The life of WILL SOMMER. History of the Tudors. How disabled people were treated in the past. Jester 

How likely do you think it is that Will had a learning disability? Let me know below and check out my PATREON site for extra perks at www.patreon.com/historycalling Remember to SUBSCRIBE to my channel too.

It seems to me that to possibly have been learning disabled, Will was a smart man. To have survived at least three of the Tudor monarchs, and maybe four, is a testament to his ability to fly under the radar.

Just for information, I’m disabled, so the idea of fools in Tudor times is fascinating to me. I’m not horrified by it in the way many able bodied people are now though. I think it’s important to ask if people would have understood learning and physical disabilities in those times. They probably wouldn’t. People with at least two of my conditions, Spina Bifida, Hydrocephalus (water on the brain) and scoliosis, wouldn’t have survived long back then, if they had survived at all, whereas I suppose people with learning disabilities would have been around. I think Will Sommer probably did have a learning disability. I think the reference to him falling asleep a lot suggests narcolepsy too, which can cause confusion. Scoliosis could be a possibility. I’ve got it and one of my shoulders is higher than the other, but in a lot of cases, cases where the scoliosis is slight, you can’t see it when the person is fully dressed. We obviously know now Richard III had a severe scoliosis. I think Edward VI had it too. Look at his portraits. One shoulder is definitely higher than the other.

Thanks!

I love your content calling history. 1st question: Do you think if Mary had Married earlier she would have children or would she suffer the same fate as queen anne ? 2st question: Do you think Mary was in A tough position because in relation to her marriage; because no matter who she married someone would be angry. Great Video and my yorkie and cat says hi.

This quite interesting. Will's disabilities can probably be limited that neither physical or mental disabilities prevented him from riding a horse or more than holding his own at Henry XIII court. As for his great faux pas involving Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, jesters sometimes took questionable liberties with their patrons. It could have been his true opinion at that time. Learning disabilities are just becoming truly known at the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st centuries. He would have been looked on as being "different". Thankfully being different in this case brought him a highly successful career at Court, during a dangerous time. I was diagnosed with ADHD at 55 though tested for problems in 1962. So I sympathize with the Will Somers of this world.

Thanks

I had an Uncle and have a Nephew Summers that could be a twin of Will Sommer.

History calling, I know my question I'm getting ready to ask you is a little off the subject but when you did all the comparisons of actresses who played Anne Boleyn did you have Helena Bonham Carter's Anne Boleyn? I'm trying to find that video but can't and it's worth watching more than once.

For a guy supposed to be stupid it seems like he was able to get the royals to give him a lot of stuff and able to stick around so he must of benefited them or "handled" them. The fact he may of said something untoward doesn't mean he's simple it just means he might of went too far as we see in today's society. After a while he would've gotten familiar with the family so its not even tha exceptional unless I am missing something. Also just because he says he's "simple" we're taking an account of someone who is higher class than a fool so that could be anything and as you say in the end "One Incident" means it seems like he can learn from his mistakes and that he went too far.

I can't see the most important, smartest and wealthiest people in England tolerating a simpleton for so many years...that novelty would wear off quickly and just become annoying to them. I picture jesters being akin to our olden day slapstick comedians, who naturally love to play the fool and make people laugh, but are witty and intelligent also...as the best comedians always are, and I presume he'd be one of the best if he performs for the leaders of the country. Just my opinion though.

To me this guy was no fool to survive that long in the Tudor court and still have his head😊

Thanks!

It’s interesting, really, how much changing concepts of neurodivergence/learning disabilities may have affected the legacy of this man. It’s fully possible for someone to have noticeable learning difficulties and struggle with the kinds of social cues and norms that would stop someone of this time angering Henry like that, whilst still being witty and clever and very good company. I’ve known many autistic people who are very quick-witted and intelligent, but lack social understanding which can make them appear “simpler” than they are - I myself have ADHD which presents very similarly, and while I’m very capable of some things I can definitely come across as naïve and dumb sometimes, and accidentally saying something socially unacceptable is a pretty major hallmark of most neurodivergent people, it was unfortunately far more dire in his situation. There’s still a lot of stigma and misunderstanding around basically all kinds of mental disorders, which absolutely will not help trying to review someone who lived so long ago. Thank you for this video, greatly enjoyed learning more about this man!

It's striking how he was not just at court but was included in family portraits. A person who is differently abled might be called "simple and innocent" and still be clever, funny, kind, attentive -- that is, good company. Narcolepsy, which was suggested, can be accompanied by confusion which could be entertaining and also result in saying things you otherwise wouldn't. He had a memorable life. Thanks for introducing him to us!

I was born with no hands (my left arm is half an arm, my right goes to my wrist) and a speech impediment. All my life I've been treated rather decently. Of course, I do come across rude people, or people who treat me like a child, not as an adult. In school, I was hardly bullied. People are surprised I was not bullied a lot. I always ask them "Would you bully a black belt martial arts student wearing a metal hook?" It is at that point they stop wondering. lol :)

You have no idea how excited I got at this notification. There's so little information about him that i have to be intrigued. He was there for everything!

As someone who is also disabled, I would like to thank you for talking about this (and using the correct terminology). I agree that he was probably disabled. There are a lot of different disabilities, and there are also differences in each disability. At least most disabilities have a spectrum in them. So disabled person A might have a massive amount of struggle with symptom X, but very little difficulties with Y and Z. While person B might have very little difficulty with symptom X, but some difficulty with Y and a massive amount of struggle with Z. And person C might struggle with all of them, while E has a medium amount of difficulty with them. Some need support with pretty much everything in their lives, while others barely need any. Some have very similar challenges, while others have very different ones.

He might have been simple but was smart enough to keep his head when so many around him lost there`s

He reminds me of my next door neighbor. He's differently abled and unable to live alone or do certain tasks without help because he doesn't understand, but he's so incredibly kind and funny. He comes every day to snuggle my dog for at least an hour, and he's very much like a big brother to me. I love the story of the woman putting a pillow under his head and making sure he didn't fall as he slept. ❤️

Another excellent podcast. I dare to say that Will was most intelligent despite a purported learning difficulty. it is just my opinion that he was far more intelligent than his employer.

As someone with multiple conditions/disabilities, I’m always interested in how people of the past who fell outside of “normal” lived. I have actually never heard of Will before this, so my judgment is purely based on your video. I think he was either an amazing actor or possibly fell on the autism spectrum. He must have been smart to have survived in the court for as long as he did! And he certainly had to have been charming to be so beloved that he made it into the family portraits. I’m sure this is highly based on the media I’ve consumed over the years, but I have always associated jesters/fools with earlier periods of history than the Tudor era. I can feel a research rabbit hole on the subject coming my way…

Our beautiful daughter born in 1978 was autistic and had epilepsy, and no speech Her IQ was way high, . She loved sitting in the large bay window in our front room, which had a small garden and faced a very busy road. She loved watching the cars going by and many people passing would stop and waved to her. he kids from a nearby secondary school, before and after going to school used to collect outside our house, sometimes 40 of them making monkey noises and ridiculing her. She was heartbroken. The police station was just a few yards from our house and the police cars used to drive past and do nothing. In the end my husband involved the local paper and something was done. Little changes does it?. The shock of her passing away suddenly in 2010 put us in a dark place for many years. Now we think back to how she suffered at those teenagers hands and console ourselves that she is safe from them

Very interesting and well researched once again. The position of 'Fool' was actually a very important one; the Fool being a kind of comedian, companion and poet, but also with the ability to say non-threatening things in jest that may have been true. In some more progressive organisations Boards often have this kind of non-executive role as a way of offering challenge to 'groupthink'.

Good lord. He was dressed better than the child Elizabeth!

The handkerchiefs bought for Sommers may well have been part of his 'act'.

So we'll done thank you. The tarot card fool kept coming up and a thought that he held some kind of mystic position was his clo6hing important because it was code for that occasion. Or am I too far down the Shakespeare authorship decoding

Will Sommer wasn't the fool, Henry was.

This was such an interesting story! Thank you for thinking of such an unusual, but fascinating person. He was simple and innocent, but smart enough to steer clear of Henry’s wrath. Perhaps the incident concerning Anne and Elizabeth points to, although angered by, a softer side of Henry. Wishful thinking on my part, but he was obviously invaluable in his simple and innocent way. You are quite special History Calling, thank you…

It's impressive to have survived so many monarch- so many other people who were very intelligent/very close/ very powerful fell in and out of favour, whoever he was I feel like he must have had some captivating quality for Henry (a notoriously capricious monarch) to keep him close by for so long

Based on the evidence presented, I’m more inclined to believe he had some sort of disability. Part of me wonders if he could have been on the ASD spectrum based on the instances of not understanding social cues, having some moments of wit and understanding (like saving the woman’s brother from execution) but still needing to be cared for. Also based on the sleeping incident, it was possible he had narcolepsy. However these are just speculations, as we none of this can be concluded without proper diagnosis. Also while it is cruel that he was mocked for being disabled, at least he was cared for because I imagine many more like him weren’t so lucky in those times. That could be an interesting topic to explore the historical treatment (more likely mistreatment) and societal views on those with disabilities.

It appears to me that he was loved by the Tudors, he was very familiar around them, like he was the family pet! Thank you for yet another interesting story.

Supposedly there was a record of will telling Henry after the death of Jane how everyone you love leaves you referring back to his mother dying in child bed fever. Henry was more tolerant of will than many others “above” him and he was used to pass messages between courtiers and the king when delivering “bad news” I’m so grateful for the covering of him for what a feat it was for anyone to survive the Bear pit that was the tudor court let alone 4 tudor monarchs

In a way it’s almost sweet that these jesters were regularly included in family portraits. It shows how close they were to their employers (although being close to Henry VIII was itself a curse) and while obviously many of them were treated horribly, it seems like as a disabled person in those days there was really no better position. Free room, board, food and fine clothes was certainly more than most commoners could ever obtain by themselves

He may have had a diasability, but clearly he was very intelligent at the same time.

My son has special needs. It's so meaningful to learn about people in history who may have too

Funny to think that with all that changed between the Tudor monarchs, Will was always there. He must have had some importance to them if they kept having him put into their paintings. Even the kids struggled to be in more than one painting in a row.

Thank you for another great video. Please take no offence but I have all your videos in one playlist that I listen to each night to fall asleep. You have a perfect voice for narration, soothing and calm. I can't wait for next week!

For good Will to have been the jester to three monarchs, I highly doubt he was intellectually disadvantaged. He sounds like a beloved, humourous, smart man to those monarchs. He clearly was looked after very well by virtue of the clothing he was bestowed. Chaupuys was an advocate for Katherine and Mary, so it could have been a propaganda on his part regarding the incident of being banished. Who knows? Thank you for all these interesting biographies.

That joke about the miller's shirt is savage! Maybe I'll be able to use it someplace...

he was no fool 🤔🤔

You've presented an interesting puzzle in the guise of Will Sommer. I think it's possible he had sleeping disorder which may have induced uncontrolled naps. Perhaps he had mild epilepsy or another affliction that came and went with varying intensity. This would have rendered him quite capable at times and debilitated at other instances. Sleeping illness (can't remember the exact medical term) can cause mental fluctuations. If these symptoms were exacerbated by other ailments such as allergies, ADHD, dyslexia or syphilis his mental dexterity may have been all over the map. He doesn't appear to be an idiot but mostly thoughtful, clever and well liked. I'm open to any other explanations as there are so many possibilities. You actually brought this man and his times to life in my mind and did so in less than 20 minutes. Awesome job. I love your work and how it transports me. Thank you. Please be well, be safe, be happy. Lvya much

It seems Will was autistic. He was obviously well loved by all. Think about what we now know about learning difficulties and what they knew about learning difficulties back then.

History Calling, I’ve been a long time fan. I thought you outdid yourself with your recent Jackie K. video, but this video has cemented you, in my mind, as one of my all-time favorite RU-vidrs. Thank you for your always interesting, faithfully researched, entertaining, and ever educational videos. You are a queen in my eyes, just as the many you have researched and presented in your videos. Xoxo

Should we question Chapuys’s veracity. He was hardly an unbiased witness to the court of Henry viii. Perhaps putting words into the court fool’s mouth seemed a harmless way of showing Charles v that there was support for Catherine and Mary.

It sounds as though he was a trustworthy chap with a bit of fun to him. Maybe he did have learning disabilities but was taught to entertain above all else and so could fulfill the role easily. I love that the paintings show him with small pets . I can just imagine him interacting with them for the amusement of the children.

He is a great enigma, almost as if he existed and wasn't real all at the same time. Seems as if he didn't have learning difficulties as we think today but more issues with social interaction (or was an amazing actor able to speak his mind and then put on a countenance that gives the air of 'I couldn't mean it as I couldn't understand ' although I doubt that) He is a very interesting topic, and surprising that he hasn't gotten the 'Tudor fetishism' that Hollywood has engaged in so recently. That us a good thing in my opinion

As someone who is engaged to an autistic person, the outburst recorded by Chapuys sounds very similar to some previous outbursts my partner has had.

Thank you for this video., he’s been mentioned in some books and movies. Yes, could be he had a learning disability and must have been considered a valuable entertainer or an amusement? It’s good to know he was taken care of by the family long after Henry died. 🤔

Great video! Not the normal, run of the mill Tudor history, but actually a new interesting topic. At least for me 😃 Thanks!

Based on what we know of him being a friend of the king and the idea of him being intellectually challenged, do you think is it possible that he was just unable to pick up social cues that resulted in the documented gaffes? Another possibility could be sustaining and recovering from an injury before being summoned to court that made him mentally slower than the other courtesans.

It would be helpful if the actual role of court jester/ fool was teased open . And why or how they got to be at court at all. I understand that in the Spanish royal family there have been suggestions thst often children born with genetic defects to the aristocracy or the actual royals due to inbreeding became the equivalent of fools or servants to the family. Ref. Velazquez painting of the Infanta and G K Chesrertons poem " The Battle of Lepanto". Perhaps you might cover the wider context in later videos.

I first learned of Will while reading a biography of Henry by one of several very well respected authorities on the Tudor dynasty. The author's name was Alison Weir. Whatever Will's condition, be it physically or if it was indeed some manner of intellectual deprivation, something was in force to recommend him to such an esteemed position of trust. I don't know if it was hereditary or something familial, or if it was perhaps something he was born into, - or maybe he just aced an interview ! - who knows. But of all the characters throughout the book, from his father's success with the wars of the roses to the passing of Elizabeth, - for some reason, I took a particular interest in Will Sommers.

It's hard not to agree with you when a man is portrayed holind a spaniel in the presence of the Tudor Clan. A FOOL or not, he was able to please the schiz effective personality that seems to have been passed down through their nurturing and maybe nature. Mr Sommer, spaniel holding Tudor employee seems to have survived the rein of wackyness that was the Tudor lineage. ha ha ha if he had a learning disability, he was a genius at survival.

When I saw the title, I thought that it must must be one of the series "World's Most Dangerous Jobs"!

Thank you for another *EXCELLENT* video.

I mean a piece of land being enclosed without the Kings permission was not a super uncommon thing. So the idea that a cousin from the country came in with this news. The fool presented him to the king to give this news. The king told the guy no you don't, put it back; seems perfectly plausible. Cuz he's not depending on the Fool's account the fool is simply presenting his uncle because he knows this is something that the king is concerned about. Common land was literally the only place that commoners could bring their cattle to feed for free and it was the only sustenance for the poor to be able to Stakeout even just one dairy cow or a goat for milk for their family to keep them from starving to death. So preventing the illegal enclosure of land was a big deal to the poor and those living on the very edge of malnutrition and death. Dead peasants don't grow food and therefore this would be of serious concern to the king. The detail that the boy has been born on that very Hill is likely a fabrication or exaggeration. But I could totally believe some country relative coming in with news like this and the fool going hey king you need to hear this. It's entirely possible that during Mary's Reign the fool was somehow injured and that's what caused the drooling not a mental deficiency. Handkerchiefs were also just commonly used in justers Acts of the time for juggling so it doesn't even necessarily indicate they were being used for what we think of handkerchiefs being used for. If he's making up brain teasers for King Henry then he's got to have some kind of wit but sort of an off corner perspective like a mid-functioning autistic perhaps. That would make him simple and innocent enough to have mentioned Queen Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth in this way without realizing that, that was very dangerous. But still clever enough to see the world from such a Viewpoint as to put together things that other people might not catch immediately. Something like Q: What kind of dog makes no sound and lives in the cemetery? A: A statue on the grave of a kennel master. Something that would exercise the Kings brain without showing that the fool was smarter than the king, but just that the fool had a different perspective on life. Like the kind of things on the back of Laffy Taffy. We're not talking highbrow comedy. Queen Mary obviously considers him an essential part of the court and wanted him to walk in her funeral procession enough that she paid for the clothes for it. Mary kept him well-dressed and obviously considered dressing him as part of showing off the wealth of her Court. Add to the point about him inheriting for one of his cousins in all likelihood some executor was appointed to run the estate so that he could stay with the court and keep up his regular job but the £5 a year gave him a little money to take care of some of his own expenses and act a little bit more independently. In Tudor times a pound sterling was quite a lot of money. So even if he was only actually receiving 3£ of that 1£ put into savings and 1£ to pay the administrator of his lands. This would allow him to be generous to the poor and other things he is believed to have done. He would have had to have some money of his own to do that with, without constantly appealing to the crown. A debilitating problem like narcolepsy if he even had it could also fully account for his need to be watched over and to have managers run the estate he eventually inherited. Farm labor of the time could not afford to waste a single minute much less hours at a time as narcolepsy can sometimes cause. This would be enough categorize him as not being fit for agricultural work or much else of the time where you had to be really productive. If he was a bit simple on top of this that would be sufficient explanation for him being made a ward of the crown and then finding something useful to do with him. Being taken care of in this way was considered the monarchs Duty because all of the citizens of their Kingdom were consider their servants. If the Lord of The Manor was considered expected to take care of any disabled children born with in his Parish who survived to adulthood how much more would a king be expected to take care of the very worst of fools that were quite expensive and required another servant to look after them? It was literally the only social welfare available at the time and would have been considered a great kindness from the King to his servant. The fact that the King Henry's children did not see any offense and keeping him means they enjoyed his performances enough to not make much of a deal about it. Keeping their father's favorite full round was also a way of showing their connection to him and therefore their right to rule.

William was almost viewed as a favoured pet by the descriptions and his inclusion in the court of 4 Tudors. Edward, Mary & Elizabeth would have spent a large chunk of their youth with William as part of their father’s court. Perhaps they had a fondness for him & again looked after him like a pampered pet. He probably had mental and physical challenges but his mental capacity may have been playful & child like. Surrounded by so many sycophants and Royal court wannabes, perhaps Henry kept William at his side for William’s mental innocence appealed to Henry. Again like a trusted & favoured pet.

What I noticed in nearly all of the images you presented on Will where he was standing and you could see his legs, he is always positioned with one leg, straight down perpendicular to the ground while the other is a little diagonal, extending to the side, and sometimes the foot is even put in an odd position. It’s almost like a dance position,, or some kind of artistic posture, which Might’ve been what all of these different painters did for him and only him, but that’s hard to believe. It’s consistent in all of these images. Could it be that one leg was longer than the other, and it simply was easier for him to take a stance where the longer leg was extended out and not straight down? Take a look ! and also the Position of that foot. I think the deformity was more than humpback, and if he did have a one leg longer than the other, that most likely affected his spine, and therefore his posture, and therefore could’ve helped create the hump. And if I do prove correct in this, I’m glad to take the credit lol.

Perhaps Will’s greatest talent was to feign simple-mindedness and survive that notorious era. 🤔

Any portrait of Henry VIII gives me the creeps! The devil stalking the earth!😱

Margaret George's the autobiography of Henry the VIII (with notes by his fool, Will Sommer) is a remarkable envisioning of Will, one of my five top books I've ever read

I thought the woman on the far left of the family portrait was Jane the Foole? I believe she was the fool for Queen Mary I.

I find it remarkable that Will is clearly a trusted part of Henry's family. The dog makes me wonder if he also cared for the family pets doing the feeding cleaning etc ( he is holding the dog.) . And if he had other duties like insuring shoes are clean ,etc.. things that are a part of every day life but not done by royalty. I say remarkable as I don't see Henry as a nice guy. .. so he tolerating a " slow" (for want of a better word ) person seem a bit out of character for Henry . ( LOL or my bias of Henry) I have known "Challenged " people who were high functioning , meaning they fit into society but saw the world differently. One I remember , thought our ecological problems were the result of dams draining the rivers of their electricity. A well meaning person ( actually persons) tried to explain how hydro- electric turbines worked , but my friend was too savvy to be fooled by that explanation ... I use this of an example of how one could participate in society without genuinely understanding concepts like Realestate, polite discourse , representative government , etc. And if that person has a mentor , they could have little serious trouble in society... as we all know.. So , after my bird walk.,.. I suspect he had some diminishing issue. Point of interest .. Only New World Monkeys have prehensile tails. So the Monkey is interesting in itself. Thanks for another interesting thought. I'll have to see if I can find out more about Fools and their job. Really. I've always been curious about that.

I suspect the poor soul was afflicted with Narcolepsy, which may explain his demeanor later in life. This condition would be a cause for concern. And maybe he was a witty guy too.

I actually don´t need the video, your voice and accent is amazing just listening to.

Perhaps the possibility of being "on the autism spectrum" could apply here. High functioning thinking and verbal skills but with a limited "filter" for what would be inappropriate at times. Thank you for an interesting story. Another Jester / Fool story line to consider is "Roland the Farter", allegedly during the time of king Henry II." =) Sláinte

Quite something he lasted so long and kept on with the royal family..

What a great topic!!

Excellent as usual. I think, as you do, that Chapuis description of Sommer and his account of the "fool's" comments, must be regarded as the most accurate historical document. This would, of course, account for the fact that Will didn't lose his head as so many did when they crossed Henry.

When you mentioned he frequently fell into deep sleep I started thinking narcolepsy. Unfortunately the only way to rule that out is by a sleep study. His drooling is probably due to conditions such as Autism, Cerebral Palsy and Down’s syndrome. In my opinion he had a form of autism. Thank you for your video. Have a great weekend. Have you been watching the new Starz show Becoming Elizabeth. It starts at the time Henry died. If you are, what are your thoughts?

Is Will… maybe history’s first meme? 😳

I just wanted to comment on the last picture you showed of Henry, Mary and Will. I'd never seen that before and it struck me as very unusual to have just Henry and Mary together. Perhaps it was meant to be pre-Anne Boleyn? And regarding Will, at first glance I was strongly reminded of Mark Rylance:) Perhaps in a former life...

Thank you so interesting

Thanks! Again you have entertained while educating me! Thank you so much!!

Was Will smart enough to Fool everyone, after all he came from a poor? Family, he had nothing, some person in the family took him to the King, and he lived quite a good life, did the give him coins, did he pass them along to his family ? Did the Fool, fool everyone?

Well, after seeing some of his clothes, I'm happy with my blue jeans, t shirts, and sneakers. I don't think it would be court appropriate for Henry the 8th though.

I enjoy your videos. Do you think you will ever do a video on Owen Tudor and Welsh-French roots of the Tudor family? The Tudor Dynasty is fascinating to me.

If I could travel back in time Will Sommer is someone I'd want to meet

Imagine how much easier history would be if they had Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and so on back then. Lol. Will Sommers story will never fully known. Lost to history and time.

I loved this video. Great work! These are the kind of videos that showcase the people who were around, albeit in the background, in these historical events. Thank you for your hard work!

You are so very well spoken. I appreciate that very much. You could narrate BBC documentaries. As for Will having a learning disability, honestly, I don't think there's enough evidence. His gaffe would definitely notify the bounds and lines he would have to tow, because it sounds like a one-off. Then again, in 16th Century styles, who's to say he wasn't just a funny person the Royals liked to have around?

Was this character in the Showtime series “The Tudors”?

Could he have been King Henry's son???

i think it could be possible that will had epilepsy or some other form of seizure disorder. it can cause disorientation, memory loss, speech problems as well as involuntary movements or sounds that may have been perceived as comical. it would also explain the ‘sleeping’ incident which could have been a seizure and the need for a keeper but the lack of an obvious physical or mental condition for the most part. epilepsy is historically misunderstood and was treated as a mental disorder for a long time which might explain the term ‘simple’ being used for him.

He is far from being a fool... He survived 4 of the Tudor dynast and died a natural death!!! Not many people back then survived for a very long time back then. Especially being at court!!! Under 2 different religions as well!!!

Good evening to history calling

Who knows maybe...

Other retainers were given such grants. Musician Mark Smeaton was paid by Henry Vlll every quarter, and also given cloth and garments, hose and upkeep of his horse and he also had servants. Perhaps if you were a favorite of the king you were rewrded more than the other retainers.

They had Will Somers in an episode of the Tudors. At the end of the episode the fool is sitting on Henry's throne laughing. It gave me chills.

Will Sommer might have led a fascinating fife due to closeness in proximity and accessibility to Royalty who had cared for him. Royalty such as King Henry VIII would have trusted him immensely and would have had treated Will Sommer as a confidant and councillor with so many secrets entrusted onto him.

I wonder if Will could have been related to Henry such as a half brother or something along those lines. After all there was a lot of inter marriages between brothers and sisters and cousins etc. back in the day so it wouldn’t surprise me at all Will was a brother of Henry’s etc. Just my thought

Considering who he worked for and continued to work for, it would have behooved the man to play deaf and mute! It's remarkable that he lived in these times without any trouble making and must have been VERY trusted. Still wondering why?

Well, learning disabilities are not all equal, so to speak, he could've had dyslexia and been unable to learn to read, which would mark him as a simpleton in many eyes of educated dignitaries. It is also possible he was exaggerating his perceived slowness to appear less threatening. I can imagine Henry letting him largely off the hook for that dangerous comment because he thought him dim and simple like a child and was not worried about anyone taking him seriously. As for having a "keeper," was that a continuous expense or something he needed as he got older? Or maybe it was temporary while he was injured or unwell?

Has anyone ever thought that Will Sommers had been fooling everyone around him, including Henry? Will Sommers maybe understood that playing or acting the fool paid handsomely. Comfort, food, warmth, clothes and recognition etc. I personally believe that it was possible. Although saying that you then need two (2) personalities. To have the ability to continue through several more reigns he would have to be good.

So I have a couple of thoughts 1. The fact that he had some type of "keeper" this could have been for his own safety due to illness, age, proximity to the throne (a keeper more in the nature of a bodyguard). All these reasons make as much sense as a keeper because Will was unable to care for himself due to mental disability. 2. We all know that sometimes people who have an intellectual disability can see things in a much more black & white way and because of that can also be quite funny because of it. So if Will was in some way "simple" his world view would have been valued (and even given cause for laughter) because he would have cut through the BS of the courtiers around him. This would gave been a problem for Henry because Henry only wanted to be told what Henry wanted to hear, but at the same time it would have been nice to hear the truth occasionally...unless it was an insult to his wife & child; which in all likely hood was a joke taken one step too far.

The inspiration for George R.R. Martin's character Mushroom 🍄.

I think he had some kind of issue. Perhaps he had a plain speaking way with him which usually amused everyone, but he didn't know he was going too far by talking about the wives and children in a frank manner. He survived though, while many with all their faculties did not.

Thank you for another interesting video. As an American, in my later years, I love history, & have learned much about the Tudors, from your videos. I never knew how royalty lived and of this person “the kings fool”,. I wonder if he was disabled or just intelligent enough to know by being in service to the king, he was well taken care of, and by the numerous portraits of him with the king & family, he was certainly appreciated. It makes me think that if he gave the King brain teasers and such he’d have to be fairly intelligent. An interesting person this week, well done.

A great narrative. Regardless of what descriptive words, accurate or imaginary, are written about Will Sommer, all have a common theme. Much like the roll of a proverbial “Dutch Uncle” he had the unique ability to speak frankly as well as with harsh critical comments based on his observations from the position of absurdity. He had the verbal skills to tell then in such humorous way where the hypocrisy was so subtle that even the extremely intelligent and sharp minded person went with frivolity while if said in a more serious conversation would have considered treasonous. In order to give King Henry VIII’s intellectual mind combined with a turbulence emotional quandary a break, a most unusual form of friendship must have existed between the two. It is not hard to imagine Will in the role of Henry’s confessor, confidant and conscious where banter served as the tool for free expression without repercussions for either. It goes a long way in explaining how the King could privately relax in his presence of Will and overlooked trivial offenses when Will occasionally forgot to publicly maintain the court jester role. Regardless of a shared opinion, insulting his ,at one point, a Coronation Queen and her child publicly defamed in his presence was not to be tolerated even from a Fool and was banished from court. The fact that he served and was financially well maintained in his children’s Courts indicates a long term relationship and an understanding of how significant a roll he played as the ‘calm in the middle of a storm’ in all their lives.