# Lord Hertford — The Prince and the Pauper character guide

> Lord Hertford in The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain.

**Role:** minor

**Also known as:** Hertford, The Lord Hertford, the thoughtful Hertford

**First appearance:** 0008-v-tom-as-a-patrician

## Who they are

A powerful lord who advises Tom during his time as king.

## In the story

### [Tom as a Patrician](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_prince_and_the_pauper_se/chapters/v-tom-as-a-patrician)

Mentioned as the uncle who accompanies Tom after the audience with the king.

### [Tom Receives Instructions](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_prince_and_the_pauper_se/chapters/vi-tom-receives-instructions)

Advises Tom on courtly conduct, whispers instructions, and later meditates on Tom's identity.

### [Tom's First Royal Dinner](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_prince_and_the_pauper_se/chapters/vii-tom-s-first-royal-dinner)

Lord Hertford is not directly mentioned, but the court's careful handling of Tom's 'vagaries' suggests the influence of advisors like Hertford.

### [VIII: The Question of the Seal](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_prince_and_the_pauper_se/chapters/viii-the-question-of-the-seal)

Kneels to inform the king that the Great Seal was given to the Prince of Wales, and later returns empty-handed after failing to retrieve it.

### [At Guildhall](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_prince_and_the_pauper_se/chapters/xi-at-guildhall)

Confirms Tom's kingly authority and is sent to the Tower to spare Norfolk.

### [XIV: “Le Roi Est Mort—Vive le Roi”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_prince_and_the_pauper_se/chapters/xiv-le-roi-est-mort-vive-le-roi)

Hertford guides Tom through the council meeting, whispering instructions and preventing him from making indiscreet remarks.

### [Tom as King](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_prince_and_the_pauper_se/chapters/xv-tom-as-king)

Hertford advises Tom during the audience and is gratified by Tom's merciful impulse to change the law against boiling alive, recognizing it as a noble act.

### [Tom's Progress](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_prince_and_the_pauper_se/chapters/xxx-tom-s-progress)

Implied as the Lord Protector whose mouthpiece Tom initially seems to be, though Tom learns to enjoy being more than that.

### [The Recognition Procession](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_prince_and_the_pauper_se/chapters/xxxi-the-recognition-procession)

The Lord Protector who rides beside Tom, urging him to smile and dispel the people's anxiety.

### [Endnotes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_prince_and_the_pauper_se/chapters/endnotes)

Lord Hertford is noted as the young king's uncle, a man of moderation and probity, who helped pass laws mitigating the rigor of former statutes.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_prince_and_the_pauper_se/characters/hertford
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_prince_and_the_pauper_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_prince_and_the_pauper_se/characters