Thomas Cromwell, the son of a blacksmith, rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most powerful men in 16th-century England, serving as King Henry VIII's chief minister from 1532 to 1540. A brilliant administrator and ruthless politician, Cromwell was instrumental in dissolving the monasteries, securing Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon, and establishing the Church of England. His downfall was brought about by his failure to secure an alliance with France and his opposition to the king's marriage to Anne of Cleves, leading to his execution for treason in 1540. Cromwell's life and career have been the subject of much fascination, with Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall trilogy and the subsequent TV adaptation bringing his story to a wide audience.
