‘I'm David the Second, I am, I am': Henry VIII and his Psalter

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Prepared for him in 1540 by the French émigré artist and scribe Jean Mallard, Henry VIII's Psalter is one of the most beautiful of his surviving books. The medieval cycle of Psalter illuminations has been adapted to reflect the King's personal view of his role as ruler and chief priest and show, quite literally, Henry as a reincarnated David. He has also annotated the text throughout, coming back to the Psalter on three separate occasions, and his notes, never fully analysed before, show the progression of his theological views and reflections during the last years of his life. The insights they give into the mind of the ageing King are extraordinarily revealing. An illustrated talk by James P. Carley, Professor of English at York University, Toronto, whose many works include The Books of King Henry VIII and his Wives (2004). To be held at the Conference Centre of the British Library. To book online: http://boxoffice.bl.uk To book by phone: 01937 546 546