Murder Most Royal Review: 3rd post in series of 5...

We left off on Friday with the sweating sickness plaguing southern England, in particular London. Rats were everywhere in the streets, houses, gutters, and pubs. You could cross the road walking on them as bridge. It was disgusting. In the summer when the weather warmed up was when the sweating sickness would attack. If you were of nobility or a wealthy merchant you could take your family to the country and escape it. Anne was sent to country by the King to protect her. She got the disease anyway, but survived.

The people of London wanted a reason that this plague would purge them so. Thousands of people dying. It had to be the King and His secret matter of displacing Queen Katherine. The people loved the humble, pious Katherine of Aragon and were not happy that the King would consider divorcing her in the first place let alone divorcing her so she could be replaced by the "Whore Nan Bullen". Every woman in London was mindful of the example the King was setting for his male subjects. If you don't like your wife, just get rid of her.

The citizen's were very aware of their social status and that of royalty. Who was this Nan Bullen~she was just a merchants daughter~not fit to be a queen.

Anne would take this negative opinion about her poorly. It would make her all the more ambitious as well as bringing out the haughty and mean side of her. When Anne has recovered and the plaque has subsided she will return to court and to Henry. He is all the more in love with her and determined now to make her his Queen. Once she is assured that he will do all to follow through she finally submits to his amorous attention and sleeps with him and does become the King's mistress. Henry will put into motion all who will bring to pass the divorce from Katherine. Wolsey is sent to Rome and comes back without the approval of Pope Clement. The King is in a rage at Wolsey. His Cardinal had always been able to bring to pass the King's desires. Anne is whispering disparaging remarks in the Kings ear regarding Wolsey. Wolsey cannot believe the King is determined to make Anne his queen, he knows now that it is just a matter of time before the House of Wolsey will come tumbling down around him. He is fully aware that Anne hates him. He will end up giving Hampton Court, his magnificent palace to King to help him save face.

The King will arrest Wolsey, his beloved friend, and mercifully for Wolsey he will die of a heart attack on his way to the tower. After Wolsey's death the King confers the Chancellorship onto Thomas More. More is an honest and very pious man, he takes this responsibility very seriously. He loves his religion.

left: Sir Thomas More~Holbien

A new man, Thomas Cromwell will become one of the King's advisers. He is a great advocate of the "new religion". Cromwell will introduce the King to Bishop Crammer a voice for the new religion who will ultimately give the King the idea to separate himself from Rome and make himself the leader of the Church of England granting himself his own divorce from Katherine of Aragon. This course of action will up root English politics. Many priests including Bishop Fisher will be sent to their deaths for protesting the establishment of the new religion and break from Rome. Thomas More will be executed because he will not sign the manifesto supporting the King as the head of the church. The citizens are in an outrage. Many want their traditions, holidays and saints. However; none will say a thing in public for fear for their lives. If someone were to object openly they would be burned at the stake. Not a very pleasant way to die. The public was outraged at the death's of Bishop Fisher and Thomas More. The outrage is focused on Anne. They considered her a witch that has bewitched the King. It was not safe for her to go out in public.

Anne eventually will become pregnant. The King will then be in a hurry to get Katherine dumped and put away so Anne's baby will be legitimate. This was going to be the boy he longed for. It was written in the stars. I found it very interesting how Ms. Plaidy described the King praying to God for an heir, an excusing himself from any wrong doing re: Katherine, surely the Lord understood that it wasn't for lustful desire that he needed to marry Anne, but for the sake of the future of the Kingdom. The Lord would surely grant him his desire to avoid a civil war if the King were not able to produce a male heir. Ms. Plaidy makes it very apparent how Henry VIII will never take responsibility for his actions, but always put the blame on someone else.

Anne and Henry marry in secret. Within a short time the marriage is made public and Anne's coronation is planned. Her coronation takes place 1 June 1533. She is not well received in public. Very little jubilation is felt. The citizens are very subdued. The King is very anxious for his son to be born. The astrologers have predicted a fine healthy boy. On 7 September 1533 princess Elizabeth Tudor is born. She is a fine healthy baby girl. The King is outraged however; he calms down long enough to say they are both young yet, and still can conceive a boy.

In the mean time Catherien Howard still resides with her Grandmother the Duchess of Norfolk at Lambeth. She is now 12-13 years old and will take on Henry Mannox her music teacher as her lover. There are no boundaries surrounding Catherine and very little proper education provided. She is growing up rash and wild.

Tomorrow's Teaser:

She had believed, when she told the King that she was with child, that soon she must be. Why was it that she was not? Something told her the fault lay with him, and this idea was supported by Katherine's disastrous experiences and her own inability to produce another child. The was Elizabeth, but Elizabeth would not do. She murmured: "oh, Elizabeth my daughter, why wast thou not born a boy!" Murder Most Royal~Jean Plaidy pg. 254