Like Cromwell and Wolsey before him, William Paget came from nowhere to become one of Henry VIII''s most powerful ''new men''. After serving as ambassador to the Court of Francis I of France, he became Henry''s most influential foreign policy advisor and developed a close relationship with Emperor Charles V. He had the king''s ear in Henry''s later years, was the key player in drafting his will ( was it a forgery?) and in enabling Somerset to become Lord Protector in the reign of the boy king, Edward VI. For a while, he was Somerset''s ''right-hand man''.When Somerset fell, Paget was imprisoned in the Tower and nearly executed. But he survived and regained power. He had a major role in delivering the Crown to the Catholic queen, Mary, and in arranging her marriage to Philip II of Spain, whom he then advised on English politics. He kept in with the Protestant princess Elizabeth and survived to have influence when she came to the throne.William was the founder of the aristocratic Paget f
