TV historian David Starkey at Queen Mary

A bestselling writer and broadcaster, Dr Starkey is to give the third in a series of Renaissance seminars at the College, entitled: ‘The History We’ve Forgotten: Diplomacy and the Biography of Henry VIII’.

The event, free to the public, will be chaired by Dr Susan Brigden, an expert in the literature and politics of the Tudor Court at Lincoln College, Oxford University.

After gaining a doctorate at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, Dr Starkey taught history at the London School of Economics from 1972 until 1998. Around this time he also began to forge a career in television and radio, gaining a fearsome reputation as an opinionated interviewer and commentator.

It was thanks to his series Henry VIII of England, Elizabeth I and The Six Wives of Henry VIII that Starkey emerged as the authority on the Tudor period. Monarchy with David Starkey - an acclaimed television series on British rulers from the Middle Ages to the present day - cemented his success.

Henry: Model of a Tyrant, the concluding part of Starkey’s best-selling biography of Henry VIII, was published in April 2009 to coincide with the 500th anniversary of Henry’s accession to the throne. A four-part documentary also aired on Channel 4 to accompany the book’s launch.

Now in their fifth year, the Renaissance seminars continue to stage some of the most stimulating talks and discussions on this significant era in history.

Dr Starkey is the latest guest speaker secured for the 2009/10 programme, which was opened by internationally-acclaimed Shakespeare expert Professor Stephen Greenblatt of Harvard University.

Lecture: The History We’ve Forgotten: Diplomacy and the Biography of Henry VIII

Date: Thursday 4 March

Time: 6.30pm

Venue: Mason Lecture Theatre, Francis Bancroft Building, Queen Mary, University of London, Mile End Road, E1 4NS

Seats are free, but reservation is essential. To book, please contact events@qmul.ac.uk