Henry VIII’s Fool, Will Somer

<p>In some portraits of Henry VIII there appears another, striking figure. This is Will Somer, the king’s fool, a celebrated wit who could raise Henry’s spirits and spent many hours alone with him. But was Somer an “artificial fool” - a comedian who spoke truth to power - or a “natural fool,” someone with intellectual disabilities?</p><br><p>In this episode of <em>Not Just the Tudors</em>, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Swedish historian Peter K. Andersson, whose new biography of Somer - <em>Fool: In Search of Henry VIII’s Closest Man</em> - reveals a little-known world where comedy could be something cruel and unpleasant.</p><p>This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.</p><br><p><strong>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code </strong><a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=tudors&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>TUDORS</strong></a><strong>. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up </strong><a href="https://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=tudors&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>here &gt;</strong></a></p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey&nbsp;<a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a> &gt;</p><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>