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1535

2nd of March, 1535: Queen Anne Boleyn announces her newest pregnancy, sure that this one will carry to term. Henry is excited, feeling that he will finally get his longed for son.

28th of March, 1535: After much careful planning, the Catholic Princess Mary Tudor escapes from her home imprisonment. It was a thrilling escape; involving drugging her caretakers (read: prison guards) the Lady Clere and the Lady Shelton, fleeing Hatfield to the coast and leaving on a small boat to the Hasburg court in Brussels. This is the start of a big change in the world of the European royals, for better or worse.

3rd of April, 1535: Henry VIII is informed of his daughters’ escape, with a story that adds ‘extra’ parts that place the blame on several guards. Infuriated, the King orders the deaths of 7 guards as well as several other people in the household. The Princess Elizabeth is brought to court for her safety, as the King now fears a full on rebellion to follow; a paranoid belief that is compounded by a small riot in the north (entirely separate of Mary’s leaving; it is actually due to a rise in taxes). The Lady Clere and the Lady Shelton are also sent to the tower, though Anne pushes for their release. Henry is angry, and there will be hell to pay.

19th of April, 1535: Catherine of Aragon is sent to the Tower of London under the direct orders of the King. When she asks the reason why, she is told that it is treason; she will be tried and beheaded for her crimes. Supposedly the King was shown a series of letters between Catherine and Mary that discuss the plan to send her to Brussels and their hope to topple the king due to his continued ‘awful nature’. Waiting in the tower, Catherine writes long letters to Henry pleading for her life. Henry returns all the letters, unopened.

20th of April, 1535: The queen makes sure to send a letter to Catherine of Aragon, with an offer to ‘save her’ if she will recognise her fault in this case. Catherine is obviously insulted, and sends a letter to the queen in return, that simply says:

“Never forget that I too had many children by his majesty, but only one survived. How can you be sure you will be different?”

Accompanying the letter is a cap and toy of a child, with the information that these were the possessions of Catherine’s son. The message was obvious. Catherine believed that the King would have no living sons.

13th of May, 1535: After a rough sea voyage and a slow progress to the court, Mary arrives at Brussels. Weary, thin and sickly-looking, the young woman almost collapses upon entering and is moved into a comfortable room by Mary of Austria: Queen Dowager of Hungary (Charles V was away due to a meeting in Madrid for reasons pertaining to boring political stuff) where she tells her story (with some embellishment). With stories of pirates and storms, attacks and near-death experiences the self-exiled princess charms the court. She retires for a time though, to build her strength and return to full health.

15th of May, 1535: Charles V arrives back at Brussels, where he enthusiastically greets Mary. He speaks to her of possible marriages, of her journey to the court and of England. When discussing the latter, she says that her father is still King, and she would never go against him in any way (other than fleeing the country) unless it was endorsed by God himself. But Charles goaded her, informing the poor girl that her mother had been sent to the tower, and was most likely to be hanged. Instead of reacting in anger however, Mary instead devolved into tears and had to be consoled by her niece Maria (who had arrived with her father to visit the court in Brussels). Obviously the girl would need some sort of holy push, and Charles knew exactly what to do. He sent emissaries to Rome; the Pope had to hear his plan.

16th of May, 1535: The Lady Clere and the Lady Shelton are released from the tower with heavy fines, as well as the order to stay away from court. While many see this as a blessing, some of the more Catholic nobles see this as a sign of the queens waning powers; reasoning that before she could’ve had the woman brought back to court with honours. This is further compounded by a very public argument between Henry and Anne over the use of the money that is brought in from the monasteries. But Anne is still pregnant, and Henry is still careful not to unsettle her too much. We wouldn’t want Anne to suffer a miscarriage, would we?

26th of May, 1535: Charles V’s emissaries arrive in Rome, with a letter from the Emperor. It basically said that Henry VIII had forfeited his right to rule through way of being a heretic and treating his lawful wife (Catherine of Aragon) in an ‘evil and rude’ way; and as such Henry Tudor should be deposed in favour of his daughter, the Princess Mary. While it was early days yet, the Pope was definitely on the same page as Charles V, so he began to mull it over.

30th of May, 1535: Catherine of Aragon’s trial begins. The former queen stands in front of a jury of nobles (mostly those related to the queen) and says her piece. In a sample of her speech:

“…so, peers of the realm, why am I here? What have I done but protect my child, who is the only true child of the King? I did nothing against His Majesty, and would never oppose his true authority…”

But for all her arguments, for all her adamant beliefs, Catherine of Aragon is charged with treason and will be punished as the King sees fit. The woman is then sent to the tower to await her punishment.

31st of May, 1535: A heavily pregnant Anne Boleyn falls in front of the King to plead for the life of Catherine of Aragon. While the court watches confusedly, Henry is most displeased. After all Henry had gone through for her, after he had put his former wife on trial, this ungrateful wench is trying to save that treasonous woman. But, in an attempt to save face the King pulls Anne Boleyn up and tells her to worry about their son, not the dowager Princess of Wales. So Anne went back to her rooms, and cried for the position that Princess Mary had put her in.

14th of June, 1535: News of Catherine’s trial travel to Brussels, along with the story of Anne Boleyn pleading for Catherine’s life. While the former brings the exiled princess stress, the Anne Boleyn story is unbelievable to her. But that is the least of her problems. Now that she is settled in the court, Charles V is looking for a suitable husband for her. The two have meeting overlooking suitable candidates, but are unable to come to a conclusion. As a princess, Mary wants a man who is equal or higher to her in rank. But Charles is realistic and offers her marriages that will either mean she has to marry someone of a lower rank or who is significantly younger or older than her. So they continue to look. But Mary is young yet, and marriage will come soon.

18th of June, 1535: Mary receives her first proposal since arriving at the court. A formal proposal from the Infante Louis: Duke of Beja; it also came with the gift of a purse of gold and a series of trinkets. While she was flattered, the princess was to have returned the trinkets (but not the money; that was used to pay off gambling debts) and have said that it may happen, but it also may not. Mary knew that she was one of the most eligible women in Europe, and she was going to marry a man who she considered good enough to be King of England.

23rd of June, 1535: Mary received a second proposal, this time from Sigismund: Heir to Poland. The proposal, which was accompanied by a miniature painting of the prince and another purse of gold, was less expected than the proposal from Infante Luis, but was met with the same ‘maybe’ that had marked her response to the Duke. While Charles V dismissed the possibility of her marrying the Polish Prince, Mary was said to consider Sigismund closer to her equal than a mere Duke. But she had no made a decision yet, and Charles was certain that she would chose keeping her (read: his) best interests as heart.

29th of June, 1535: A third proposal came for Mary Tudor by the way of France. From King Francis in the name of the dauphin, it arrived with a third purse of gold, a miniature of the dauphin and a pearly and gold broach done with a ruby and sapphire cross in the centre. Somewhat a surprise, it added a new suitor to her growing roster of possible husbands, and finally offered her a chance to put herself in the position to become Queen of England after her father’s death. But, as with Sigismund, Charles V was not on board. In fact, the Emperor was resolute; she would not marry into France. But Mary apparently ‘found the prince most handsome and generous’; she also remembered her past engagement to him during her childhood. So Mary put him on her list, and began to weigh up the pros and cons of each match.

3rd of July, 1535: Mary and Charles V had a very vocal argument that was heard by the court. Mary now has her heart set on marrying Francis: Dauphin of France because of various reasons (rich, future monarch, links to past etc.), but Charles did not want her throwing herself into the hands of the French. So he offered to marry Mary to his son and heir, Philip. A shocking move, it meant that the talks with Portugal and various other countries would have to be stopped (for now) and Phillip would be marrying a woman over a decade older than him. Mary was shocked the most, and a little bit offended that she was told to marry an 8 year old. So she went to her rooms and began to think it over.

9th of July, 1535: Another proposal arrived, this time from James V of Scotland. Unlike the other proposals, no purse of gold comes with it, instead a portrait of Mary’s mother (done for Margaret Tudor in the 1520’s) and a letter detailing the treatment of Catherine and how James wished to ally with Mary to save Catherine and England. An interesting proposition, Mary was intrigued by the possibilities. The princess was also touched by the portrait of her mother; sending a letter to James with words of thanks and encouragement towards the possibility of marriage. Charles V was not as against this match as the French match, but still encouraged a Habsburg match. Mary was now torn on who to marry, but it was still early days yet.



Painting James V sent to Mary Tudor of Cathetine of Aragon in 1535.

14th of July, 1535: Charles V sent his ambassadors in England very specific instructions. They were to bargain with Henry VIII over the release of Catherine of Aragon; but were not allowed to give promises for Mary’s return. So instead, they promised things like money, military support and possibly a new wife (as they had heard rumours that Anne was meant to be set aside by the king). While Henry seemed to listen patiently and even seemed to consider, but answered with a definite no. The English King didn’t want to bargain with the Emperor if there was no chance of Mary’s return. He did promise that Catherine’s death would not be slow and painful though.

16th of July, 1535: Anne Boleyn left for her chambers. While as queen she should have gone at least two months before the earliest possible due date, she had stalled for as long as possible to try and salvage the situation that Mary had caused. But, as she had known, she had to withdraw. So she left with very specific instructions to her brother George:

“…and do not let the country fall while I am gone, or else England will fall to the Catholics. We must fight to keep this country in our hands. Also, try and get rid of the Seymour wench, she is all too clever in her seduction of the King…”

So she left, and the King started to play house with his new favourite, the Lady Jane Seymour. The lady, who Anne saw as a clever rival, was to spend this time showing the King how he wanted a wife to behave. She presented herself as the proper English maiden, complete with the gabled hood and all white attire (to accentuate her purity). But her end was around the corner. For little Jane, she had said some things in closed quarters that would greatly upset the King.

20th of July, 1535: Charles V and Mary Tudor have another meeting to decide the fate of England, as well as the Princess. She, as she had before, pushed for a French match while Charles wanted her to marry a Habsburg. But she was even less inclined to marry any of her Habsburg options now that she had met her main possibility; Luis: Duke of Beja. While not an ‘ugly’ man per say, he had no charm, charisma or tact; having greeted the princess in her rooms (without warning) and asking when she would marry him. He also brought up her mother, querying if she was dead yet. Charles V was disappointed with her reaction, but reminded himself that political marriages did not need to be compatible.

24th of July, 1535: Jane Seymour is sent to the tower along with Jane Boleyn, Anne Stanhope, Edward Seymour, Thomas Seymour and various other minor nobles. Charged with treason, the specifics were that they had planned to have Catherine swapped with a peasant woman and then spirited away to Spain to be with her daughter. The details, which were heard of latter, were very contradictory and obviously made up by someone who wanted these people gone. But Henry did not care, he felt he had been betrayed by the woman he had been falling in love with (Henry was very loose with the word love). So they were sent to the Tower, and were sentenced to death.

27th of July, 1535: Catherine of Aragon is beheaded in a public show in which she is said to have ‘died as a queen’. Arriving in a black dress trimmed in ermine, she recites a speech telling the people to have faith and to obey the King as chosen by God. She is then beheaded, repeating the words:

“…in the lord I trust…”

The end of an era, Catherine of Aragon’s death symbolised Henry severing the last link to his old life and to the Catholic Church. There is no going back from here.

1st of August, 1535: Mary Tudor received a follow up gift on her previous proposal by Francis: Dauphin of France. Another cross, this one was set with rubies, sapphires and diamonds, with tear drop pearls. Matched with a silver chain, the gift was ‘pretty and delicate’ and pleased the princess greatly. The gift also came with a letter, promising aid for the princess for when she wished to return to England. She now went to her cousin and begged to be allowed to marry Francis. She made promises to keep the Habsburg interests at heart, to make sure England would be a loyal friend to the Empire and other things that she thought Charles wanted to hear. But the Emperor was not sure, not wishing to give such as valuable prize such as Mary to the hated French. But he did promise to think it over, and tried to find ways to make it work for him. He eventually came to a decision, which would not be able to be made until all the pieces were in place.

2nd of August, 1535: Anne Boleyn went into labour. In a long childbirth that took a lot out of her, Anne Boleyn gave birth to two children, a boy and a girl. The boy child was quite small and dark (he had Anne’s colouring) and was named Edward: Prince of Wales. The female child was a ‘babe replica of her exalted grandmother’ and was named Margaret. On the name of his daughter, Henry VIII was supposed to have said:

“…and I had it in mind to call her Mary, because I might have but one daughter with the name…”

Whatever the names of his children, Henry was very excited to finally have a son by Anne. It proved all he had fought for as right by god. So imagine his horror when, a few days later, tragedy struck.

4th of August, 1535: The conspirators in the ‘Catholic Conspiracy’ were all given traitors deaths. After a mock trial that the King actually attended, the nineteen noblemen and noblewomen were hanged and left on the walls of London. With this event and the beheading of Catherine of Aragon, the people of England were calling the King a tyrant. Riots began in the North, with many protesting the way Henry was abusing his power. In response, Henry sent a small regiment of soldiers, who imprisoned many peasants who were rebelling against the King. With his popularity dropping fast, the King began to plan a progress to regain his popularity.

6th of August, 1535: Anne Boleyn died of unknown reasons, though it was generally decided that it came from an infection that she would have acquired after the birth of her children. The King supposedly said in response to the death of his ‘wife and true love’:

“…she died in her success…”

15th of August, 1535: The news of Catherine of Aragon’s death reached the court at Brussels, along with the news of the hanging of the nobles. This came as a shock to the court, especially Mary Tudor. The princess had been holding onto the idea that her mother could be brought to Brussels as she had been, and it legitimately shocked her that her father could do such a thing. But, unlike when she had been told of Catherine’s trial, Mary instead decided that she must find a way to reach England and save it from her father’s tyranny. She had a new meeting with Charles V, detailing her plan of attack. With a strength that had not been seen in her before, she demanded her right to choose a consort as a future monarch, while also insisting that Charles help her in her quest. Whilst the Emperor was a little peeved that a young woman was bossing him around, he also say a light in her eyes that ‘challenged the flame of the burning bush’. So he told her to refine her plan, and he would adapt it into his. And this plot, it would surely topple a King.

18th of August, 1535: Mary Tudor officially turned down the proposal of Sigismund: Heir to Poland due to ‘conflicting interests’. She also officially refused the betrothal of Infante Luis: Duke of Beja, with a statement that she said to the face of the man. Luis reacted badly, storming out of the court in anger. But Mary did not officially turn down James V’s proposal or Francis: Dauphin of France and Duke of Brittany, sparking bets amongst the court on who she would marry. While there was a solid base on the Scottish side, most agreed that France would win out.

22nd of August, 1535: All English ambassadors in Hapsburg courts were told they had one week to pack their things and leave. When asked why, official told them:

“…due to current circumstances, your services are no longer needed…”



First portrait of Mary Tudor after her escape, 1535.

24th of August, 1535: Mary Tudor sat down for her first portrait since her escape from England. Done by an aspiring artist by the name of Ferdinand Carlos Morales y Rivera, it presented a solemn Mary standing in front of a blue curtain. The original colouring had Mary in a deep orange and black outfit, the red of her hair very bright. Over time however, the painting faded. But the painting was significant to Mary as it showed her as a singular figure, and it was copied into two more paintings that were sent to James V of Scotland and Francis: Dauphin of France.

26th of August, 1535: The Pope finally hears of Catherine of Aragon’s public beheading, and now fully denounces Henry VIII as a heretic and as a man unfit to rule. He then sends several English emissaries from Rome, to send Henry the message that he is now not a monarch in the eyes of the Catholic Church. Exactly what Charles V had been waiting for, this would be the beginnings of the master plan to topple Henry from the throne of England and put Mary on it.

30th of August, 1535: Envoys from Charles V set off to France to start the discussion on a possible alliance, built through marriages that would bind them to put Mary on the throne. The main discussion was initially focused on the marriages, with the final plan being:

Mary Tudor : Francis, Dauphin of France

Margaret de Valois : Philip, Prince of Asturias

Madeleine de Valois : Luis, Duke of Beja

So this was decided, at least for now. The discussion also focused on the amount of military help that France would offer on Mary’s behalf. At this point, it was ‘unknown’.

5th of September, 1535: Henry VIII is hit by a new tragedy as Edward: Prince of Wales is killed. Caused by an accident, the young prince’s blankets were set on fire when a candle that was set next to his bedding fell and lit the fabric. While the fire was quickly doused, he did not make it and died a mere 34 days after his glorious birth. The king now was left with three daughters; one wayward making trouble across Europe and two young children at court.

7th of September, 1535: Henry VIII meets a young courtier by the name of Mary Arundel. Seventeen and still unwed, she was the picture of ‘health and beauty’. Buxom and pretty, she looked like the perfect woman to have lots of pretty (and living) babies with. So the (aging and fat) Henry began to court the woman, who was very pleased to be the centre of the King’s attention.

11th of September, 1535: Mary Tudor has a fight with Luis: Duke of Beja. Up until this point the Duke had kept away from the Princess, not wishing to dignify his dismissal with a response. But when he ran into her at court, he could not keep it in and blasted all of his hurt and anger at the Princess:

“…who are you to dismiss me? I have an impeccable bloodline, a rich dukedom and a connection to the Emperor himself! Who could you marry who was better than me? With your dowry being only the poor little backwater you call England, and even that being called into question. You think you’ll be a Queen of France? The dauphin could marry so much better! He could marry my sister and do better in the long run…”

The rant went on for much longer, but he was eventually stopped by the Princess, who delivered a scathing response:

“…my good sir, why do you bother with me if you think I am not worth your time? If I am not worthy, then you should be grateful that I spared you the pain that my hand would bring you and if I am worthy then you should respect my decision as a future monarch. And what is your connection to the Emperor? Blood? I have that. Closeness? I am closer to him than you or any of my other cousins! And my kingdom, a backwater? We may not stretch across the earth like others, but we alone are resilient. We alone have stood the test of time, while others will fall. Today, you have proven my decision in rejecting you right. Now, will you take your leave or must I inform the Emperor himself to your insolence…”

From this, a lifelong feud between the two began.

18th of September, 1535: Isabella of Portugal dies of poisoning. The Empress was thought to have been poisoned during her morning routine, with the milk she usually drank being poisoned with some unknown substance. While most of this is just rumour, what was known is that she fell ill at noon and at had turned black and died by the afternoon.



Mary Arundel 1535

21st of September, 1535: Henry VIII announced his engagement to Mary Arundel, to the shock of both his court and Thomas Cromwell. While most just saw the move as the next change in court, Cromwell was stunned, and there was a fallout of colossal proportions between him and the King. While Henry saw this as his right, Cromwell had spent the past month working on a marriage between Henry and a German princess to gain an alliance that might help balance out the Catholic alliance that was forming in Mary’s favour.

27th of September, 1535: Mary Tudor officially turns down the marriage proposal of James V of Scotland, and instead offers the suggestion that he marry Infanta Maria: Duchess of Viseu if Manuel I of Portugal would allow it. A suggestion that was really offered by Charles V, it would bind James to the Habsburg rather than the French or the current version of England.

30th of September, 1535: Charles V officially sent the Duke of Beja from the court due to his behaviour 19 days before. A shocking move, it earned him a screaming match with the man and a promise that Luis would never help Mary regain her throne.



Portrait of The Princess Margaret Tudor with her caretaker (possibly Katherine Grenville).

2nd of October, 1535: Elizabeth and Margaret Tudor are sent from the court to Hatfield. While the two princesses had been in court for the past few months, the King now saw them as glaring reminders of his lack of a son. While the infant Margaret did not care (remember: infant) Elizabeth truly loved being the centre of attention and cried and whined about being moved (as two year olds are wont to do). But Henry was adamant, and the girls left with a small court of caretakers, most interestingly Mary Arundel’s mother Katherine Grenville.

5th of October, 1535: Mary Tudor officially accepts the proposal of Francis: Dauphin of France. An act that had been the obvious conclusion for this for the past month or so, it cemented her alliance with France towards becoming Queen of England and also would allow her to have a child soon. To celebrate this occasion, the court had three nights of celebrations complete with dancing, banquets and other merriments.

8th of October, 1535: James V of Scotland officially proposed to Infanta Maria: Duchess of Viseu on the suggestion of Mary Tudor. The sent a series of gifts with his proposal, with such things as:

-a miniature of the King

-a silver and diamond cross pendant

-a book written in Latin filled with Scottish legends

This was a surprise, as many had thought that the King would try and woo the Princess Madeleine de Valois, but he decided against it as the princess had ‘better prospects’. So he sent his gifts to Portugal and hoped to gain a wife soon.

12th of October, 1535: Henry VIII and Mary Arundel were officially betrothed. The King was ‘in love’ with his pretty little prize and she was not in a position to say no. So the two were betrothed, and as such she was sent to ‘keep her modesty’ until the wedding, which was planned for October 25th.

18th of October, 1535: At his request of Henry Fitzroy: 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset was allowed to leave the court with his wife to live on the estates for a short time. Though the reason was unknown, it was generally thought that the Duke felt stifled in the presence of the king and also wished to consummate his marriage. Fitzroy left with his wife, a new, white horse (a gift from his father) and a series of other gifts to show that he was still in the royal favour no matter what he did.



Mary Tudor, 1535.

21st of October, 1535: Mary Tudor sits for another portrait, this time to celebrate her betrothal to Francis: Dauphin of France. Done again by Ferdinand Carlos Morales y Rivera, it showed growth as an artist due to the more natural colouring and better limb placement. This painting did not suffer the fading that the previous painting did as it was lost in a dark cellar in Brussels for many years before being found again.

25th of October, 1535: Henry VIII and Mary Arundel were married in an elaborate ceremony. The celebrations went into the night, with a mixture of dances and even some sing-along style games. The main attraction, of course, was the newly married couple. One observer wrote:

“…there is the King, all decked in white and silver, with gold designs stretching from his throat to his toes. His hair, now thin and white, is hidden by a large crown; done in silver with diamonds and sapphires. His beard, neatly clipped, is not nearly as colourless as his head but nearly as thin. On his hands are many rings, mostly sapphires and rubies. He is quite fat. Next to him stands the new queen, slim and short. Also all in white and silver, she instead had a pale blue pattern adorning her dress and all silver and pearl jewellery. Her hair hangs loose down her back, wavy and golden. Her eyes are very light, and seem to change from blue to green. She is quite beautiful; her features quite youthful and soft. Together, they seem to be a happy couple, and the king loved to caress her cheeks and shoulder often…”

It was noted that the king seemed severely out of breath for most of the celebrations; refusing to dance and instead leaving his youthful wife to dance with others. Also, many observed that the Queen danced mostly with George Boleyn, who she seemed to also spend the most time with when not with her husband. But, whatever the case, Henry was happy and Mary was safe.

29th of October, 1535: Charles de Valois was gifted the Duchy of Upper Aquitaine, an area of Aquitaine that matched Navarre in size and was made up of both coast and mainland. A move that seemed to come out of nowhere, it was in preparation for the eventual marriage between himself and his cousin Jeanne d'Albret. Henry II of Navarre was very hopeful of the match at this point and Francis I of France saw this as the perfect way to bring Navarre into the influence of France even more so than before. While nothing was official yet, it looked very likely.

1st of November, 1535: Mary Tudor’s day begins with a marriage by proxy to Francis: Dauphin of France. A small ceremony, the formality of it all is over quickly and she leaves very soon after to begin to pack for her journey to France. The Princess filled her bags with pretty clothes, fine jewellery and lots of papers laying out the plans that she and her cousin have carefully formulated. She also readied a bag filled with things she needed to bring a small kitten by the name of Isabella that she had been given early in the month. The plan was for her to leave in the following few days and then be in Paris by February at the latest.

4th of November, 1535: The ambassadors that were sent from the courts of Habsburg finally arrived in England. While they had been sent away ages ago, storms and other setbacks had hindered the journey home. Their arrival angered the king, and he apparently had very real thoughts on sending the ambassadors back to their various courts to retaliation to this unprecedented move. Instead, the men were simply accepted into court and interviewed as to figure out the situation.

9th of November, 1535: After about a week of storms and other weather related setbacks, the Princess Mary is able to leave Brussels and begin the journey to France. The sea was calm at last and so Mary left, bringing with her a small group of friends with her to aid the princess on the journey and in France. On board the ship she mostly stayed in her rooms with her group of friends and the kitten Isabella. She also brought with her a letter to be given to the Queen, though the contents were not known.

12th of November, 1535: Riots break out in London. Purportedly about a rise in taxes, they also seek more leniency on the subject of religion, as the King has been pushing a more anti-Catholic style for the Church of England. In the mayhem upwards of 50 people died and many areas went up in flames. In response Henry VIII had the main instigators (Richard Hepton, Mathew Smithson Thomas Break and Thomas Field) publicly executed and at least 20 others done in smaller executions. Also, fines for most of the surviving rebels crippled many families, resulting in an influx of homeless Englishmen. Henry VIII then announced that the Church would be going through a new reform that forbade Latin to be used and other smaller things that would pull the church further away from ‘The Church of Rome’. It was dark days to be a Catholic.

15th of November, 1535: Charles V receives a betrothal on behalf of both Anne and Amalia of Cleves, daughters of the Duke of Cleves. Though Cleves was technically Protestant, he was told that the girls were both raised Catholics and would be willing to join the Church. The first offer since Isabella had died, it offered a chance to both secure the succession and separate the Low Countries from Spain. But he was still grieving, and so he offered a very sincere ‘maybe’.

30th of November, 1535: A young woman by the name of Isabelle Worthing is found in the King’s chambers in the middle of the night with a bag of ‘powdered poisons’ and a knife. Caught by a servant called Ferdinand Johnson, she was in the middle of the room with a flask of water pouring the ‘poisons’ into the water. Screaming, he alerted the King and Queen and the woman was apprehended. She confessed that she had been sent by ‘the Emperor’ to have him killed and to have the Princess Mary placed on the throne. Total lies, this woman was instead sent by Thomas Cromwell to be caught and place blame on the Emperor, with the situation being a way to get into the good graces of the King by arriving ‘late’ with the information, remaining innocent. But the plan gets disrupted when, facing imminent death, she confesses the entirety of the plan in an effort to save her life. While it does not, it does bring something else. Henry is going to have to have a nice long conversation with Cromwell.

2nd of December, 1535: Thomas Cromwell is placed under arrest for treason.

7th of December, 1535: Thomas Cromwell attempts to commit suicide in the tower, leaping from the window of his cell onto the ground below. But, in a horrible twist of fate, the impact instead just breaks his legs. So he now awaits his death in absolute pain.

10th of December, 1535: Finally, after 3 days of agony, Thomas Cromwell is hanged as a common criminal in London. Due to his inability to stand, he is lifted up by two men and dropped when the time comes.

11th of December, 1535: Catherine de Medici is found in her apartments with ‘strange, witch like objects’. While in fact just toys that she had found, they appear to others as supernatural objects that may be her attempting to get pregnant or kill the Dauphin (the people making accusations weren’t sure apparently). While no formal action was taken, privately the King and his son were unsettled by this development and wondered if there was a way for the Prince and her to be divorced. So privately, two emissaries are sent to Rome to have a chat with the Pope.

17th of December, 1535: Queen Mary Arundel (commonly known as ‘The Pretty Wife of England’) sends her friend William Smith to tutor the Boleyn Princesses. A young man of common birth, he had gained the acquaintance of the Queen before her relationship with the King started and even then impressed her with his knowledge of the world. So he went to teach the young princesses writing, counting and languages, bringing with him only his equipment and a bag of books.

22nd of December, 1535: Henry VIII recedes to his bedchambers with a nasty cold. For a man who loathes merely being close to sick people, this sudden and strong bout of sickness is pure unadulterated torture. But he has men come in to keep his attention on other things and actually bedded his wife, risking her health to keep himself happy during his ill health. While not necessarily out-of-character for him, it showed a selfishness that transcended his dynastic need for heirs. But he would never be brought up on things like that because he was King, right? Kings were never wrong.

25th of December, 1535: Due to the King’s illness, Christmas this year is rather lacklustre. While Queen Mary does her best to keep the mood light and fun there is a sense of foreboding in the air. Who would the Ruler of England be if Henry died? Elizabeth? The little thing is only two years old, and a girl. Maybe one of the Brandon girls? But again, they are female. The only male options are James V of Scotland and Henry Fitzroy. But James is a foreign King and Henry is most definitely illegitimate. So what then? Well, no one really knows. So they go on with the festivities, not really having fun but the motions must be gone through.
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