Welcome back to Court and to episode five of “Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light”
This episode is called “Mirror”, and I can only think that is because what Henry saw in the mirror of Anne of Cleves’ eyes was something that shook him to the core.
This week I want to focus on Anne of Cleves and her marriage to Henry. I have always had a soft-spot for Anne of Cleves; I can only imagine what it felt like coming to a country where you did not know anyone, did not speak the language, and did not know any of the customs but were expected to be its Queen.
We see Henry and the Council admiring the portrait of Anne that Hans Holbein painted. Holbein was sent to Germany to paint portraits of Anne and her younger sister, Amalia, although we only see Anne’s on display.
Henry seems surprised to find out that Anne only speaks German, does not dance or play music, and only rides but does not hunt. Anne grew up in a frauenzimmer which was a separate household from the overall noble house. It was a place where young women of noble birth would learn how to cook, embroider, run a household and other practical task for women of that time. It was a ladies only household, with no male over the age of 12 allowed. It sounds harsh, but that was how German noblewomen were raised. Anne’s upbringing would not have exposed her to the education and culture Henry’s earlier wives had. It almost seems like this match was doomed from the start.
It is said that Henry fell in love with the portrait of Anne and could not wait for her to make her way to London; he must see her as soon as she in on English soil. Henry always imagined himself as a romantic; whether it was carrying Queen Katherine’s colors during a joust, or writing poetry in his own hand to Anne Boleyn, the idea that he was a knight who excelled at the game of courtly love was a big part of his self-image.
This is probably the reason he makes the hasty (and disastrous) decision to ride to Anne at Rochester Abbey in disguise to surprise her. In his mind, she would love the ruse like Katherine and her ladies did way back when Henry was much younger and fitter. It never crossed his mind that she would have no idea who he was, or that she would be disappointed at what she would see.
There are several accounts about Henry and Anne’s first encounter. Some of the details may be different, but the overall descriptions are the same. Henry enters the room where Anne and her ladies watch a bull-baiting from a window and he is in disguise. He offered her a gift from the King, and he embraced and kissed her. Anne not knowing who this man was, and coming from a strict upbringing was taken aback and thanked him for the gift and turned back to the window. Henry was so surprised Anne did not know it was her future husband, he went into another room, removed his disguise and returned and announced himself. There is no record of Anne being warned of Henry’s surprise visit.
This is the beginning of the end of their marriage. Anne was almost certainly dissatisfied with what she would have seen her future husband to be: a 48 year old obese man with a limp, thinning hair and a bad odor about him due to the festering ulcerated wound on his leg.
And Henry would not have been happy to be embarrassed in a public setting and was probably not happy with how Anne appeared. Her clothing was of the German style, which was very different than what ladies were wearing in England. Even if Anne was a raving beauty, the bubble had burst for Henry. He saw in her eyes what he was afraid to see: that he was no longer the dashing Henry that was once called “the most handsome prince in Christendom”.
Henry rode back to Greenwich and told the court how he felt he was misled about Anne, and that if it weren’t for the worry of the alliance between France and Spain, he would not marry her.
I really wish we could have seen this scene in the episode. I think it really would have had an impact and would have given more insight into why Henry was so angry at having to get married and at Cromwell.
There were never any reports from any of the courtiers that met Anne at Calais that she was anything but pleasant and friendly. She carried herself with “grace and dignity” is how she was described. She was nervous, but even asked to learn card games that Henry liked to play so she would have something in common with him until she learned how to speak English. Henry’s dislike of her had everything to do with him, and little to do with her.
Anne and Henry married at the Palace of Placentia at Greenwich on January 6, 1540. From all accounts, Henry seemed happy at the reception after the ceremony. The next morning Henry told Cromwell he did not consummate the marriage because Anne had “very evil smells about her” and “took her to be no maid by reason of the closeness of her breasts”. He “left her as good a maid and I found her” and wanted out of the marriage.
The story about how Henry could not do the deed started to spread around Court. When Anne told her ladies that when her husband visited her “”he comes to bed he kisseth me, and he taketh me by the hand, and biddeth me ‘Good night, sweetheart’; and in the morning kisseth me and biddeth ‘Farewell, darling” everyone knew that there would be no Duke of York coming from this marriage.
A humiliated Henry must have someone to blame. This is when he starts to turn on Cromwell. Even though the whole Privy Council approved of the marriage, it was Cromwell who encouraged the alliance with the Schmalkaldic League so it will fall on Cromwell to get Henry out of this marriage.
Henry wants to use the excuse of the precontract of Anne’s betrothal to the Duke of Lorraine as the justification for annulling the marriage, even though he shrugged it off in the last episode.
Once the treaty between Spain and France falls apart, Cromwell knows he is in hot water. England will be courted by both King Frances and the Emperor as an ally, so the alliance with the German states is no longer needed. Which means the marriage is no longer needed either.
Cromwell knows he must get Henry out of this marriage but continuing the Reformation and having an alliance with Protestant states is his goal.
Cromwell also knows he is losing the confidence of Henry. Henry is paranoid and suspicious of everyone, but none more than his Lord Privy Seal. No matter what Cromwell does, Henry still misses Cardinal Wolsey. (When Cromwell is gone, Henry will say how much he misses him.)
Just when you think Henry is going to punish Cromwell for the marriage, he makes him Lord Great Chamberlain and the Earl of Essex. He also has a walk down memory lane with Cromwell feeling very nostalgic for days when they were both younger and not weighed down by worries of war and politics. Even though Henry can be a tyrant one minute, he can be mercurial the next. His unpredictability keeps his Council constantly guessing on Henry’s next move and keeps them in constant fear. This is such a Machiavellian way to rule.
This is the Henry that reigns for the next 7 years until his death in 1547. Even once Cromwell is gone, Henry will pit his ministers against one another having the camp of the Seymour family who were Protestants against the camp of the Howards and Gardiner. In late 1546 Henry puts Thomas Howard in the Tower for treason. The only reason the Duke of Norfolk is not executed is because Henry dies in January 1547.
Cromwell is ambushed at the Privy Council meeting by even those he thought were friends – Riche and Wriothesley. Once he sees Sir William Kingston, he knows his fate is sealed. Kingston was the Constable of the Tower (he was also the Constable of the Tower when Anne was there), and Cromwell would know he would be heading for a barge to be imprisoned in the Tower.
Now some fun facts:
Anne of Cleves agrees to have her marriage to Henry annulled. She receives a very nice settlement with her being made an honorary member of the King’s family to be known as the King’s Sister. She was invited back to Court many times and had a friendly relationship with Henry and his children. Henry decreed that she would be given precedence over all women in England except his own wife and daughters. She was also given the Palace of Richmond and Hever Castle, former home of Anne Boleyn. She lived out the rest of her life in England and died in 1557.
We see Catherine Howard as a member of the new Queen’s Ladies in Waiting. She was the niece of Thomas Howard and a cousin of Anne Boleyn. She was approximately 16 or 17 years old when she came to Court. It’s a bit unpleasant to think of the 48 year old Henry lusting after such a young girl. Henry marries Catherine in July 1540 on the same day Cromwell is executed. As with Henry’s previous marriages, it does not end well.
The Duke of Norfolk is spitting mad when he confronts Cromwell about the closure of Thetford Priory. The Howard family tombs were located at the Priory, including that of the Duke’s father who was known as Flodden Howard. He would get that name from his victory at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. This was a battle between England and Scotland, led by James IV of Scotland and Thomas Howard. Howard headed the army in this battle because Henry was in France trying to seize the town of Thérouanne. During the battle, James IV (who just happened to be Henry’s brother-in-law) was killed. Howard brought James’ bloody coat to Catherine of Aragon, who was Regent at the time. She sent news of the victory to Henry in France by way of sending the bloody coat. As a reward for his victory, Thomas Howard was restored to the title of Duke of Norfolk, lost by his father’s support for Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485.
Next week’s final episode is an amazing hour of television. The acting, writing, costumes and music are superb. It actually does something I didn’t think was possible – it makes me have sympathy for Cromwell!
See you at Court next week
Unfortunately, much of Wolf Hall is based off old research, including the now debunked reasons for why Henry and and Anne of Cleves’ marriage was annulled. Of course the TV series was based off fiction books, but I would encourage you to update your research. You may wish to skim either of my two books about Anne and her family, the only ones researched and written from the German perspective, since you are pinging to my website.
Thank you for letting me know about your books. I will definitely take a look at them. And having information from the German perspective sounds so interesting.
Ruse NOT rouse
Good catch! Thank you! I’ll correct that now! Proofreading is not my strong suit! 🙂
Im so very sad for Cromwell’s death. I fell in love w his mind.
Same here!