David Starkey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids David Starkey CBE
Starkey when a lecturer at LSE in the early 1980s
Born	David Robert Starkey (1945-01-03) 3 January 1945 (age 80) Kendal, Westmorland, England
Occupation	Historian, television personality
Education	Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge (BA, PhD)
Partner	James Brown (from 1994; died 2015)

David Robert Starkey (born 3 January 1945) is an English historian and television personality. He is known for his strong opinions and his work on British history, especially the Tudor period.

Starkey grew up in Kendal, England, as the only child of Quaker parents. He earned a scholarship to Cambridge University, where he studied history. He focused on the Tudor period and wrote his PhD thesis about King Henry VIII's household. After Cambridge, he taught history at the London School of Economics until 1998.

He first appeared on television in 1977. He became a regular on shows like The Moral Maze and Question Time, where his direct style often led to lively discussions. Starkey has presented many historical documentaries, including popular series about Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. In 2002, he signed a big contract with Channel 4 for more history programs.

In 2020, Starkey faced criticism for some comments he made during a podcast interview. He later apologized for these remarks. As a result, he resigned from some honorary positions and had several awards and fellowships taken back.

Early Life and Education

David Starkey was born on 3 January 1945 in Kendal, Westmorland, England. His parents, Robert Starkey and Elsie Lyon, were Quakers, a Christian group known for their simple lifestyle. They had moved to Kendal in the 1930s during the Great Depression, a time when many people struggled to find work.

Starkey grew up in a simple home where money was often tight. His parents were sometimes unemployed for long periods. This experience taught him the importance of saving money. He described his mother as someone who pushed him to achieve his goals. His father was more quiet and thoughtful.

Starkey was born with two club feet, which required several operations. He also had polio as a child. At age 13, he faced health challenges and stress in secondary school. He spent several months recovering at a boarding house. He later said this was due to the pressure of a "highly competitive environment." Despite these challenges, he did very well at Kendal Grammar School. He won debating prizes and acted in school plays.

Even though he was interested in science early on, he chose to study history instead. He won a scholarship to Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. There, he earned a top degree, a PhD, and became a fellow.

Starkey was very interested in Henry VIII. His PhD thesis was about the Tudor king's personal household. His supervisor was Professor Geoffrey Elton, a leading expert on the Tudor period. Starkey later said he regretted some disagreements he had with his mentor.

Career in History and Television

Starkey was a fellow at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, from 1970 to 1972. In 1972, he moved to London and became a lecturer at the London School of Economics. He taught there until 1998, deciding to leave university teaching because he found it less exciting and too focused on administrative tasks.

He had already worked on the 1984 Channel 4 documentary series This Land of England. After leaving academia, he began writing and presenting many history documentaries for BBC television. His first major series was Henry VIII in 1998.

Starkey became well-known as a panelist on the BBC Radio 4 debate program The Moral Maze starting in 1992. On the show, he discussed current moral issues. He became known for his strong opinions and lively debates. He once said his personality had "a tendency towards showmanship." He left the program after nine years.

From 1995, he also hosted radio shows on Talk Radio UK for three years. He presented Starkey on Saturday and later Starkey on Sunday.

Starkey is well known for his historical analyses of Henry VIII and his Court

His first TV appearance was in 1977. He was also a witness in a 1984 ITV program called The Trial of Richard III. His TV documentaries on The Six Wives of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I were very popular. His unique way of speaking, with clear breaths and a distinct rhythm, is often imitated.

In 2002, he signed a large contract with Channel 4 to create 25 hours of television. This included Monarchy, a series about the history of English kings and queens from Anglo-Saxon times. In 2009, he presented Henry: Mind of a Tyrant. He sometimes made comments about how history was being written that caused discussion among other historians. In 2011, he taught history lessons in Channel 4's Jamie's Dream School. After this, he shared his views on the state education system.

Starkey has also worked as a curator for several exhibitions. In 2003, he curated an exhibit on Elizabeth I. He once shared some observations about Queen Elizabeth II's interest in history, which led to some discussion.

Political Views

Starkey's political views have changed over time. He once supported the Labour Party but later became more conservative. He believes in a type of conservatism called "one-nation conservatism." He sees Benjamin Disraeli, a Victorian Prime Minister, as a great example of this. Starkey thinks that working-class people need more national pride, similar to what Disraeli promoted.

Benjamin Disraeli by Cornelius Jabez Hughes, 1878.

He was an active member of the Conservative Party in the 1980s. He believes the UK House of Commons has become too weak and should challenge the government more, as it did in the past.

Starkey has supported rights for homosexual people. However, he has also expressed mixed feelings about same-sex marriage, seeing marriage as traditionally part of heterosexual society.

He has sometimes made strong comments about the smaller nations of the UK. In 2009, he joked that Scotland, Ireland, and Wales were "feeble little countries." He later said this was a joke about English nationalism. In 2014, he signed a letter supporting Scotland remaining part of the United Kingdom. In 2015, he compared the Scottish National Party (SNP) to the Nazi Party, which caused strong criticism.

Views on the European Union

Starkey is very critical of the European Union (EU). He supported the "Leave" vote in the 2016 EU referendum. He believes the United Kingdom is best as a self-governing nation, and the EU goes against this idea. He argues that national pride and sovereignty were key reasons for the UK's decision to leave the EU.

As a historian, Starkey connects Brexit to earlier events in British history. He compares Brexit to King Henry VIII's break from Rome and the Reformation. He believes this event planted the seeds of Euroscepticism in England. He claims Henry VIII could be seen as the first "Brexiteer." Starkey explains that Henry VIII fought for England to rule itself, which he sees as similar to the Brexit debates.

Starkey argues that some people believe rights and liberties come from Europe. However, he thinks the English created their own values over 800 years. He believes Brexit was a way to reaffirm these values, even if it meant being "poorer, but free."

Views on Religion

David Starkey is an atheist, meaning he does not believe in God. He has described the Catholic Church as having problems. However, he has often defended the right for Christians to hold their beliefs. He argues that penalizing people for their religious views is "intolerant."

Views on Magna Carta

Starkey believes the royal charter of rights, Magna Carta, is very important. He has spoken about it often and wrote a book called Magna Carta: The True Story Behind the Charter (2015). He also presented a TV documentary on the subject. He argues that Magna Carta helps keep peace and limits the power of the state and the public. He believes this 800-year-old document has led to the UK's strong "constitutional edifice."

Starkey often discusses how Magna Carta relates to modern politics. He thinks the UK's current government seems to be breaking apart. He believes the core ideas of the charter could help, perhaps with a new charter of liberties.

Comments on England Riots and Culture

In August 2011, Starkey made comments on the BBC's Newsnight program during a discussion about the 2011 England riots. He talked about a "particular sort of violent, destructive, nihilistic, gangster culture" that he felt was influencing some young people.

These comments were criticized by many people, including politicians and media presenters. Some called them "racist." The BBC received many complaints about his remarks. The broadcast regulator Ofcom decided the comments were part of a "serious and measured discussion" and took no action. Starkey called the reaction "hysteria about race."

After the broadcast, over 100 university historians wrote an open letter. They argued that Starkey should only be described as a historian when discussing his specialist subject, the Tudors. They criticized his broad statements about culture and his debating style.

Personal Life

David Starkey lived for many years with his partner, James Brown, who was a publisher and book designer. James Brown passed away in 2015. The couple owned several homes, including one in London, a manor house in Kent, and another in the United States.

Honours and Awards

Starkey was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2007 for his contributions to history.

Commonwealth Honours

Commonwealth honours

Country	Date	Appointment	Post-nominal letters
United Kingdom	2007	Commander of the Order of the British Empire	CBE

Scholastic Achievements

University Degrees

Location	Date	School	Degree
England		Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge	First-class honours Bachelor of Arts (BA) in History
England		Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge	Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in History

Academic Positions and Fellowships

Location	Date	School	Position
England	until 2015	University of Kent	Honorary Visiting Professor of History
England	2006 – 3 July 2020	Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge	Honorary Fellow
England	until 3 July 2020	Canterbury Christ Church University	Visiting Professor of History

Honorary Degrees

Location	Date	School	Degree	Status
England	21 July 2004	University of Lancaster	Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.)	Revoked on 24 July 2020
England	11 July 2006	University of Kent	Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.)	Revoked in 2020
England	March 2019	University of Buckingham	Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.)	Revoked on 3 July 2020

Memberships and Fellowships

Learned Societies

Location	Date	Organisation	Position
United Kingdom	1984 – 13 July 2020	Royal Historical Society	Fellow (FRHistS)
United Kingdom	1994 – 6 July 2020	Society of Antiquaries of London	Fellow (FSA)
United Kingdom	1996 – 2005	The Society for Court Studies	President

Museums and Trusts

Location	Date	Organisation	Position
United Kingdom	2008 – 3 July 2020	Mary Rose Museum	Trustee and Hon. Commodore
United Kingdom	2005 – 2020	National Maritime Museum	Hon. Commodore

Awards

Location	Date	Institution	Award
United Kingdom	2001; withdrawn on 3 July 2020	The Historical Association	The Medlicott Medal

Work

Books

• Elizabeth: The struggle for the throne (published in North America)
• The Monarchy of England: The Beginnings
• Monarchy: From the Middle Ages to Modernity
• Magna Carta: The True Story Behind the Charter (2015)

Television Series

• Henry VIII (1998, revised 2001)
• Elizabeth (2000)
• The Six Wives of Henry VIII (2001)
• Edward and Mary: The Unknown Tudors (2002)
• David Starkey: Reinventing the Royals (2002)
• Monarchy by David Starkey (2004–2007)
• Henry VIII: The Mind of a Tyrant (2009)
• Kate and William: Romance and the Royals (2011)
• Jamie's Dream School (2011)
• The Churchills (2012)
• David Starkey's Music and Monarchy (2013)
• Britain's Tudor Treasure: A Night at Hampton Court (2015)
• David Starkey's Magna Carta (2015)
• Reformation: Europe's Holy War (2017)

Applications

• Kings and Queens by David Starkey for iPhone and iPad (2011)

Images for kids

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  Starkey when a lecturer at LSE in the early 1980s

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  Starkey is well known for his historical analyses of Henry VIII and his Court

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  Benjamin Disraeli by Cornelius Jabez Hughes, 1878.