As a rather verbose Dr David Starkey said in his interview with Mr Hirons, Henry VIII has been a fascination – indeed, an obsession – for him for decades. It’s 500 years now since young Henry’s coronation, and in that time has become infamous for the ‘soap opera’ of his six wives and indulgence. As this fine documentary shows, however, there was much more to Henry VIII than that.

Related: Interview with Dr David Starkey | Our documentary section

This first episode was entitled ‘Prince’, and I think it may turn out to be the most interesting of the series, simply because it covered a period of Henry’s life that few will know much about. Sure we know the ‘divorced, beheaded, died’ rhyme, a little about the Reformation and his ever-expanding waistline, but the title of this programme states that the aim is to get into Henry’s mind and for that, we have to know how that mind was shaped. In short, we need to know about his early years, and that will be new information for most of us.

In fact, this biography goes back a little further than the birth of Henry because the world he was brought into would have such an influence on his life and future decisions. That world was one of distrust – Henry’s father, Henry VII may have married Catherine of York to unite the houses and end the Wars of the Roses, but in power he had continued to subjugate supporters of the ‘other’ house. This meant that a rebellion, even a coup, was always on the cards.

In his very early years though, this appeared to have little affect on Henry – being the younger brother of Arthur, he was not intended for the throne after all. Instead, Starkey paints a picture of a rather sensitive boy who loved education. Analysis of his handwriting suggests that, unusually, his mother taught him to write, and with Arthur away learning how to be a king, he grew up surrounded by women (a fact to squirrel away for later, one assumes). He also formed a great bond with the scholar Erasmus, with much of our first hand information about the prince coming from their correspondence.

At the age of 13, of course, everything changed – Arthur died, making Henry the heir, and within a year his mother died in childbirth. Five years later, Henry would be king, and his first action, far from the impetuous, far-reaching decisions he went on to make as ruler, was one of unification. He had spent a lot of time with Yorkists, and sympathised with them – indeed, he had those who had been instrumental in their suppression imprisoned. At 18 years old, it was Henry VIII, not his father, who truly ended the Wars of the Roses, says Starkey.

What’s great about this documentary, along with learning about a part of Henry’s life that is usually not discussed, is the importance it places on showing us the primary sources which Starkey has used to make his conclusions about the man. The film starts where probably most great biographies start – at the British Museum – and throughout we see and hear lines from the letters and documents that give weight to what we’re being told.

Next week, Dr Starkey looks at the new king’s quest to become a true ‘warrior’, a major player in Europe, and how “Henry would remake himself, his throne and his kingdom – and all for love.”