Hey, this is Heather from the Renaissance English History Podcast, and this is your Tudor Minute for January 21.
Today in 1556 we mark the passing of Eustace Chapuys, the Imperial Ambassador to England from 1529 to 1545, who is remembered as a close confidant of Katherine of Aragon, and protector of the Princess Mary. He was born around 1490 in Savoy, and studied in Rome, receiving a doctorate in civil and canon laws. It is thanks to Chapuys that we know so much of the detail of Henry’s divorce proceedings, and the way Katherine fought back, as well as the tumultuous years of his marriage to Anne Boleyn. He was an avid letter writer, and his letters are still available to read in the Spanish Archives in Samancas. He was a humanist, and among his extensive correspondence are letters to Erasmus, with whom he had a deep admiration. Even after his retirement, Chapuys acted as an advisor to Charles V between 1547 and 1549. According to C.S.L. Davies, “His last known state paper is an acute analysis of the political situation” as Henry VIII was dying in January 1547.
That’s your Tudor Minute for today. Remember you can dive deeper into life in 16th century England through the Renaissance English History Podcast at englandcast.com.