For the first time in years, the Lady Mary was being shown royal favor, and courtiers were attempting to gain her honor; a privilege she had not felt in quite some time. It made her feel like a Princess again. Thankfully, for her comfort after her mother’s passing, and much to Queen Anne’s dismay, Henry allowed Mary to grieve in private at Hertfordshire, and rarely left the residence unless summoned, or it was absolutely necessary. His generosity was kind, but he did not leave her alone without spies, just in case she meant to cause him harm. As with the mother with whom she shared the old faith, she would enjoy hours of mass, and might take a walk in the gardens, but this letter from Aske revitalized her in a way she had not felt in years.
The Lady Mary kept the contents of the letter private, and trusted Brandon’s own courier not to betray her honor, by disclosing his dispatch to her. In truth, couriers were notorious for their silence, and even if Brandon’s messenger had uncovered the contents of the letter he dare not, as a matter of honor, betray his master by notifying him of its purpose. She lacked a plan as to how to respond and was mostly content to revel in the little bit of power that she held on to, and in knowing that the rebellion had all started in her name and to restore her true title as Princess. She was overjoyed.
Mary hid the letter within the folds of her mattress, between several barbs of both wire and wood, ensuring that it could only be found if searched for. Even the laundress servants who regularly changed her linens would be unable to find them, this she was certain of. Confident in her own charge, that very same day, ironically, Mary received an invitation to attend court at Christmastide from the King and Queen, to serve as their guest of honor for the week of seasonal festivities to begin the evening of December 21st, 1536.
At the time, both of which events were quite separate, with the King having no knowledge of Aske’s treason in communicating directly to his former heir the rebels’ desire to restore the former Princess to her prior glory. With no reason for Lady Mary to offer up such information to her own detriment, she ordered her servants to gather her finest garments and accoutrements to prepare at once to head for court. In a rare show of honor, perhaps in an incredibly good mood, she would even wear the liveries that Queen Anne had spitefully sent her months before, when the former Queen Katherine, Mary’s mother, shortly after her own mother had died. Where Anne had previously rejected Mary and her mother entirely, this irony even sarcastic showing of generosity had perhaps been meant to show some little respect for the prior order, knowing full well that the rebels could possibly succeed in restoring Mary to her prior role as the rightful heir. In such tumultuous times, she did not mind pretending to pay homage to a “fake Queen,” even if it could as easily be interpreted as a complete slap in the face. Mary longed to be reunited with her father and to be blessed again back at court.
Mary thought that, perhaps, her prayers had finally been answered in Robert Aske. She would seek him out as soon as she got to court, hoping that not only had he and the other rebel leaders been welcome but also to find out if there was any hope in his rebellion, and learn how it was coming along; most particularly, she surely sought more information on what their plans were for restoring her. While she loathed having to wear Anne’s liveries, even for an instant, she kept reminding herself that she had been forced to do much against her conscience on behalf of “this whore,” and that with the appearance of a legitimate change of bringing down the Queen; this outward display would be a small price to pay to manipulate her enemy. In packing her things, Mary found a beautiful, uncut, six-carat diamond that her mother had acquired and given to her. Mary decided to give the gem to Aske when they met, for him to sell to use for his cause. She knew that, especially in the north, her followers were strong.
Perhaps, with this new development, she could at last convince Ambassador Chapuys that the internal strife they had been waiting for had arrived, and she could prompt him to advise the Spanish Emperor into an all-out invasion of the island. All her actions had been treason, but Mary had waited long enough for the crown and was eager for anyone who seriously took up her cause, such as had Aske. She would seek out Chapuys when she got to court to seek his counsel on Aske’s motives, but until then she held the rebel’s intentions near her heart and believed it with every ounce of her faith.
After arriving at court, Aske and the other leaders were bathed, fed, and sufficiently groomed by the King’s servants to make themselves appropriate in the King and Queen’s presence, which included a brief lesson on royal etiquette. Naturally, Lord Dacre was not required to attend the etiquette lesson. Once made ready for the event, the festivities were to start promptly at 6 P.M. on December 25th, 1536, with Henry and Anne coming in first to massive cheers, followed by the nobility, and then their retinue. After Henry gave a toast to the health and happiness of all his subjects that year, followed by a short toast by the Queen, the court joined in. It was customary for guests to bring presents of good will at this time of year, which would be kept in the “gift room,” minded day and night by four Yeoman guards.
The King dressed in royal blue liveries featuring his own emblem of the Tudor dynasty, encrusted with gold, rubies, pearls, and diamonds, about his neck. On his left arm he carried the Henrycus Rex logo, and on his right, the Tudor white and red roses. On his front piece, he had his family arms, and below it, he had Anne’s initials of AB, naturally making the Queen proud. His leggings, codpiece, and shoes matched his outfit, and his crown this day weighed nine pounds, heavy, but which Henry wore with pride. This piece was custom made for this occasion, to match his outfit, and was one of the only Tudor crowns that did not come from the Tower of London. Anne and his private jeweler and tailor helped assemble the crown for Henry’s head.
Not to be outdone, Anne was allowed her own custom crown for this occasion, matching her dress as well. She chose a royal purple velvet gown with amethysts, diamonds, and pearls sewn into the square neckline and bodice. She chose a custom made cross of pure diamonds and amethysts, held to her neck with a piece of purple velvet from her dress, and her amethyst and diamond earrings truly made her stand out. Her dark hair was swept up into a bun within her custom crown, made of only diamonds and amethysts for her small head. This crown was made of a lighter metal and was only about five pounds, so she could wear it throughout the ceremony with the least amount of discomfort possible.
The pair looked radiant, and Anne decided they should have Holbein paint them in these very outfits at a later time. Anne’s dress had to be pulled out slightly since she was several months pregnant at the time, although with her small frame she was barely showing. Henry had planned to announce the pregnancy that night. The two were very affectionate and in love with one another, and before the ceremony they played cards, flirted as though they were teenagers again, and in generally excellent cheer.
When the Lady Mary entered court wearing Anne’s formal liveries assuming her kneeled appropriate greeting to the King and Queen, the entire court was shocked even her own admirers; it also provided discomfort to her enemies. With her and her servants now at court, Cromwell’s search of her chambers and household went far smoother than imagined. At this time, the King was not informed that a search of the Lady Mary’s houses and possessions was taking place, the minister felt it was best to gather evidence against her first and risk presenting it later. Cromwell had started the search in hopes of regaining favor with Henry, if he could uncover evidence she was in any way involved in the plot with the rebels. He had long suspected the Lady Mary and her followers of attempting to bring down the reforms, and now with the rebellion, he had even more reason to be suspicious. Some courtiers were convinced it was nothing more than play acting, and then others wondered if Anne really had gotten to her and thought of Mary as a traitor to her own cause. The real truth, none of them knew. One dinner party was hardly enough proof to speculate on Mary’s motives, even if the gesture was significant.
Was her showing of attir
e truly the recognition of Anne’s legitimacy that for so long she had resisted? The only time she had publicly acknowledged Anne as Queen was when she was visited by royal agents in July, under threat of imprisonment and death. Now this sudden change of heart caused at least Queen Anne to immediately embrace her, shocked as she was to see, in public court, her now lowly servant, the Lady Mary, bowing in recognition, wearing one of Anne’s own liveries. Mary was now having the ultimate revenge, at least for now. Her wearing these garments would force Anne to bring the Lady Mary up from her knees and formally recognize her title and position at court, a sign of good will that was common at the time. While it greatly pleased Henry, Anne was a mix of confusion, paranoia, and suspicion. While embracing the Lady Mary, Anne invited her to dine with her and Henry in their chambers later, meanwhile seeking to use the dinner to discover Mary’s intentions. Anne graciously played the consummate host, even to the point where Chapuys could agree to Anne’s generosity by inviting Mary to join in dancing as the evening ensued. At dinner, she sat the Lady Mary beside her as her own personal guest, although this was perhaps mainly so she could keep an eye on her.
For a time before the meals had been served, Lord Rochford and Anne had disappeared, perhaps so he could advise her to sit Mary beside her despite her personal feelings. Anne’s father had it on good intelligence from his own agents that the Lady Mary may not be around at court to entertain for long, so it would be wise to embrace her presence for as long as Anne could bear it, with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. It was here possibly when Anne asked her father to investigate the Lady Mary’s suspect actions before returning to adjoin her guests. Anne did love a good intrigue, so without asking questions, she rejoined her table and in a dramatic gesture in front of all the court, she asked the Lady Mary—to mass applause—to join her. Anne was puzzled at Mary’s behavior towards her after the invitation, but did not let her guard down. She knew something was going on, and would look into the cause behind it when she had the time. This evening, she was going to enjoy. Graciously, the Lady Mary accepted, and even Chapuys, while commenting on the lewdness of the gifted liveries, did provide Anne with a compliment for treating Mary so graciously.
All the court was gossiping. Here were two former arch-enemies, now seeming to get along as though great friends. It was quite a show, even for the Tudor court. After dinner, the two women engaged in a dance display for the court, which everyone applauded. Even cynical courtiers remarked that perhaps the English court truly was changing for the better. Anne grabbed Mary by the shoulders, calling her ‘dearest friend’ and kissing her on each cheek in the French fashion, although it is doubtless both women cringed equally to do so. Henry and Lord Rochford could not have been more thrilled with Anne’s maturity and political acumen. After the Queen excused herself to her chambers, there she found her drunken brother George, waiting to berate and mock her for her performance with her foe. When she tried to calm him and explain that it was all for show, he refused to believe it. She had her ladies call for her father, had him removed from her presence, and sent back to his chamber at once.
It was custom for after dinner guests either to continue dancing or to retire to their chambers, but only after the King and Queen had done so. The Queen had been the first one to leave to her own chambers to undress for the evening, and later the King motioned for Brandon to join him in the study. The Lady Mary followed suit and retired to her own chamber within Hampton Court, but first she had a servant she trusted with her life to bring Robert Aske to speak to her for a few moments in private later in the evening. She urgently expressed her wish that no one know of their meeting, especially the King and Queen.
Brandon immediately briefed Henry on what he had seen and experienced in the north with the rebel movements, answering questions on whether or not they could cause serious damage and what should Henry’s next moves be. Brandon was very diplomatic about the entire affair and first pointed out the enormous greeting the people had given to the armistice once the rebels realized Henry’s forces had approached on a diplomatic mission. Brandon related how Aske, as the leader, had greeted Brandon as a gentleman, along with the Earl of Surrey, and asked for all of them to come into their makeshift camp at Lord Dacre’s castle to negotiate. Once inside, they were treated to every kindness, including ale and fresh meat, so they could all dine before getting down to business. Brandon told his King how the negotiations went off peacefully; although the Earl of Surrey let his own disposition and ale get the better of him and finally had to be removed from the interactions after passing out. The King enjoyed a good laugh at this it was this very type of behavior he found so amusing in the Earl, although it made it extremely difficult for the Earl to conduct serious affairs.
The King grilled Brandon for nearly an hour while the festivities continued in the dining hall late into the evening to ask specifically about each of the leader’s inclinations in the rebellion. Did Brandon feel they were guilty? If so, what was the extent of each of their guilt, what was their level of activity, and would it be viewed as too generous to host these rebels at court at Christmastide this year? In typical Brandon fashion, he gave the appropriate diplomatic answer that, indeed, Henry was right for inviting them to court, if nothing else so that the nobility could see their enemy face-to-face, and for them to engage with an educated man, Aske, who was not the mere barbarian most of the courtiers had made him out to be. It would also show the King as a reasonable man who could put aside personal differences and even welcome hostility in an environment of neutrality.
All these elegant speeches were meant to play on the King’s ego, and it worked. Relieved with Brandon’s answers, they rejoined the dinner festivities. The King would announce that his guest of honor was Robert Aske, and ordered that he be treated to every kindness while he was in residence at court. The King returned to find Anne had once more rejoined his fellow courtiers in revelry, laughing at a final joke Anne was busy telling to entertain them, and immediately ordered the servants to start serving more food.
Henry then rose, followed by his guests, and on a serious note he raised his glass in a toast to Robert Aske, praising him for his courage in leading the rebel movement to a series of gasps and sighs at the tables. Henry then announced that Aske was his personal guest of honor for the evening and to be treated to every kindness by all. Before he sat down, he toasted to his wonderful queen, telling the court that she was once again with child. This announcement was greeted with mass applause and Anne waved with a smile. With that, they all continued to enjoy a great feast, followed by lavish gift-giving. Anne approved of the show Henry was putting on for the guests; she had advised him to make light of the situation in front of the court to show all his mercy and goodness. In time, Henry would have the opportunity to punish these rebellious traitors as God would see them punished. Henry played his part perfectly.
The custom after dinner was to join their majesties in the gift room to receive the guests’ fine pieces, humbly thanking each one. This could be exhausting and take hours, which is why at least this year it was decided best not to invite Prince Henry and Princess Elizabeth, and subject them to the long excursion, especially at their ages. After the gift giving ceremony, which took some three to four hours, the royal guests of honor (usually there were two, although this time there were five, the three rebel leaders the King and Ms. Isabel Astley and (the Lady Mary for the Queen) gave short speeches of thanks to their majesties for allowing them to be present. After the gift ceremony, the King and Queen lead the court back into the great hall chamber for dancing, card playing, and conversation that would go on for hours, late into the evening.
During the gift giving, Henry and Anne had some of the finest pieces given out. To the Lady Mary, from the King and Queen, went a fine gold challis engraved with a Latin inscription of the Book of John, 15:10-12, as a stern message from the King: “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s com
mands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this Love each other as I have loved you.” The beautiful inscription was circled around the top exterior of the challis. Henry’s jewelry maker had custom made this piece at his behest specifically for Mary. The message was meant to be more than inspirational. The Lady Mary in return gave their majesties a beautiful solid gold Virgin Mary with the hands extended and eyes of pearls. Mary wept at receiving her father’s gift and in presenting her own to their majesties. It was an intense moment for all at court who witnessed it.
As a gift to the King and Queen the orphans of the St. Mary’s Church put on a play. The theme of the play was kindness. Its main characters focused on noble children who treated a local common boy very meanly until they discovered his family truly was rich and chose to live modest means because of their faith. The boy never retaliates and, through his acts of kindness to his bullies, he manages to teach them humility and repentance. The children’s performance was met with a standing ovation, tears and shouts of an encore.
The Duchess of Suffolk had helped finance the children’s present, a beautiful, brilliant rare four carat sapphire from the West Indies, to be presented to the monarchs at the closing act. The main actor, an eight year old boy named Nicholas, presented the gift. With tears in his eyes, Henry graciously accepted the gift and welcomed all of the children and their sponsors as permanent guests of court to thunderous applause. The King also returned the sapphire to the children and ordered it be sold to supply their needs, and ordered 5,000 pounds sent annually to manage the orphanage.
Had the Queen Lived: Page 15