Tudor Queen, Tudor Crown Read online

  TUDOR QUEEN, TUDOR CROWN

  .

  TUDOR QUEEN

  TUDOR CROWN

  By

  Jennifer Peter Woods

  All Rights Reserved 2014

  …

  Contents

  Line of Succession

  Characters

  Selected Events

  PART ONE: TUDOR QUEEN.

  Prologue: Mary aged six

  Katherine the Queen

  Mary aged sixteen

  Mary aged seventeen

  Anne Boleyn

  Kat Ashley aged thirty-one

  Mary aged twenty

  Jane Seymour

  Mary aged twenty-three

  Anne of Cleves

  Katherine Howard

  Mary aged twenty-four

  Elizabeth aged ten

  Katherine Parr

  Mary aged thirty-one

  Elizabeth aged fifteen

  Mary aged thirty-three

  Edward VI aged thirteen

  Edward VI aged fifteen

  Elizabeth aged twenty

  Susan Clarencieux aged forty-three

  Jane Grey aged seventeen

  Jane Dormer aged sixteen

  Mary aged thirty-seven

  PART TWO: TUDOR CROWN.

  1554

  January: Kat Ashley

  February: Mary

  March: Susan Clarencieux

  May: Elizabeth

  July: Susan Clarencieux

  July: Jane Dormer

  July: Mary

  August: Elizabeth

  September: Susan Clarencieux

  1555

  February: Jane Dormer

  May: Susan Clarencieux

  August: Mary

  1556

  Elizabeth aged twenty-three

  1557

  April: Jane Dormer

  June: Mary

  July: Elizabeth

  August: Susan Clarencieux

  1558

  Jane Dormer

  October: Kat Ashley

  November: Mary

  .

  END NOTES

  .

  Characters

  THE HOUSE OF TUDOR

  THE SIBLINGS OF HENRY VIII

  ARTHUR- Prince of Wales, older brother of Henry VIII, first husband of Katherine Aragon, died age fifteen.

  MARGARET- Elder sister of Henry VIII, wife of James IV of Scotland.

  MARY- Younger sister of Henry VIII, wife of Louis XII of France, later wed to Charles Brandon, the Duke of Suffolk, grandmother to Jane Grey.

  THE WIVES OF HENRY VIII

  KATHERINE OF ARAGON- First wife. Daughter of Isabelle and Ferdinand of Spain. Mother of Mary I.

  ANNE BOLEYN- Second wife. Mother of Elizabeth I. Executed on charges of adultery and incest.

  JANE SEYMOUR- Third wife. Mother of Edward VI. Died of childbed fever.

  ANNE OF CLEVES- Fourth wife. Princess of Cleves. Set aside by Henry and given the title of ‘the King’s Most Honored Sister.’

  KATHERINE HOWARD- Fifth wife. Executed for adultery.

  KATHERINE PARR- Sixth wife. Only wife to survive Henry VIII, was later wed to Thomas Seymour before dying in childbirth.

  THE CHILDREN OF HENRY VIII

  EDWARD VI- Reigned from 1547-1553. Died age fifteen.

  MARY I- ‘BLOODY MARY’ Only surviving child of Henry and Katherine of Aragon. Reigned from 1553-1558. Died age forty-two.

  ELIZABETH I- The last of the Tudors. Reigned from 1558-1603. Died age sixty-nine.

  HENRY FITZROY- Duke of Richmond. Illegitimate son of Henry and Bessie Blount. Died in1536 aged seventeen.

  OTHERS

  Ashley, Katherine – Governess to the Princess Elizabeth. Later Chief Lady-in-Waiting to Elizabeth I.

  Aske, Robert - Leader of the rebellion later dubbed the Pilgrimage of Grace. Executed by Henry VIII.

  Askew, Anne – Protestant. Charged with heresy and burned during the reign of Henry VIII.

  Blount, Elizabeth (Bessie) - Mistress of Henry VIII, mother of Henry Fitzroy.

  Boleyn, George – Viscount Rochford. Brother of Anne Boleyn. Accused of incest with Anne and executed by Henry VIII.

  Bonner, Edmund – The Bishop of London during the reign of Mary I.

  Boroughs, Edward – First husband of Katherine Parr.

  Brereton, William – Accused of committing adultery alongside Anne Boleyn and executed.

  Bryan, Margaret - Royal Governess to Edward VI.

  Butts, Doctor – Personal Physician to Henry VIII.

  Chapuys, Eustace – Imperial Ambassador to the English Court.

  Clarencieux, Susan – Chief Lady-in-Waiting to Mary I.

  Courtenay, Edward - Plantagenet heir. Suitor to Mary and Elizabeth. Co-conspirator of the Wyatt Rebellion.

  Cranmer, Thomas –Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI. Deprived under Mary I and sent to the stake.

  Cromwell, Thomas - Earl of Essex. Staunch Protestant reformer, minister to Henry VIII. Later executed.

  Culpepper, Thomas – One of Henry VIII’s attendants of the Privy Chambers. Lover of Katherine Howard. Charged with treason and beheaded.

  Denny, Sir Anthony - One of Henry VIII’s Gentlemen to the Privy Chamber.

  De la Pole, Margaret – Daughter of George, the Duke of Clarence, the brother of Edward IV. Later Countess of Salisbury, mother of Reginald de la Pole and Henry de la Pole. Executed by Henry VIII.

  De la Pole, Reginald - Cardinal of England during reign of Mary I. Son of Lady Salisbury.

  Dereham, Francis – Lover of Katherine Howard. Hanged, drawn and quartered for adultery.

  Dormer, Jane - Lady in Waiting to Mary I.

  Dudley, John - Earl of Warwick. Later became the Duke of Northumberland and Protector of Edward VI. Executed by Mary I.

  Dudley, Robert - Third son of John Dudley. One of John Dudley’s sons to survive into the reign of Elizabeth I. He later became a great favorite of Elizabeth, earning the title the Earl of Leicester.

  Dudley, Guildford - Fourth son of John Dudley. Husband of Jane Grey. Executed by Mary I.

  Francois I- King of France 1494-1547.

  Gardiner, Stephen - Bishop of Winchester during the reign of Henry VIII. Locked in the Tower during the reign of Edward VI. Later released and made Lord Chancellor by Mary I.

  Grey, Frances - Daughter of Henry VIII’s sister Mary and Charles Brandon, the Duke of Suffolk. Mother of Jane Grey.

  Grey, Henry – Husband to Frances Brandon, father of Jane Grey.

  Grey, Jane - ‘The Nine Days Queen,’ wife of Guildford Dudley. Executed during the reign of Mary I.

  Grey, Thomas – Brother of Henry Grey.

  Henri II – King of France 1519-1559.

  Hooper, John – Protestant. Sent to the stake during the reign of Mary I.

  Howard, Thomas - The Third Duke of Norfolk. Privy Councilor to Henry VIII. Uncle to Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard. Great-uncle to Elizabeth I.

  Howard, Henry - Earl of Surrey. Son of Thomas Howard. Executed by Henry VIII.

  Kett, Robert – Leader of a rebellion during the reign of Edward VI.

  Latimer, Hugh - Protestant Bishop of Winchester. Sent to the stake during the reign of Mary I.

  Latimer, John – Second Husband of Katherine Parr.

  Louis XII- King of France 1462-1515. First husband of Mary Tudor (Henry VIII’s sister)

  Newdigate, Sebastian – Carthusian monk sent to the stake during the times of Henry VIII.

  Noailles, Antoine – French Ambassador to the court of Mary I.

  Norris, Henry- Accused of adultery alongside Anne Boleyn and executed.

  Owens, Doctor – Personal physician to Mary I.


  Parker, Jane – Lady Rochford. Wife of George Boleyn. She accused George and Anne Boleyn of incest. She later became lady-in-waiting to Katherine Howard. She was then tried for aiding Katherine Howard in her affairs with Thomas Culpepper and executed.

  Paulet, William – Lord Treasurer of England during the reign of both Edward VI and Mary I.

  Pope Clement VII- Papal reign (19th November 1523- 25th September 1534) coinciding with the reign of Henry VIII.

  Pope Paul III – Papal reign (13th October 1534- 10th November 1549) coinciding with the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI.

  Pope Julius III- Papal reign (7th February 1550- 23rd March 1555) coinciding with the reigns of Edward VI and Mary I.

  Pope Paul IV- Papal reign (23rd May 1555- 18th August 1559) coinciding with reigns of Mary I and Elizabeth I.

  Renard, Simon - Spanish Ambassador to England.

  Ridley, Nicholas - Protestant Bishop of London. Burned at the stake.

  Smeaton, Mark – Musician. Accused of committing adultery with Anne Boleyn and executed.

  Seymour, Edward - Maternal uncle to Edward VI. Duke of Somerset and Lord Protector to Edward VI. Executed during the reign of Edward VI.

  Seymour, Thomas - Maternal uncle to Edward VI. Brother of the Duke of Somerset. Husband to Katherine Parr. Executed for treason under Edward VI.

  Weston, Francis – Accused of committing adultery with Anne Boleyn and executed.

  Wolsey, Thomas – Cardinal. Early Chief Minister to Henry VIII.

  Wyatt, Thomas (older) – Accused of adultery with Anne Boleyn and executed by Henry VIII.

  Wyatt, Thomas (younger) – Instigator and namesake of the Wyatt rebellion during the reign of Mary I.

  SELECTED EVENTS

  1485 - Katherine of Aragon was born.

  1486- Arthur, Prince of Wales was born.

  1491 - Henry VIII was born.

  1501 - Katherine of Aragon married Arthur.

  1502 - Arthur dies. Henry became heir.

  1509 - Anne Boleyn was born. Jane Seymour was born. April 22nd Henry VII dies. June 11th Katherine of Aragon weds Henry. June 24th Henry and Katherine were crowned.

  1512- Katherine Parr was born.

  1514- Anne Boleyn travels to France as one of Mary Tudor’s (Henry VIII’s sister) Maids of Honor.

  1515 - Anne of Cleves was born

  1516 - Mary (later Mary I) was born. Henry VIII takes Bessie Blount as mistress.

  1519- Bessie gave birth to Henry Fitzroy, later Duke of Richmond.

  1520- Margaret de la Pole (Lady Salisbury) was appointed as Mary’s governess.

  1521- Anne Boleyn returned to England. Katherine Howard was born.

  1526- Anne Boleyn gained Henry VIII’s favor.

  1527- Henry VIII began divorce proceedings against Katherine of Aragon

  1530- Sir Thomas More was appointed to the Privy Council as Lord Councilor and the Chief Minister to Henry.

  1531-33- Anne Boleyn became pregnant. Henry officially abandons the Catholic Church and had his marriage to Katherine of Aragon annulled by Thomas Cranmer. Katherine’s title was reverted back to ‘Dowager Princess of Wales’ and she was banished from court. September 7th Birth of Elizabeth (later Elizabeth I) Mary was sent to Hatfield, Hertfordshire, to attend the new heir. A new Act of Succession was passed, bastardizing Mary.

  1534- The Act of Supremacy and the Treasons Act were enacted. Henry was declared Head of the Church of England.

  1535- Thomas More and John Fisher were both executed. Thomas Cromwell became Chief Minister to Henry VIII.

  1536- January 7th Katherine died at Kimbolten. Henry falls in a jousting accident. April: The five men charged with Anne Boleyn were arrested. May 19th Anne Boleyn was executed. May 30th Henry married Jane Seymour. June 22nd Mary writes to Henry ceding her right to the succession. October: Pilgrimage of Grace.

  1537 - October 12th Edward VI was born. October 24th Jane Seymour died at Hampton Court.

  1540- January 6th Anne of Cleves weds Henry. July: Anne’s marriage to Henry was dissolved. July 28th Henry weds Katherine Howard.

  1542- February 13th Katherine Howard was executed.

  1543- July 12th Henry weds Katherine Parr

  1547 - Henry VIII dies. Edward VI was crowned. Edward Seymour proclaimed as Lord Protector.

  1550- Thomas Seymour and Edward Seymour were executed. John Dudley proclaimed as Lord Protector.

  1553 - July 6th Edward VI dies. July 10th Lady Jane Grey was proclaimed Queen. July 19th Queen Jane was deposed. October 1st Mary was crowned. Mary’s reformation begins.

  1554 - January Wyatt Rebellion. July 25th Mary weds Philip of Spain. September: Mary’s first pregnancy announced.

  1555- July Mary’s first pregnancy ends. August: Philip of Spain leaves England. October 16th Protestant Bishops, Latimer and Ridley, sent to the stake.

  1556 – March: The Dudley Rebellion. Thomas Cranmer was burned at the stake.

  1557 - The Stafford Rebellion. England goes to war against France. Mary’s second pregnancy was announced. Anne of Cleves dies.

  1558- England loses Calais. Mary’s second pregnancy ends. Mary’s health worsens. November 17th Mary dies aged 42 at St. James Palace.

  .

  PART ONE

  TUDOR QUEEN

  Prologue

  1522

  MARY AGED SIX

  The sun was so bright it was blinding. She skipped, her chuckles permeating the air.

  Beside her came the heavy crunch of her father’s heel and the soft tread of her mother’s footfalls. She ran along, looked up at them and tightened her hands over theirs.

  Mary’s laugh was a tinkle.

  She felt the heat of the golden rays touching her, warming her. Her father chucked her under her chin, his voice deep as he spoke to her mother.

  Mary thought her father’s smile was as wonderful as the sun.

  To her, it was as if they were sparkling. Between them, jewels glittered, bright and wondrous. And here, with the colors swirling around them she skipped and danced, singing aloud for her parents. Their praises made her heart soar.

  She was wearing a newly fashioned dress. It fanned out around her as she twirled this way and that. Gold thread and shining silver greeted her wherever she set her eyes. Her gown was a sight to behold. Her mother had lovingly stitched each and every thread and the brocade was soft, so soft against her skin.

  Upon seeing her in her new dress her father had declared her the most beautiful Princess he had ever beheld, second only, he added, to that of his little Mary’s mother, his most beloved Katherine.

  Her mother had blushed at her father’s praise, smiling gently.

  Mary held onto their hands tighter. Out of the corner of her eye, she spied movement. Peering behind them, she frowned. These men and women were forever following her father and mother, wherever they went. The court, they called them. Ladies, Lords and servants, they were all her father’s to command. She liked them not at all. Not one jot. Now that she was old enough she understood their purpose and their whispers.

  She tilted her chin up and turned away from them. They were troublesome and forever claiming her mother and her father’s time. They were unkind. True, they smiled and bowed low to her, their Princess Royal, but she knew it meant nothing.

  They were waiting for a boy.

  They said a boy was coming; that her mother would soon bear her father a son and heirs to spare. The boys were to be found in this rounded belly and the next. But the boys never came.

  After all these years, there was still only her, Mary the Princess, no one else and she was happy, most happy with the arrangement. Her mother and her father were hers and hers alone. She needn’t share her father and mother with anyone and she liked it just so.

  She looked up, tugged on her father’s hand then her mother’s. They smiled down upon her and Mary laughed, her joy carried on the wind.

  Giddy, she released their hands to run on ahead.

  In her haste, she tripped, falling t
o her knees. Immediately, her father and mother were by her side. He picked her up, swinging her up into his arms.

  How now sweetheart? he said, holding her close.

  Tearfully, she held onto him.

  He called her his sweetheart, his pride and his joy, and instead of crying Mary sniffed, holding back her tears. Soon all her pains were forgotten and again her giggles rang out as her father teased and held her close.

  Sinking her chubby hands into the ermine of her father’s collar, Mary felt like she was flying, so far above the ground was she. Her father kissed her plump cheeks.

  I have the handsomest child in England! He smiled and Katherine the Queen beamed.

  Our Daughter, this girl, she never cries! She has the sternest brow in England! With those words, he kissed her brow and here with her father holding her and her mother beside them, she laughed, bathing in the golden glory of the sun.

  KATHERINE THE QUEEN

  1532

  What was a woman worth to her husband?

  Katherine stared hard at her sewing while her mind turned upon the matter.

  Not much, she concluded, not very much at all.

  She was an old woman now. She had lived two and forty years to the day, and now on this day of days, she remembered it all. How she came to be on English soil. How she came to be queen.

  It had begun with a king’s desire. The desire of Henry VII to see his young heir secured and his young house flourish. Henry Tudor had thought to find his son, Arthur, a royal bride of the first order to see to the furthering of his dynasty and to secure it forevermore.

  For the House of Tudor was a young one, not very famous, not very hardy and not very well placed at all.

  From Henry VII’s maternal side, the Beauforts, the Tudors were the descendents of John of Gaunt, the youngest son of Edward III. But their claim was a weak one and disputed to boot. On the other, the Tudors were Welsh stock. They were the descendents of Owain Tudor: a servant-squire of Henry V. Owain Tudor had cuckolded his sovereign by tumbling his wife, the French Princess Katherine Valois, the daughter of Charles VI.