Reginald Pole lived through the reigns of three Tudor monarchs, yet he is little known to most lovers of Tudor history. This book brings to life a man who became a cardinal and almost Pope; who so angered Henry VIII that a price was set on his head and attempts were made to kill him; and who was even once suggested as a prospective husband for Mary Tudor. He and Mary, paired in the minds of many during their lives, died on the same day. Pole was a key figure in Reformation Europe – but was he a man who lacked conviction in his beliefs, as some say? Was he a heretic as one Pope denounced him? Or was he simply a man who tried to do his best, whatever the cost both to his country and to his family? Set against the background of a tumultuous half-century in England’s history, The King’s Traitor answers these questions.
Reginald Pole was a favourite of Henry VIII before later enraging him, becoming known as the ‘King’s Arch Traitor’, and was once suggested as a potential husband to Mary. Forced into exile where he survived multiple attempts on his life, Pole was a key figure in Reformation Europe and Tudor England. Until now his story has been shrouded in mystery.
