Who is The Earl of Hertford from The Prince and the Pauper and what is their importance?

The Earl of Hertford is Edward Tudor's uncle and the Lord Chancellor of the realm. After the death of Henry VIII, he also became Lord Protector of the young king. As such, the earl is responsible for helping Edward make good decisions..... to rule wisely. Throughout most of the novel, the earl is actually assisting Tom, who he believes is Edward. Because Tom is ignorant about the court, The earl also believes him to be crazy.