David Starkey did his doctoral thesis at Cambridge on Henry VIII.
He would later present an acclaimed series of TV programmes on the subject.
Starkey taught his first class at Cambridge in 1967 and his last class at the London School of Economics in 1997.
David Starkey's TV credits include The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Henry VIII and Monarchy by David Starkey.
His book on Elizabeth I was a best seller.
The son of a left-wing trade unionist, David Starkey became a Conservative Party supporter but became less enamoured with them when Michael Howard became leader.
David Starkey regularly appears on Radio 4's The Moral Maze.
