What position did Will Sommers hold at the Court of Henry VIII
Will Sommers Will Sommers William "Will" Sommers (or Somers; died 15 June 1560) was the best-known court jester of Henry VIII of England. Born in Shropshire, Sommers came to the attention of Richard Fermor, a merchant of the Staple at Calais, who brought him to Greenwich in 1525 to present to the King. Impressed by his sense of humor, Henry promptly offered Sommers a place at court. He was soon in high favor with the King, whose generosity to him is attested by the accounts of the royal household. Sommers remained in service to the King for the rest of Henry's life.
Will Sommers of Whitehall. It was completed around 1544–45 by an unknown artist. Sommers also appears with Henry VIII in the Psalter of Henry VIII that was made for the King and is now in the British Library (MS Royal 2. A. XVI). A previously unknown picture in which Sommers appears was discovered in 2008 at Boughton House, Northamptonshire. Today, entertainers sometimes perform as 'Will' in Renaissance-themed entertainments such as Renaissance faires. After Henry's death, Sommers remained at court, eventually retiring during the reign of Elizabeth I. Under Mary I, Will's role was mainly ceremonial, and as a sidekick to Mary's personal