Fact, Fiction, and Fantasy: Conspiracy and Rebellion in The Tudors

Abstract

Michael Hirst, creator and writer of The Tudors, weaves conspiracy and rebellion into the plotline from beginning to end. Among the many story lines are the 3rd Duke of Buckingham’s alleged conspiracy to overthrow Henry VIII, a fictitious papal plot to kill Anne Boleyn, Thomas Cromwell’s very real conspiracy to remove her from power, the most dangerous rebellion that any Tudor monarch faced—the Pilgrimage of Grace of 1536–1537—and the Exeter Conspiracy. In assessing the series’ depiction of these and other events, it is important to keep in mind that Hirst’s primary objective was to produce an entertaining series, which he certainly did. However, if portions of his story have some historical basis, he often abandons proven fact, fictionalizing history or indulging in outright fantasy and leaving his viewers to decide which is which.