At the height of his power Cardinal Thomas Wolsey was simply known as ‘His Majesty’s second self.’ Henry VIII relied on him to run the kingdom while he enjoyed a relatively carefree existence centred around hunting, war and the pursuit of pleasure. Henry VII had amassed a fortune of over £300,000 (£145 million in today’s money) and the young Henry seemed determined to spend it as quickly as he could. Wolsey understood this and amassed enormous personal power while enabling Henry to fulfil his every desire.
How did a cleric from a relatively humble background come to occupy the position of the king’s chief minister by 1515? Thomas Wolsey was born in 1473, the son of a butcher and innkeeper. He had left Magdalen College, Oxford, after graduating at 15 and had then been part of various noble households hoping for an introduction to the royal court.
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