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The Black Book, commissioned by King Henry VIII during his reign, is the nickname given to the handbook of the Order of the Garter (the chivalric order of knights that served under Henry and his ancestors). The illuminated manuscript contained a historical narrative of English kings, beginning with King Edward III in 1327 and going up through Henry, with detailed set of instructions for court behavior. Throughout Bring Up the Bodies, Thomas Cromwell often reflects that for all of its statutes and rules of etiquette, the Black Book skips over some crucial procedural questions—namely around succession, or what to do if a ruler suddenly dies.
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The Black Book Term Timeline in Bring Up the Bodies
The timeline below shows where the term The Black Book appears in Bring Up the Bodies. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part 2, Chapter 1: The Black Book
...marks a failure of procedure; someone did not adhere to the steps written down in the Black Book , which comes from King Edward’s time and which acts as an etiquette guide. After...
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Cromwell decides it is best to pretend that Henry’s near-death experience never happened; after all, the Black Book does not have any guidance about what to do when a king almost perishes. For...
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