas. he knew the king for many many years, he should and would have known that a king who liked ladies and ha many mistresses, wouldnt want to marry a horse! he arranged that marriage having never met her, it was a stupid and foolish mistake, a mistake he would have never done earlier in his life.

[@VICTORYGARDENS-wn9us]

Interesting. Hello from across the pond

[@nithyanarayanan3179]

Very helpful and useful. I am reading Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel and your video is right about time. Thankyou!

[@kevangunn7163]

The ruling classes, as usual, caused misery for the working classes. Will we ever learn?

[@grahampullin9322]

He was ahead of his time trill a gifted men. Today they use his method .graham

[@London-Lad]

🎧 Podcasts? 🎧 Does this creator have a podcast on Google or can anybody recommend any good Podcasts along this or any other interesting genres? Any will do. I'm very open and broad minded. Many thanks 🙏😉

[@reign6409]

Henry was a total narcissistic megalomaniac murderer. Yet theres something fascinating about how he is historically portrayed.

[@MM_2535]

Love my great grandfather.