A Queen Twice Over: Mary Tudor the Elder Marries Francis I of France
- Thread starter FalconHonour
- Start date
In England, yes, but not in France. I take your point, but the Boleyns were considered upstarts regardless, so I could see Louise saying something like this. Besides, Anne's English blood is only an advantage as long as Henry and Francis remain allies...
But I have changed the line to be 'no meaningful connections in this country, no less? At least none by blood," if that makes you feel better.
I doubt their marriage will be as passionate as Anne's OTL match, but they'll be content enough, I should think.
Ooh how intriguing, I knew Louise would've had something to do with this... In a more sneaky way an English bride with few French connections is actually really good from the crown's perspective... The Count doesn't gain much wealth and influence, which is and for a Prince of the Blood it its good that he does not, so he can't be perceived as a threat... Great chapter!
Not really. Louise is more shocked than anything. She'll come round to her daughter's way of thinking soon enough 🙂
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
Oh we have plenty of that coming. Just not between Marguerite and Louise.
These next few chapters are a bit odd, by my own admission, but they're setting stuff up for further down the line..
Anne Boleyn was no Queen material and her father was born untitled and as simple viscount but they were well connected.
Now the line sound much better
Section XXVII - January 1521
Hever, January 1521
“Mon cher Monsieur Boleyn,
I write not only for myself, but also on behalf of my sister, Queen Marie, and my niece, the Duchess of Brittany. They are both dearly fond of your daughter Anne, as indeed am I. It would pain us all greatly, were our petite Boleynette to be summoned home to an English match. To forestall this sad event, therefore, we have taken the liberty of selecting Anne’s husband ourselves.
It would give us great pleasure if you would write and give your permission for your daughter to be matched to the Count of St Pol…”
Experienced courtier though he is, Thomas still has to set the Duchess of Alençon’s letter down in disbelief when he first sets eyes on those words. Rising, he walks thrice around his study before returning to his desk. When the words haven’t changed for being left alone for a few moments, Thomas finally begins to believe them.
He flicks his eyes to the portrait of his late wife that hangs above the fireplace.
“Will you look at this, Eliza? Our Annie a Countess, and not just any Countess, but a French Princess of the Blood to boot. I always told you she was special; that she’d be able to do better than a mere gentleman’s son, did I not?”
Elizabeth smiles back at him serenely, her painted lips quirking upwards, but in his mind’s eye, Thomas sees her as she was on that warm September day, when they’d watched Mary and George chasing each other through the fields and he’d told her that he’d countered the Careys’ offer of their youngest son Edward for the barely-toddling Anne by offering them Mary for their son William instead. Eliza had laughed at him then, not for refusing the match, but for underestimating Mary in favour of her darker little sister. But Thomas had held his nerve. He’d held to his course, because he’d always believed there was something about his second daughter, something that marked her out from the other girls of her age. Eliza had teased him for it, saying his boasts of Anne were nothing more than the whimsy of an indulgent father about his favourite daughter, but Thomas had always known it was more than that. It was why he’d sent Anne to France alongside her older sister. He’d thought she might blossom there, and oh! How right he’s been proved!
True, he’s always planned for Anne to go to Dublin and marry his cousin Piers’s son James to solve their dispute over the Ormonde title, but this is too grand a chance to pass up. She’s to be Countess of St Pol and dowered by the Duchess of Alençon herself! He’ll simply have to find another way to settle things with Piers, which shouldn’t be too difficult. The man has several daughters, after all, the youngest of whom will turn fifteen in July, if memory serves. Or is it August? Either way, she’s just shy of two years younger than George. Perhaps they can join their families that way instead.
Or if Piers won’t agree to that, well, James will have children of his own one day, and probably sooner rather than later. Mary’s already got a daughter with Carey, and she told him at Christmas that there would be another in the cradle before Midsummer, so who knows. A match in the next generation might be doable too. But George and the youngest Butler girl would definitely be preferable.
Mind made up, Thomas reaches for quill, ink and parchment. He’ll write fulsome thanks to Madame d’Alençon first, and then he’ll apprise Piers of the change in plans.
Shrewsbury, January 1521
While letters are bringing Thomas cause for celebration, however, they are bringing George Talbot, 4th Earl of Shrewsbury, deeply distressing news.
Setting the letter down, he shouts for his wife.
“Anne!”
“Yes, George?”
“Find Mary and tell her to pack her things. I’m sending her back to Court.”
“Of course, but…why? I thought we’d brought her home to prepare her for her match to Lord Percy?”
“Lord Percy is dead,” George says bluntly, “Consumption. I’ve just this minute heard from his father.”
Anne gasps at this terrible news and crosses herself, “Poor lad. God rest him.”
“Indeed,” George follows suit, “I knew the lad wouldn’t make old bones, he’s always been too frail for that. But I had hoped we might at least get him wed to Mary and a child or two out of him before he snuffed it. As it is…” He blows out his cheeks and Anne hesitates.
“And Thomas? Could we not…”
“He wed the Harbottle girl at Michaelmas, remember? No doubt Northumberland saw this coming and wanted to shore up his family line if he possibly could. No. Mary’s going to have to find another husband, and Court’s the best place for her to do that. Go and get her packed.”
Anne nods and scurries away, leaving her husband deep in thought behind her.
Hmm, I’m intrigued by the somewhat sudden mention of the Talbots. I wonder what Mary will get up to at court...
Awww, Thomas and Elizabeth are so sweet even in death...Hopefully George's match is a good one as well!
I haven't decided yet how good George's match will be, although Catherine Butler should be a better wife to him than Jane Parker (it's not difficult) but yes. Thomas and Elizabeth are adorable, aren't they? I read somewhere that Tudor and Stuart noblewomen often had their portraits painted before going into confinement, so that their children had a picture to remember them by if they died in childbirth. I couldn't not include that here - in my head, Elizabeth Howard had that portrait painted when she was pregnant with one of their youngest, either George or Eleanor, just in case...
Well, if their daughter becomes Queen of England, they will have. IF, of course.
I decided I couldn't bear the Percy/Talbot match, even if he couldn't have Anne. So Harry got a nice peaceful early death and Mary is being sent back to Court... And of course, as the eldest daughter of the Earl of Shrewsbury, she might have an easier time of it if Henry does take a shine to her... Again, IF.