The Archbishop of York's Palace, next to Southwell Minster, is the former home of Tudor statesman Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, who served under Henry VIII.

BBC: Archbishop's Palace in Southwell to open to public

This is brave of Mantel, even bravely peculiar, given the reputation of the actual Thomas Cromwell, who acted as a brutal fixer for both Cardinal Wolsey and Henry VIII.

NEWYORKER: Invitation to a Beheading

Only Thomas More and his political rival, Thomas Cromwell, were actually executed by Henry VIII, and Cardinal Wolsey, who died of fright and dysentery a year after his ignominious disgrace, was the earliest victim.

ECONOMIST: Tudor history