Charlie Fenton > Recent Status Updates

“But I am a Catholic. Why would I do that?”
“Indeed, Schwester, but that is not widely known. Many make the mistake of thinking that, because Kleve has broken with Rome and is sympathetic to reform, we must be Lutherans. Dr Olisleger writes that the English reformers are hoping their new Queen might be another Anne Boleyn, who was a friend to Protestants”

‘For a moment, Anna was speechless, then she found herself trembling. No. No! Henry of England’s matrimonial career had fuelled the gossip of Christendom for years. He had had three wives, and all had died miserably, the first, rumour had it, poisoned, the second put to the sword, and the third in childbed, only the year before last. By all accounts, he was a tyrant, both in the bedchamber and out of it.’

‘Mary was both strengthened and weakened by the arrival of a son. She had performed her duty and continued the line, the great role of a monarch and a queen. But a boy, even one who couldn’t yet lift his head, was worth more than a woman, and if the lords deposed her for her son, there would be significant support in the country for a regency’

‘Any remaining goodwill for the marriage within the nobles dissipated when the proclamation was made that all documents would be signed jointly by ‘Queen Marie and King Henry’, ‘in the names of both their majesties as King and Queen of Scotland jointly’. They were scandalised at the idea of a dual monarchy.‘

‘In late 1563, Elizabeth laid down what she expected of Mary’s marriage. Ideally, she would marry an Englishman, but the queen was prepared to consider a foreigner, although not Spanish, French or Austrian - which pretty much ruled out all the power players in Europe. If Mary obeyed, she would be rewarded and would in time be decreed as heir.’

‘he held back from putting on his passionate anti-queen one-man shows. But the question over Mary’s suitor plunged the Protestant side into a whirl of action and Knox was leading the way. It seemed that the biggest problem for a queen was whom to marry. And she had to marry. Scotland would never have accepted Mary setting herself up as the Virgin Queen.’

‘Francis had been her friend since she was four, and then her husband. They had been always together, enjoying a golden childhood in the royal nursery, surrounded by their pets, married in glory, the marvel of the world. In the space of little over a year, she had lost her mother, her father-in-law, both sisters-in-law to marriage overseas - and now her dearest husband.’

I have to say this is certainly the most exciting and unexpected start of all the books in the series so far. I really wasn’t expecting this of Anne of Cleves, but I guess we only know parts of her early life and so she is sort of a blank canvas.

‘But today, Anna could not take her usual pleasure in what was normally a happy homecoming. She was too full of dread. As she alighted from the chariot in the outer courtyard, all she could think of was that tonight she would know her fate. She could not imagine what it would be. Would her betrothal be broken? Could they consign her to a nunnery, to live out her days in shame?’

‘On the death of Mary I, King Henry II of France moved quickly. He formally declared his daughter-in-law Queen of England and Ireland, as well as France and Scotland. Mary was put into mourning for the late English monarch and the courtiers around her told everybody that she was now the Queen. King Henry, however, did not attempt to enforce his claim with military action’

‘Mary was taught Latin, Italian, Spanish, as well as practising French composition, dancing, needlework, singing and the lute. She would never possess the genius of Elizabeth I, but she was hard-working and quick-witted and pleased her tutors. In religion, she was purely Catholic: Mary of Guise had instructed that her daughter hear daily Mass’

‘James V fell into an even blacker mood. The birth of Mary was the end of everything and James lost his grip on hope. He died on 14 December, when the baby was only six days old. Many fathers in royal history have been disappointed with a daughter - Henry VIII included. But Mary was the only one whose birth plunged her father into a despair that seemingly speeded his death.‘

‘“Catherine confided to me that Henry sent an envoy to Rome, to see if a way could be found for their marriage to be annulled.” She looked saddened for a moment, then composed herself.
“Nothing will come of it, Mary, you may be sure of that.” Brandon recalled Wolsey’s warning, that after eighteen years without a legitimate heir, Henry believed he’d broken God’s holy law by marrying his brother’s wife.‘

‘He looked up at the image of the Virgin Mary, cradling her child, and prayed for the soul of little Harry, his life so cruelly cut short. In a flash of insight, he understood how Henry had been changed by the loss of his children, as had his father before him. At last, he allowed himself to mourn, and wept as he released the pain and sadness deep in his heart.’

‘Wolsey boasted that the encampment took two thousand skilled craftsmen three months to erect. The centrepiece, which Wolsey called the ‘Palace of Illusions’, had brick foundations to support the weight and was made from wood and canvas painted to look like stonework. Over a hundred paces square, it was guarded by four golden lions and complete with towers at each corner, a gatehouse, battlements and a chapel.‘

‘The king’s physical presence was significant: bodily, he was the personification of his kingship, standing under the banner bearing his arms, in the thick of the fighting. For all York’s protestations that he was defending the king, in legal terms anyone engaging in combat with any army fighting under the royal standard was committing an act of treason. Equally, Henry could very easily have been killed.’

‘She may have been ill-equipped to try to step into the shoes of government, but she had the advice of her husband’s leading councillors, and she understood that Henry’s recent efforts to stabilise the crown needed to be re-enforced. That this period of turmoil happened to coincide with her pregnancy and delivery, followed by her post-partum recovery, is indicative of the inner reserves of strength‘

‘“I know you care for Mary, Brandon, but don’t think about using your roguish charm on her.”
Taken off guard by Henry’s frankness, he’d given his word. Too late, Brandon realised he might have thrown away the greatest opportunity of his life. Henry was no doubt already planning a profitable new marriage for Mary. To go back on his word and risk the king’s anger would be too great a test of their friendship.’

‘Although Henry was a deeply devout king, there is no reason to suspect the marriage was not consummated successfully, on that occasion, or soon afterwards. It is not possible to assert, as Paul Murray Kendall does, that Margaret was ‘already a woman; passionate, proud and strong-willed’ or, as he continues, that she was humiliated by her discovery that she was ‘married to a monk’’

‘The choice of Margaret, instead of one of King Charles’s daughters, was considered something of a disappointment among Gloucester’s faction, a situation that was not aided by the bride’s lack of dowry and prospects, as her elder brothers precluded her from inheriting from her father.’

‘Henry’s royal standard and banners flew from the topmast of his magnificent new flagship, the Mary Rose. A floating fortress, she bristled with the latest guns. Henry boasted that over six hundred oak trees were used in her construction, making the Mary Rose the most expensive warship ever built.’

‘This shows just how far the Lancastrian dynasty had secured its position in the space of three generations, since Henry IV had usurped his cousin, Richard II. Just twenty-three years after that event, the baby Lancastrian grandson was considered the legitimate heir in spite of the existence of Edmund Mortimer, a fully-grown man of 31, whose line had been nominated by the childless Richard II as his heirs.’

‘Brandon watched the short service and said a silent prayer for the little prince as his coffin was placed in a stone niche near the entrance to the chapel of St Edward the Confessor. Henry had lost his treasured heir, his Prince of Wales, and it was difficult to imagine life in England could ever be quite the same again.’

‘He took her hand in his and sat in silence at her bedside. Her slender fingers felt cold in his and her flushed face now looked too pale, as if the blood had drained from it. ‘I want to tell you I’m sorry, Anne.’ His voice trembled. ‘For my marriage to your aunt, when I’d already promised you…’ ‘I forgive you.’ Her voice sounded weak. She closed her eyes and drifted off to a restless sleep.’

‘Brandon nodded, aware of the consequences of the decision he was about to make. There was no turning back. She was almost twice his age, yet seemed much younger. He had a sudden vision of their new life together. Parr was right: marriage to Lady Margaret would solve all his problems at a stroke –except for one.’

‘King Henry’s illness confined him to his bedchamber, shut away from all but his doting mother, Lady Margaret, and his ineffective physicians. Harry had been quick to take advantage of his new freedom, and looked happier than he had in a long time.’

‘Brandon struggled to compare the confident and accomplished young woman in front of him with the shy little sister of Harry he’d teased when no one was watching. He couldn’t speak Spanish, yet he could see the meaning of her words was not lost on Archduke Philip.’

It has taken me a while to get through this as I have been so busy with university work the last few weeks, but I am determined to finish the last 100 pages before I go to Prague on Sunday. Hate what happened to one of my new favourite characters though.

“You can see from their faces that some at least might have accepted a pardon and redress of wrongs, but now most are enraged.” He added angrily, “Who wrote that damned proclamation?”
I said bitterly, “The Protector, of course, just as he wrote the last one. The fool, he hasn’t the political skills of a rabbit.”