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Spectator
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Spectator
Henry VIII turned England upside down
Henry VIII, who was born on this day in 1509, is the only English monarch other than William the Conqueror who can claim to have destroyed a society and replaced it with a new one. Catholic apologists like Chesterton are right to see in the Henry VIII saga a sort of secular apocalypse; it was, in Chesterton's words, the 'dissolution of the whole of the old civilisation'. The new England that grew up in its place – by Henry's unwitting patronage – was alien, denatured, dislocating, and altogether more worthwhile than the one that had gone before it. The story of Henry VIII's is the story of an eccentric clique capturing society and recasting it in its own image. From 1529-47 nearly all of England's historic institutions were destroyed. All the things that had given life its shape and meaning were junked: the monasteries torn down and their assets made off with; guilds suppressed; commons enclosed (a fitful attempt by Cardinal Wolsey to reverse this notwithstanding); old customary rights stamped out; the cosmopolitan link to Europe severed. The old mediaeval learning was torn up by its roots and the universities refounded in the study of the Classics. It was England's version of Jacobinism. English society became a series of regulated games in which the prizes were glory and renown But unlike Jacobinism, Henry-ism had no popular backing to speak of. One man's ego; a handful of religious extremists; a few dodgy Giulliani-esque attorneys. These were sufficient to turn the world upside down. Everything that happened in those years happened in the face of settled custom, settled opinion, so-called common sense. The forces that would dominate English life for the next 400 years – Hellenic revival and religious radicalism – were alien ones, the preserve of this small Henrician circle. The reign of Henry VIII was about the conquest of reality by dreams. The England that it gave rise to would recognise no limits but the limits of its own whimsy. The most cherished of these whimsies was Hellenism. Henry VIII's new grammar schools and his reformed universities created a governing elite that looked more to classical Greece and Rome than to the society around them. This is something that went well beyond 'revival' – what took place after 1509 amounted to the splicing of England with the classical world. Later figures like Byron, Charles James Fox, or Alan Clark are unexplainable unless we account for the shrewd paganism that's prevailed in the national psyche since Henry's reign. Grecian stone urns in the badlands of Northumberland, Temples to Venus in Stowe: these were the physical symbols of an alien civilisation being grafted onto the old one. British people were still exclaiming the name Jove at the end of the twentieth century. There are now all kinds of debates about what Britishness really means: 'pretending to be Greek' is probably the best answer. Another cadge from ancient Greece was the spirit of agon – competition. Mediaeval English society was a web of mutual obligations in which everyone had a place. Henricianism destroyed this and replaced it with a competitive free-for-all. Much like classical Greece, English society became a series of regulated games in which the prizes were glory and renown. The England that Henry VIII created was the first to adopt school entrance exams, stock exchanges, adversarial lawyering, markets. It would also invent the Queensberry Rules, along with most of the world's sports. What all these have in common is that they're made-up conflicts regulated by intricate sets of rules and codes of honour. Westminster became the most dazzling game of all. Henry VIII's reign saw the beginning of the process by which parliament was transformed from a boring Diet of burghers into an arena for people's ambitions. As Lewis Namier tells us, by the 18th century, people came to parliament not to represent interests but to cut a figure. Westminster, too, now accepted no limit on its powers of creative invention. The middle ages, viewed one way, was a series of interminable legal disputes between kings, barons and the Church over their rights and the proper scope of authority. The Statute in Restraint of Appeals (1532) called time on all this. In establishing parliamentary sovereignty, it declared that life would no longer turn on precedent-scraping and wrangling over fixed 'rights' that seemed to come from nowhere; that we might, instead, debate and decide things on their merits, revealed to us through reason. The Statute in its full meaning was a thunderclap from the heavens: one of the great triumphs of the human spirit. The social order Henry created had to make unprecedented concessions to talent. Jacob Burkhardt tells us that the tyrants of Renaissance Italy, being illegitimate, could not rely on the church or the aristocracy to help them and had to instead turn to talented individuals of humble origin. Henry faced a similar dilemma: his claim to the English throne was shaky and the break with Rome had made him an international outlaw. It was this isolation that gave rise to 'new men' like Thomas Cromwell, Thomas Audley, Richard Rich, William Paget, and – in the reign of Elizabeth – William Cecil. What began as a temporary expedient soon became a permanent part of the social system. For the next several centuries anyone who was good at their job in England was simply ennobled and made part of the Establishment. With this act, Henry VIII set off the primordial conflict between the 'new men' and the old aristocracy that would shape the country's history for the next 300 years. After the fall of the Pittite regime – the last great flowering of the new men – the cabinet of the Earl Gray (the most blue-blooded in living memory) would pass the Reform Bill of 1832 as a means to finally flush out their old class enemy, birthing liberal democracy in Britain largely out of spite. Amid all this, Henry seems like a man out of time, eerily out of place in his own age. He appears to us as a Subjective Man of the 19th century – full of introspection, rumination, and self-reproach. In him we can see all the defining traits of a modern person. The capacity for romantic love. The prickly amour-propre. The consuming neediness. Henry is familiar to us in a way that the Sun King Louis XIV – who lived 150 years later – is not. When Henry VIII came to the throne, England was a normal European country. By 1700 it was a lunar landscape: its countryside a work of complete artifice, with shaped topiaries, carved hedges and artificial lakes; blasted heaths created by deforestation; farmers replaced with sheep by Act of Parliament; dotted everywhere with imitation Greco-Roman temples. Its neighbours thought its people were dangerous lunatics and had only recently ceased to treat it as a rogue state. By pure will, England had been made as remote and peripheral to the continent as Russia. Does the England that Henry VIII created still exist? The grammar schools have largely been abolished and the last of England's pagan virtues were exorcised by New Labour. The country is once again ruled by dull landowners who believe in human rights. One part remains. Parliamentary sovereignty – the master-mechanism of Henry's system – is still in operation. If the English people should ever tire of their 'Rolls Royce' institutions, their fixed international obligations, or what's being demanded of them in the name of human rights, then they, uniquely in the western world, have the ready means to change them. It'll be there to hand – should the English ever want to turn the world upside down again. The idea that we can examine the values and systems by which we're ruled, find them wanting, and choose different ones; or, really, the idea that the world belongs to the living. That is Henry's ultimate bequest.
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Sean Flynn has ridden the Classics, next he'd like a British title
And what's even more telling about Flynn and his rapidly increasing expectations of himself is that he's not satisfied with merely being on the start line of the biggest races in the sport; rather, he's somewhat frustrated that he couldn't make more of an impact this year in terms of his results. "This season has been really positive and I've had the chance to do races that I've always dreamed about doing, so that's been exciting and I've gained a lot of experience. Some of my performances have been very good and so I was disappointed not to come away with more of a top level result in some of the Classics,' Flynn says. 'It's obviously encouraging to race well - it's just a pity I've not come away with a result on paper that I can sited and stare at and admire. With cycling, there's just so many variables and sometimes it'll go your way and sometimes it won't.' Flynn, who rides for Team Picnic PostNL, acknowledges that he's being disproportionately hard on himself. Given he's still only 25 years old and has been in the professional ranks for only two full seasons so far, his progression to the top level has been impressive, to say the least, and he admits racing in the sport's top races against the world's best riders, has been both a steep learning curve and the thrill of a lifetime. 'People do tell me I'm too tough on myself and sometimes I need to take a step back,' the Edinburgh native says. 'In these huge races, I'm racing the biggest stars of the sport who are just incredible riders and so I do need to put into perspective who I'm up against. 'When you watch the Classics on television it can look easy, but there's so much that goes into doing well in terms of positioning, knowing the moments that are important and knowing what to expect. 'And the Monument races, which are 250km or longer, are a whole different ball game so I was happy that I've been able to do races of that length and get through them okay. 'This year has been a really good learning experience for me, and also it's also been really cool to do these iconic races. When I was riding the cobbles section in Roubaix, the fan inside of me couldn't believe it.' (Image: Luc Claessen/ Getty Images) The coming days will see Flynn's focus turn to the National Championships, which take place in Ceredigion, Wales with the time trial today before tomorrow's circuit race and the road race on Sunday, in which Flynn will line-up. There will be a number of Flynn's fellow Scots also in action including, on the men's side, Olympic medallist on the track, Mark Stewart, plus Callum Thornley and Calum Johnson while on the women's side, the Scots worth watching out for are Flynn's girlfriend, Lauren Dickson, as well as Kate Richardson, Neah Evans, Eilidh Shaw and Arianne Holland. For Flynn, given the form he's in, it's unsurprising he's hopeful of challenging for a podium place. 'Nationals is always tough to predict but I want to try and win it. That's how I'll be racing and so it really just depends how it goes on the day,' he says. 'But given the standard of the riders, I could finish outside the top 10 and still be pretty satisfied with how I've ridden. I'm excited for it and I'll just see what I can get from it but I'll be aiming for the top, for sure.' For Flynn, there remains a few more months of racing this year, during which he hopes to continue to raise the profile of road racing within Scotland. His success, alongside the success of the likes of Tour de France rider Oscar Onley and a number of other Scots who are making an impact in Europe, Flynn is hopeful the success of this group of young Scottish men can go some way in persuading more Scottish kids that becoming a professional road racer is a viable career goal. 'It's really nice to be flying the flag at this level for Scotland,' he says. 'The first couple of years of my career, I was just in my own little bubble but now I feel like I'm getting on top of the racing and so I'd like to do a bit more to encourage and inspire more people to get onto their bike. 'When I was younger, there weren't any obvious role models from Scotland at the top level of road racing but now we have quite a few Scottish guys at the top level. 'I know that when I was coming through, if I'd had a connection with anyone doing these huge races I would have found it really cool so I hope I can keep riding these big races for that reason.'
The National
3 days ago
- Sport
- The National
Sean Flynn has ridden the Classics, next he'd like a British title
Flynn's rise has meant that this season he's already ridden some of the most iconic races on the cycling calendar including Milan-Sanremo, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, to add to his appearance at the La Vuelta a España in 2023. And what's even more telling about Flynn and his rapidly increasing expectations of himself is that he's not satisfied with merely being on the start line of the biggest races in the sport; rather, he's somewhat frustrated that he couldn't make more of an impact this year in terms of his results. "This season has been really positive and I've had the chance to do races that I've always dreamed about doing, so that's been exciting and I've gained a lot of experience. Some of my performances have been very good and so I was disappointed not to come away with more of a top level result in some of the Classics,' Flynn says. 'It's obviously encouraging to race well - it's just a pity I've not come away with a result on paper that I can sited and stare at and admire. With cycling, there's just so many variables and sometimes it'll go your way and sometimes it won't.' Flynn, who rides for Team Picnic PostNL, acknowledges that he's being disproportionately hard on himself. Given he's still only 25 years old and has been in the professional ranks for only two full seasons so far, his progression to the top level has been impressive, to say the least, and he admits racing in the sport's top races against the world's best riders, has been both a steep learning curve and the thrill of a lifetime. 'People do tell me I'm too tough on myself and sometimes I need to take a step back,' the Edinburgh native says. 'In these huge races, I'm racing the biggest stars of the sport who are just incredible riders and so I do need to put into perspective who I'm up against. 'When you watch the Classics on television it can look easy, but there's so much that goes into doing well in terms of positioning, knowing the moments that are important and knowing what to expect. 'And the Monument races, which are 250km or longer, are a whole different ball game so I was happy that I've been able to do races of that length and get through them okay. 'This year has been a really good learning experience for me, and also it's also been really cool to do these iconic races. When I was riding the cobbles section in Roubaix, the fan inside of me couldn't believe it.' (Image: Luc Claessen/ Getty Images) The coming days will see Flynn's focus turn to the National Championships, which take place in Ceredigion, Wales with the time trial today before tomorrow's circuit race and the road race on Sunday, in which Flynn will line-up. There will be a number of Flynn's fellow Scots also in action including, on the men's side, Olympic medallist on the track, Mark Stewart, plus Callum Thornley and Calum Johnson while on the women's side, the Scots worth watching out for are Flynn's girlfriend, Lauren Dickson, as well as Kate Richardson, Neah Evans, Eilidh Shaw and Arianne Holland. For Flynn, given the form he's in, it's unsurprising he's hopeful of challenging for a podium place. 'Nationals is always tough to predict but I want to try and win it. That's how I'll be racing and so it really just depends how it goes on the day,' he says. 'But given the standard of the riders, I could finish outside the top 10 and still be pretty satisfied with how I've ridden. I'm excited for it and I'll just see what I can get from it but I'll be aiming for the top, for sure.' For Flynn, there remains a few more months of racing this year, during which he hopes to continue to raise the profile of road racing within Scotland. His success, alongside the success of the likes of Tour de France rider Oscar Onley and a number of other Scots who are making an impact in Europe, Flynn is hopeful the success of this group of young Scottish men can go some way in persuading more Scottish kids that becoming a professional road racer is a viable career goal. 'It's really nice to be flying the flag at this level for Scotland,' he says. 'The first couple of years of my career, I was just in my own little bubble but now I feel like I'm getting on top of the racing and so I'd like to do a bit more to encourage and inspire more people to get onto their bike. 'When I was younger, there weren't any obvious role models from Scotland at the top level of road racing but now we have quite a few Scottish guys at the top level. 'I know that when I was coming through, if I'd had a connection with anyone doing these huge races I would have found it really cool so I hope I can keep riding these big races for that reason.'
Scottish Sun
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Legendary Classic-winning trainer Kevin Prendergast has died aged 92
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) LEGENDARY flat trainer Kevin Prendergast, who won multiple Classics in Britain and Ireland, has died aged 92. He took out his licence in 1963 and saddled his final runner at Cork last week, when Glory To Be finished second. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Kevin Prendergast has died aged 92 after a long and successful career Credit: Sportsfile - Subscription Tributes have poured in for Prendergast, who spent his career in County Kildare and died two weeks short of his 93rd birthday. Among them was top Irish jockey Chris Hayes, who was stable jockey to Prendergast and rode most of his big winners in recent years including Awtaad, who won the Irish 2,000 Guineas in 2016. He said: "La Collina was my first Group 1 winner for Kevin, but Awtaad was the first horse that was mine - I inherited La Collina from Declan McDonogh. "Obviously there were also some great days with Madhmoon who came after Awtaad. But Awtaad's Guineas was phenomenal. "It was the old Curragh and the cheer we got on the way in, I haven't heard one like it since. "I've been around a while and I never heard a cheer like that before that either and that cheer was all for Kevin and solely Kevin. People say it was for us, but it wasn't, it was for Kevin. "He's a legend around Kildare and a legend in the racing game and people were 10 deep around the winner's enclosure desperate to congratulate him. "When I got the news this morning I couldn't help but look back through some pictures from that day in the car. We had some phenomenal times together and today is a sad day." Another legendary trainer Dermot Weld, who was great friends with Prendergast, said: "He was a wonderful trainer. His horses were always turned out in supreme condition - you could always identify one of his by the way they were turned out and, even in the early days, they always won the best-turned-out award. "He was an exceptional trainer of a two-year-old and had great longevity - and he trained a much smaller team of horses than is fashionable nowadays. "He was a very, very talented trainer and naturally my sympathy goes out to his family." Born in Australia on July 5, 1932, Prendergast was educated in Ireland but kicked off his racing career back in the southern hemisphere, where he was head lad to top trainer Frank Dalton. He held that position for three years before returning home to establish himself as a leading amateur rider while serving as assistant trainer to his father. After five years, Prendergast decided to strike out on his own in 1963 - and he did not have to wait long for his inaugural success, saddling Zara to win at Phoenix Park in May that year. Pidget was the first to claim Classic gold for him in the 1972 Irish 1,000 Guineas, before going on to add the Irish St Leger to her tally later on that year. After that Prendergast sent out the likes of Conor Pass (1973) and Oscar Schindler (1996 and 1997) to win two more Irish Legers, while Arctique Royal gave him another 1,000 win and Northern Treasure gave him a first Irish 2,000 Guineas in 1976. Add into the mix top-drawer juveniles La Collina, Miss Beatrix, Termagant and Kingsfort and you get a feel for the kind of longevity Prendergast enjoyed. One of the most consistent trainers in the Irish ranks, Prendergast sent out his 2,000th career winner in 2010. As well as Hayes, the likes of Gary Halpin and Declan McDonogh also rode for Prendergast, demonstrating that he was not just an exceptional instructor of horses. The great Kieren Fallon began his riding career with Prendergast, serving as apprentice from 1982 to 1987 before moving on and eventually becoming a six-times champion jockey. FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
The Irish Sun
20-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Legendary Classic-winning trainer Kevin Prendergast has died aged 92
LEGENDARY flat trainer Kevin Prendergast, who won multiple Classics in Britain and Ireland, has died aged 92. He took out his licence in 1963 and saddled his final runner at Cork last week, when Glory To Be finished second. 1 Kevin Prendergast has died aged 92 after a long and successful career Credit: Sportsfile - Subscription Tributes have poured in for Prendergast, who spent his career in County Kildare and died two weeks short of his 93rd birthday. Among them was top Irish jockey Chris Hayes, who was stable jockey to Prendergast and rode most of his big winners in recent years including Awtaad, who won the Irish 2,000 Guineas in 2016. He said: "La Collina was my first Group 1 winner for Kevin, but Awtaad was the first horse that was mine - I inherited La Collina from Declan McDonogh. "Obviously there were also some great days with Madhmoon who came after Awtaad. But Awtaad's Guineas was phenomenal. "It was the old Curragh and the cheer we got on the way in, I haven't heard one like it since. "I've been around a while and I never heard a cheer like that before that either and that cheer was all for Kevin and solely Kevin. People say it was for us, but it wasn't, it was for Kevin. "He's a legend around Kildare and a legend in the racing game and people were 10 deep around the winner's enclosure desperate to congratulate him. "When I got the news this morning I couldn't help but look back through some pictures from that day in the car. We had some phenomenal times together and today is a sad day." Most read in Horse Racing Another legendary trainer Dermot Weld, who was great friends with Prendergast, said: "He was a wonderful trainer. His horses were always turned out in supreme condition - you could always identify one of his by the way they were turned out and, even in the early days, they always won the best-turned-out award. "He was an exceptional trainer of a two-year-old and had great longevity - and he trained a much smaller team of horses than is fashionable nowadays. "He was a very, very talented trainer and naturally my sympathy goes out to his family." Born in Australia on July 5, 1932, Prendergast was educated in Ireland but kicked off his racing career back in the southern hemisphere, where he was head lad to top trainer Frank Dalton. He held that position for three years before returning home to establish himself as a leading amateur rider while serving as assistant trainer to his father. After five years, Prendergast decided to strike out on his own in 1963 - and he did not have to wait long for his inaugural success, saddling Zara to win at Phoenix Park in May that year. Pidget was the first to claim Classic gold for him in the 1972 Irish 1,000 Guineas, before going on to add the Irish St Leger to her tally later on that year. After that Prendergast sent out the likes of Conor Pass (1973) and Oscar Schindler (1996 and 1997) to win two more Irish Legers, while Arctique Royal gave him another 1,000 win and Northern Treasure gave him a first Irish 2,000 Guineas in 1976. Add into the mix top-drawer juveniles La Collina, Miss Beatrix, Termagant and Kingsfort and you get a feel for the kind of longevity Prendergast enjoyed. One of the most consistent trainers in the Irish ranks, Prendergast sent out his 2,000th career winner in 2010. As well as Hayes, the likes of Gary Halpin and Declan McDonogh also rode for Prendergast, demonstrating that he was not just an exceptional instructor of horses. The great Kieren Fallon began his riding career with Prendergast, serving as apprentice from 1982 to 1987 before moving on and eventually becoming a six-times champion jockey. FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. . Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Read more on the Irish Sun Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
