Phil-roberts
Phil Roberts

Cardinal Wolsey: For King and Country

Phil Roberts

Tuesday, 19 March 2024

12:00pm

1 hour

Bodleian: Divinity School

£7 - £13.50

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Tudor historian and writer Dr Phil Roberts tells the story of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the man who rose to become Lord Chancellor of England but was accused of treason after failing to secure Henry VIII’s divorce from his first wife.

Roberts tells how the Wolseys of Suffolk traced their family origins to Anglo-Saxon times. Thomas was born to a successful small businessman, Robert, and Joan Daundy. After graduating from university, his rose quickly to power, first as chaplain to Henry VII, then as almoner to Henry VIII. Henry was impressed with Wolsey’s work, and he quickly earned other clerical positions and became Lord Chancellor of England in 1520. He was escorted to the Tower after being accused of treason but died in 1530 after becoming very frail on his way.

Roberts is a lecturer who has worked for the Mary Rose Trust for 20 years. He has appeared regularly on BBC radio to talk about the Tudors and the British Royal Family.

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The Oxford Literary Festival sponsors, donors & partners

The Telegraph Festival media partner University of Oxford European Union Supported by the Delegation of the European Union to the UK Cultural Relations Platform Supporter of the festival's Voices of Europe programme Bodleian Libraries Festival cultural partner Oxford Martin School Festival ideas partner Oxford Mathematics Spanish Embassy The Spanish Embassy: supporters of the programme of Spanish literature and culture Cervantes Institute, London The Cervantes Institute, London Blackwell’s Festival on-site and online bookseller Symington Wines of the Douro Valley Compassion in World Farming Pasture to Plate Oxford Business College Where learning meets opportunity: education partners of the festival Old Bank Hotel Five-star hotel partners of The Oxford Collection Old Parsonage Hotel Five-star hotel partners of The Oxford Collection Oxford Brookes University Oxford International Centre for Publishing Critchleys Accountants to the festival Confucius Institute Voltaire Foundation Felicity Bryan Associates Goldmoney Properties Princeton University Press Prestige publishing partner. Celebrating 25 years in Europe in 2024 Oxford University Department for Continuing Education Jewish Book Week Partner of Oxford Literary Festival Jim Mellon Miles Young Tim and Marion Stevenson Martin and Elise Becket Smith Ian and Carol Sellars David Isaac Mary and Cecil Quillen Supporters of the programme of American literature and culture Yale University Press London New College New College founded 1379 Exeter College Exeter College: college home of the festival. Founded 1314 Worcester College Worcester College founded 1714 Trinity College Trinity College founded 1555 Magdalen College Magdalen College founded 1458 Reuben College Reuben College founded in 2019 Pusey House Brasenose College Brasenose College founded in 1512 New Dutch Writing Human Ecology Project MACROVegan Bear Ram Elk Festival Digital Strategy & Web Design Racalia Olive Oil Olive oil from Sicily Paul Bloomfield Ltd University of Oxford Alumni Office Alumni Office The Sheldonian Theatre Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies Oxford University Images Oxford University Images CAV Oxford The Litmus Partnership Schoolreaders Windrush Group The Oxford Times BBC Radio Oxford Local radio partner Conference Oxford Ox in a Box OX magazine