The Kings Secretary, William Paget, with Dr Andrew Johnston

Among Henry VIII’s many significant ministers and members of his inner circle, William Paget is woefully overlooked. In many ways the successor to Thomas Cromwell, he was instrumental in defining the last years of King Henry VIII’s life, playing a fundamental role in the destruction of the Earl of Surrey and in establishing how Henrys planned succession would take shape. To discuss Paget with me, I am pleased to welcome historian Dr Andrew Johnston onto the podcast for the first time. His book, The Kings Secretary, William Paget and the Last Years of the Reign of Henry VIII acts as the basis for our conversation, so stay tuned, to find out the story behind the man who became central to the final days of England's most notorious king