If you want to know what was really going on in Henry the 8th court, one man wrote it all down,

sometimes with biting sarcasm, sometimes with sympathy, always with a flare for gossip.

His name was Eustace Chappwe, and he was the imperial ambassador who spent nearly two decades in England,

reporting back to his master the emperor Charles

V. Whenever you read about Catherine of Aragon's misery, Anne Boleyn's sharp words were Princess

Mary's trials. Chances are pretty good that the details come from one of Chappuiz's letters.

So get comfy, grab your water or your coffee.

Today I'm drinking my coffee with a TudorCon mug.

And settle in because today we are going to talk about Henry's noisiest observer

and how his words shaped how we understand the Tudor Court today.

Music shaped how we understand the Tudor Court today. Hey, friend, welcome back to the YouTube channel for the Renaissance English History podcast.

I am your host, Heather. I've been podcasting on Tudor England since 2009, which makes my show the original Tudor history show. I am delighted,

as always, that you are here with me today talking about Eustace Chappui, his life, why he matters,

his relationships with Anne Boleyn, Catherine of Aragon, and Mary the First. Also, at the end of this video, I'm going to do a little,

a little chit-chat recap of TudorCon and tell you why Janet Wirtman, at Too Much Tudor, is an

absolute rock star. So, let's dive in. Eustace Shapwe was born around 1490 in the Duchy of Savoy. It was a region

tucked between what is now France and Switzerland. He studied law at the University of Turin,

where he proved himself a sharp mind with a gift for detail, qualities that would serve him well in diplomacy. Before he arrived in

England, he entered the service of Charles V, who was, of course, the most powerful monarch in

Europe at the time. He ruled Spain, the low countries, parts of Italy, and he stretched into the

Americas. Now, Charles needed men that he could trust to keep an eye on England, especially once Henry VIII began seeking an annulment from his first wife, Catherine Varragone. Catherine was, of course, Charles's aunt, and her treatment was both a family and a political issue.

So, Chappwe arrived in England in 1529, and he stepped right into the middle of the king's

...