July – September 1533
Suffolk had been right. It had not taken as long as Henry VIII had predicted (“I shall never love again, Charles.”) The lady in question was Madge Shelton, one of the Lady Anne Boleyn’s ladies to make the switch to Princess Mary’s entourage (unlike her younger sister Mary). She was technically still one of the Princess’ ladies, but Mary made sure she was never in Mistress Margaret (Madge) Shelton’s company and had tried, without success, to get her father to allow her to dismiss her for “immoral behavior”. Everyone had thought Henry would go for Madge’s younger sister Mary, but Mary had a sweetheart (Thomas Clere, a friend of Henry Howard) who was saving for their marriage and wasn’t interested in being the King’s sweetheart. Rumors were already swirling that Madge was pregnant and then the Princess would be able to dismiss her with cause.
Henry had not listened to Cromwell – who had advised the King to wed Mary to the Dauphin and possibly unite England and France. Suffolk knew that would happen when he heard Cromwell approach the king with the proposal. Cromwell’s proposal implied that Henry would have no other children; and with Madge Shelton likely to give Henry another bastard at the end of the year, that didn’t go over well with the king. The Dauphin was out, as was James V, the Dauphin because of Cromwell’s approach, James because of the relationship between Henry VIII and his thrice-wed sister. But Poland lucked out, thanks to Princess Mary, who recommended her cousin, Lady Margaret Douglas. Henry agreed with his daughter, this would make ties between the two kingdoms; the only drawback for Henry was that he was dowering two brides. Luckily, Sigismund the Old wanted a bride more than he wanted a huge dowry; he had already allotted properties for his future daughter-in-law and his wife wanted a foreign bride rather than a ‘home-grown’ woman for her son. The King of England’s niece suited her purposes just find.
It was obvious in late August that Madge was pregnant, but when Sir Henry Norris stepped up and married her, he became the first Baron Norris. “A wedding present for a man who admits his sins, to show that I forgive him,” was the justification the King gave when his daughter asked him why he was rewarding sin. The newlyweds went to Norris’ home in Rycote where his three children (from his first wife, Mary Fiennes) lived, under the stewardship of one of his late wife’s cousins. The Viscount would return to court within a month, while Madge remained in Rycote. She would birth to her daughter Anne (for Lady Norris, her husband’s mother) at the end of November, but would not see court again until the following year..
On the first of September Lady Margaret Douglas left for Poland with a retinue that included Lady Mary Carey and Viscountess Rochford, both of whom were to return in the spring, along with the other English ladies in according to the marriage contract. She wasn’t happy that none of her English ladies would be remaining, but was assured in a letter from her mother that she would learn to love her husband’s people and would be the mother of a King. She was less than convinced and attempted to talk the king into letting either Lady Mary Howard, Philippa or Katherine Basset remain with her. The King (and Princess Mary) both promised to write for the retention of one (or both) of the Basset girls, but the King insisted that Lady Mary Howard return with the other ladies.