Hilary Mantel used the historical record of Thomas Cromwell’s life

Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, each episode in archival documents.

Please note that this post contains plot spoilers. Avoid reading further if you are unfamiliar with the story of Thomas Cromwell and wish to experience it without prior knowledge.

This autumn marked the much-anticipated broadcast of the adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s final book in her Wolf Hall trilogy—an event of great significance for those captivated by the Tudor era.

The first episode, titled Wreckage, begins with Anne Boleyn’s execution and Henry VIII’s marriage to Jane Seymour. A central theme is the precarious status of Lady Mary, Henry’s daughter with Katherine of Aragon. Mary remains defiant, refusing to acknowledge the invalidation of her parents’ marriage or accept her father’s role as head of the Church of England.

Key historical documents from Henry VIII’s reign provide extra insight into the story Hilary Mantel told. One such document, dated June 1, 1536, is a letter from Mary to Henry VIII in which she submits to his authority. Numerous letters from Mary to Cromwell also survive, underscoring Cromwell’s significant role in advising and mediating on her behalf during this turbulent period.

Another letter worth highlighting, however, comes from the Duchess of Norfolk, who is briefly mentioned in episode one and reappears in episode three. The series delves into Cromwell’s interactions with several women, though the exact nature of these relationships often remains unclear. Surviving correspondence suggests that some women at the Tudor court saw Cromwell as a sympathetic ally and their best hope of securing the King’s favor.

Lady Mary confronts the Duke of Norfolk, accusing him of disrespecting women and abusing his wife. This dynamic is echoed in a letter from the Duchess of Norfolk to Cromwell, dated September 28, 1536. She reveals that she has been separated from her husband for nearly four years and declares her determination never to live with him again. This letter is part of a broader series in which she pleads for Cromwell’s intervention with the Duke to improve her financial situation.

1. Letter from Elizabeth, Duchess of Norfolk to Thomas Cromwell, Lord Privy Seal. The National Archives.

In episode two (Obedience), we see Cromwell’s continuing devotion to his late master, Cardinal Wolsey, resulting in a visit to Wolsey’s illegitimate daughter, who is a nun in Shaftesbury Abbey.

We do not know if Cromwell ever met her in reality, but he was certainly aware of her. This letter to him from a John Clasey, dated August 1535, refers to a ‘secret’ matter: ‘My lord Cardinal caused me to put a young gentlewoman into the nunnery at Shaftesbury, there to be professed in my name, though she was his daughter. She is now commanded to depart by your visitation and knows not whither.’