Name Given at Birth: William Henry Highgate
Nicknames: "Will" to close friends throughout my life
Formal title: Duke of Kent "Patri" to Esmerelda’s family, "Gaffer" to other young friends
Hometown or where you were born: Highgate Manor, near Maidstone, Kent, England
Current Residence: Highgate Manor
Age: 67—a young 67
Class: Nobility. Inherited the title of Earl of Kent age 18, when father died. Named Duke of Kent by Henry VII (Father of Henry VIII) in 1506 because of successes as his envoy to the Germanies, Prussia and Bohemia.
What do you do, your main function in life/society: I have several functions at different levels in society:
- 1. By appointment of King Henry VII, I was periodically a special envoy to the Germanies, Prussia, & Bohemia; King Henry VIII has continued to utilize my services in a similar manner, as well as calling me a friend and informal counselor.
- 2. As Duke of Kent, I have many ceremonial duties, as well as adjudicating & attempting to resolve conflicts among landowners throughout the duchy.
- 3. As a landowner, tending to my estate, Highgate Manor, including the vineyards, making delicious wines, & breeding fine horses.
Have you ever gone skinny-dipping / do you know how to swim: I know how to swim quite well. Skinny-dipping has been only in the company of other males.
Do you make fun of people: Not unless I know them very well, & know it will be well received (& usually reciprocated).
Favorite Color: Green for the beautiful forests of the Cotswolds, &, in more recent years, emerald green for Esmerelda.
Have you ever committed or been convicted of a crime: Certainly not! I am honest, though do drive a hard bargain.
Closest friends/How did you meet:
- King Henry VIII--While crown Prince, Henry made several lengthy visits to Highgate Manor. We had many discussions about philosophy & theology, both before & since he became King. Several times while I was the king’s envoy in Bohemia & the Germanies, I spent time with Martin Luther, & twice with John Calvin. On return, I shared their insights with King Henry, thus influencing the theological foundation he brought to the Church of England. Contrary to many rumors, I know that his primary motive in severing ties with the Pope was not just to have his divorce from Catherine of Aragon approved. He felt (1) too many bishops had amassed excessive power & wealth at the expense of the people, (2) the people should have direct access to the Bible in English, & (3) services should be in the vernacular the people could understand. He convened the "Reformation Parliament" in 1529, beginning this process of separation, though he at first intended simply to reform some of the practices of the Catholic church, not to develop a Protestant church.
- Martin Boleyn—we worked together in Prussia & Bohemia in some of my later trips as king’s envoy when King Henry VIII asked me to train Martin to also serve as envoy. (I was the public envoy; Martin, as a gypsy known to travel far & wide, was essentially a "secret agent.") I appreciated Martin’s wit, creativity, & political savvy, & invited him to visit at Highgate Manor & for his entourage to encamp on the grounds for a time. The gypsies held a revel to which Martin invited me to attend. I came incognito, first saw Esmerelda singing and dancing & became enamored of her. Martin introduced us, & the rest is history.
- Thomas Boleyn--The Highgates & Boleyns have been friends throughout 3 generations. Thomas was (in a sense) apprenticed to Highgate Manor for 2 years as a young man to learn the intricacies of managing a large estate for his family. I also brought Martin & Thomas together, leading to the arrangement for the gypsy family to assume the name, "Boleyn."
- Leonardo da Vinci—first met on one of my trips to Italy. Leonardo has also visited Highgate Manor, but mostly our friendship has been by correspondence, exchanging ideas—he sometimes tells me his ideas for inventions for comment on their practicality. I am amazed at his intelligence, versatility, & excellence in so many different endeavors.
- The Lord Mayor of Canterbury—As Canterbury is the largest city in the Duchy of Kent, as Duke of Kent I have frequent contacts with the Lord Mayor on political and legal matters. Esmerelda and I have become friends of the Lord & Lady Mayor, & stay with them during our visits to Canterbury.
- Leopold Bloom—He also cultivates grapes & makes fine wines (& drinks them, too).
He has a fantastic sense of humor & is a marvelous story-teller.
One Pillow or two: One should be enough for any man. The gentler sex should have more if they want. (My wife, Esmerelda, uses 3.)
Pets: Horses and dogs.
Favorite Type of Music: The music at gypsy revels, since it reminds me of how I met Esmerelda. I have come to appreciate the creativity & expressive freedom of the gypsies’ music. I also am somewhat of a drummer, known to only a few people, & do sometimes drum at revels.
Hobbies/Pastimes: Training horses & dogs, tending my vineyards, making wines, & drumming.
Personal Hygiene: Good—I bathe at least once weekly, & keep my hands clean & fingernails cut.
Favorite Food: Roast beef & Yorkshire pudding.
Are your parents alive, do you get along with them: My parents are both deceased, my father in a carriage accident when I was 18, but my mother several years after I married Esmerelda. They became great friends during our engagement, & my mother taught Esmerelda how to behave as a noble lady.
If your parents are dead, when & how did they die: My father died in a carriage accident, & my mother died in her old age peacefully & naturally at Highgate Manor.
Favorite place to relax: Along the Avon River near Stratford, in the Cotswolds, & also at the Scottish lochs, especially Loch Lomond & Loch Ness. (I have never seen a monster at Loch Ness.)
Favorite Holy Day / Why: Yule—I especially enjoy having the gypsies (including Esmerelda’s family) encamped at Highgate Manor, & having their joyous feasting, dancing & singing.
Favorite Drink: Malmsey wine, produced at Highgate Manor.
What's your bedtime: Whenever I get tired. Bedtime is highly varied. I often do my writing, & keep my estate’s accounts late at night, enjoying the peace & quiet when it is dark and most others are asleep.
What, if anything, do you usually wear on your feet: Fine leather boots. Slippers in the evening at home.
Are you married or single: I have been married twice. First to a Prussian noblewoman, Gertrude Hohenstein. She & our only child died in childbirth. Now married to Esmerelda since 1522.
Do you have a family / who are they: As the only child of deceased parents, my only immediate family comes through having married Esmerelda. I have come to love them as much as if they were my own, & they have all accepted & "adopted" me as their "Patri." (However, by the time Esmerelda and I were married, all of her children were old enough to be out of the home & to retain their gypsy identity; if they had been younger, they would have been adopted by me & raised as nobility at Highgate Manor.) I also have many cousins, some of whom come to Highgate Manor for extended stays.
Favorite Entertainment: Gypsies’ music at revels. (Because Esmerelda is a gypsy, I am welcomed when I am with her; also because we welcome the gypsies to encamp on the grounds of Highgate Manor.)
Favorite Subject in School or Chore growing up:
I had 2 favorites: Languages--I speak German, French, & a little Spanish.
Theology--the personal beliefs I have developed are often not traditional.
Least Favorite Subject in School or Chore growing up: Astronomy.
Favorite Sport: Riding my well-trained horses at Highgate Manor. (I don’t like fox hunts, though.)
Most Humiliating Moment: When I was asked by a Spanish nobleman in court if I were married, & I tried to respond in Spanish. I said, "Si, soy cansado con mi esposa, Esmerelda," which would mean, "I am always tired of my wife." I realized I had made an error, (for in Spanish, "cansado" means "tired;" "casado" means "married." Also, "soy" is the Spanish form of the verb "to be" for permanent things, "estoy" for the temporary or uncertain.) In attempting to correct my gaffe, I then made another serious error, saying, "Estoy casado con me esposa, Esmerelda," which would mean, "I am temporarily married to Esmerelda." At this point I stuttered & became speechless. Fortunately, my hosts understood that which I intended to say.
Proudest Moment: When I was knighted by King Henry VII for negotiating alliances with the Germanies, Prussia & Bohemia. I was knighted because the alliances were particularly touchy: Albert Friederich of Prussia had become Lutheran. In Bohemia, Maximillian & (later) Rudolph II, though Catholic, ruled a people who were 2/3 Protestant. At the time, Spain was also attempting to make alliances with both Prussia & Bohemia which would have prevented the alliances with England. I persuaded both to ally with England.
Craziest Person or silliest you know: Martin Boleyn & Leopold Bloom are in a dead heat for the title, each for somewhat different reasons, but arising out of their multitudinous interests and creativity.
What do you look for in the opposite sex: Intelligence, humour, wit, social awareness, & beauty—exactly the attributes of Esmerelda.
In our Hierarchical Society everybody has somebody "over" them, Who is your immediate "overlord?" King Henry VIII, who has my absolute loyalty & admiration.
Favorite Sport to watch: Contests of sheep dogs at work. The manner in which they respond to the shepherd’s voice & hand signals is most impressive.
Do you remember your first kiss: Yes, a maid of our manor. I was 15, she 19. I think she had designs on elevating her station in life by marrying me when I got older. I did not succumb to her charms, which were many & nearly irresistible.
Do you keep in touch with your childhood friends: Not many, because I have simply lived longer than most of them. But I have continued to make friends with many younger people (some would even be looked upon by others as "below" my class). This keeps me young at heart.
Where is your favorite "Vacation" spot: Canterbury, especially for the Harvest Festival.
Have you ever been overseas: Yes, many times—to Bohemia, the Germanies, France, Spain, Greece, & Italy.
Do you have Dirt/Mud floors or Stone: Stone, of course, covered in many rooms with finely woven carpets; on the upper levels, the floors are of fine inlaid wood.
What is your bed made of: The finest goose down, on a beautifully carved bedstead.
How many people sleep in your bed: Two.
10 Things Everybody Should Know About Me:
1. As Duke of Kent, I often have to work to resolve disputes in the duchy. I am a peacemaker, but one who negotiates out of strength, sometimes with a little "arm twisting." I try to be fair to all parties, regardless of their station in life.
2. I write poetry, sonnets, & plays (none of them performed, though, under my name).
3. I do some of my best work at night, at all hours.
4. I speak German, French, a little Spanish, & read Greek.
5. I grow grapes & make excellent wines. (Malmsey is my favorite.)
6. I am a juggler (in private, as this is not a typical pastime for nobility).
7. I have a droll sense of humour, & love a good joke or story, even upon myself.
8. I act on the surface as if I am more strait-laced than I really am. My outward persona is stern, stiff, serious & straightforward, but underneath I’m funny--even devious & devilish.
9. I particularly enjoy relaxing with Esmerelda’s gypsy family, & sometimes play the drums at gypsy revels.
10. In religious matters, I have privately always been quite a "free thinker," while maintaining enough outward orthodox observance to avoid excommunication or losing my head. In our discussions, until late in 1528, Henry always defended the Catholic Church. However, after I returned from having had theological discussions with Martin Luther & John Calvin & explained their thoughts to Henry, he convened the "Reformation Parliament" of 1529 which was intended to reform some of the practices of the Catholic church, but actually began the processes that have produced the Church of England.