The Queen is Dead!: Katherine of Aragon dies in 1518

It's she, actually, but anyway. The Tudors is horribly inaccurate, but the casting is incredible. Natalie Dormer has been my mental image of Anne ever since, except when she's raised a Princess, like she is in my Lionesses. Then it's Michelle Dockery. But otherwise, it's Natalie.

In case anyone is wondering, I have mentally cast the Bolger girls as Maria - Emma when she's little, Sarah when she's older- and a 'Bleak House' Carey Mulligan as Marie. I'm thinking Skandar Keynes for George Boleyn, and Nick Dunning for Papa Boleyn. Probably Kristin Scott Thomas for Elizabeth Howard. A young Cate Blanchett for Mary Brandon, and Henry Cavill for Brandon himself. I haven't picked my Henry yet. I loved JRM, but I can't see him as Cate Blanchett's brother!

Hope that gives you some mental images to play with. Anyone else you'd like to see me cast?
Sorry about that, I hope I didn't offend you.

In terms of casting, it does share that element with GOT: say what you want about the writing and directing, but the casting was really spot-on. And holy shit, how did I not realize Henry Cavill was playing Charles Brandon on the show!
 
Oh, don't worry, not too bothered. Just wanted to point it out!

Yeah, I know. One of my first major celebrity crushes, that. Cavill as Brandon, I mean...
 
Another casting call for anyone who cares to know - I'm thinking Georgie Henley for Kate Parr, or maybe her older sister Rachael Henley...
 
To be fair to the Tudors it was Sean Pertwee they cast he'd have died anyway they just used his inevitable death as a poorly thought out plot point
 
You always write very sweet and realistic kids! Also love a good cast list, I have a couple and it’s always fun.

I could definitely see this as a BBC drama though.
 
You always write very sweet and realistic kids! Also love a good cast list, I have a couple and it’s always fun.

I could definitely see this as a BBC drama though.
All right, well, one of the things I will do as an epilogue is create a cast list for a TTL series then and post it, if I can work out how to insert images...
 
It's she, actually, but anyway. The Tudors is horribly inaccurate, but the casting is incredible. Natalie Dormer has been my mental image of Anne ever since, except when she's raised a Princess, like she is in my Lionesses. Then it's Michelle Dockery. But otherwise, it's Natalie.

In case anyone is wondering, I have mentally cast the Bolger girls as Maria - Emma when she's little, Sarah when she's older- and a 'Bleak House' Carey Mulligan as Marie. I'm thinking Skandar Keynes for George Boleyn, and Nick Dunning for Papa Boleyn. Probably Kristin Scott Thomas for Elizabeth Howard. A young Cate Blanchett for Mary Brandon, and Henry Cavill for Brandon himself. I haven't picked my Henry yet. I loved JRM, but I can't see him as Cate Blanchett's brother!

Hope that gives you some mental images to play with. Anyone else you'd like to see me cast?
Why not go with Keith Michell? Henry VIII in "Six Wives of Henry VIII" He, at least, had the right complexion...
 
Also, I can't help but think that The Tudors, inaccurate though it may be is less inaccurate than the Spanish Princess... The only thing they really get right in that one is Catherine's hair color but then decide to make Isabella of Castile have dark hair..
 
Also, I can't help but think that The Tudors, inaccurate though it may be is less inaccurate than the Spanish Princess... The only thing they really get right in that one is Catherine's hair color but then decide to make Isabella of Castile have dark hair..
Yes, yes, I always think they should make it realistic that actors who are meant to be related in the show actually look alike enough that it's vaguely believable. Hence why I had to recast my Henry when I cast Cate Blanchett as Mary Brandon. I am currently imagining Henry as a red-haired Ewan McGregor, if anyone's interested!
 
Section CLXVII - August 1525
Bradgate, August 1525
To Their Gracious Majesties, King Henry and Queen Marie,

I write this letter in haste, knowing as I do how eagerly Your Graces will be waiting for news of the Lady Jacquetta and her condition. I am delighted to say that, as Lady Salisbury has no doubt already informed Your Majesties, we need have no more fear for the Lady Jacquetta’s life. Her Highness is strong and fair as I’ve ever seen her.

It grieves me however, to have to write that while the Grim Reaper stayed his scythe, he extracted the Lady Jacquetta’s hearing as his toll for letting her go. No matter what examination I did, Her Highness was immune to them all. As of this present moment, the Lady Jacquetta cannot hear a thing.

Of course, nothing is beyond the powers of Almighty God, so it is possible that time and grace will heal the damage that has been wreaked on Her Highness’s ears by her illness. To that end, with Your Majesties’ permission, I will examine the Lady Jacquetta again when the royal children come to Court for Christmas. However, I must admit that I fear that for Her Highness to recover her hearing would be nothing short of a miracle akin to the healing of the deaf man in the Gospel of Mark. As far as my human, professional powers go, it is out of my hands. I send my humblest prayers and apologies for this bitter news and remain, as ever, Your Grace’s most humble servant…


Marie looked up from the letter her husband had handed her. She felt her lips press together and she swallowed hard, trying to sort through her muddle of emotions. She knew they were lucky to have Jackie at all. The mumps could so easily have taken their frail youngest daughter from them. But to know that it was more than likely that their fifteen-month-old daughter would likely never hear again – and therefore would also likely struggle to learn to speak, given that children learn by copying what they heard around them – well, that was a blow as bitter as any gall.

“I suppose Jackie’s hearing was a small price to pay, given we had all but given her up for dead,” she managed at last, though her voice cracked and it was only with an effort that she finished her sentence.

Grim-faced, Henry nodded, squeezing her arm silently.

“We’ll struggle to find a groom for her. No country is going to want a deaf or dumb Queen.”

The words would have sounded callous to anyone who didn’t know Henry as well as Marie did. Indeed, had it been earlier in their marriage, she too might have struggled with his cold assessment of the matter. But, with a full five years of marriage behind her, she was able to look past the blunt words to the tension in his shoulders, to the grey cast to his features and see just how much Dr Linacre’s letter had affected him too. Jacquetta was his child too. No doubt he’d sworn the same silent oaths to protect her as she had. But even the greatest King on earth couldn’t protect those he loved from the dread of disease.

“Then it’s probably just as well I swore an oath to give her to the Bridgettines at Syon.”

Marie heard her voice ring hollow and knew that, like her husband, she was focusing on the practical, because she couldn’t bear to think of the full implications of Dr Linacre’s letter.

Henry’s head snapped up, “You did what?”

“I bargained with the Lord. I said I’d send Jackie to Syon like your aunt Bridget if He let her live. I didn’t actually think He’d listen, but…” Marie trailed off as Henry’s face clouded. She braced herself for an explosion of fury – how dare she decide Jackie’s future without speaking to him, etc, but it never came.

When she dared to look up at her husband again, he was staring at her, shock written all over his face.

“Henry…” she began, but he shook his head and opened his arms to her.

“Not today, sweetheart. Not today.”

For a moment, Marie feared he was only stifling his anger, but he wrapped his arms around her and bent his head to kiss the crown of hers, she felt herself relax. Henry had never been able to hide his emotions. He wouldn’t embrace her like this if he was truly angry about the fact that she’d sworn to give Jacquetta to the Church without consulting him. At least, she didn’t think he would. Swallowing hard, she let him pull her up against him and the two of them stood together, stealing what solitude and comfort they could as they fought to come to terms with their youngest daughter’s suddenly very different future.
 
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