My aim in writing this book was to bring Henry to life in his time and place. Any hope I had of accomplishing that ambition was helped immeasurably by the scholarship of many great historians of the period.
My debt to the scholars whose works illuminate different aspects of Henry’s life is huge, as shown in the notes and bibliography. However, I must mention in particular the benefit any would-be Henry biographer gains from starting with the researches of Roy Strong and Timothy Wilks. Their knowledge of the art, culture and political activities circulating around Henry is a rich and stimulating source for those who follow in their footsteps. The rich trove of material displayed in the National Portrait Gallery exhibition devoted to Henry in 2012 was simply inspiring.
I want also to thank John Adamson, Alexandra Gajda, Jacqueline Riding, Jo Hines, Paul Murton, Eion Gibbs, Catherine Moye, Will Talbot, Lord Dalmeny, Laura Lindsay, Catharine MacLeod; Hayley Shah at St Nicholas Church, Chiswick; my excellent editor, Arabella Pike, and her team at HarperCollins: Iain Hunt and Katherine Patrick; Ruth Killick; and my wonderful agent, David Godwin. The staffs of the major libraries and archives are a godsend to writers: thank you all. Last but not least are my husband and family, who must weary of hearing the phrase (excuse for not doing something I promised them I would do), ‘Soon, I’m nearly there’. Heartfelt love and thanks.