Had the Queen Lived:

by Raven A. Nuckols

  While imprisoned, Cromwell had written several letters to the King, begging him for mercy; all the letters went unanswered. He also prepared several drafts of his speech for the scaffold, one filled with repentance and praising Henry’s justice, in keeping with his desire to spare his family further retribution. According to Cromwell’s biographer, Robert Hutchinson, he spoke these words at the scaffold:

  “Good people, I am come here to die and not to purge myself, as some think that I will. For if I should do so I would be a wretch and a miserable man. I am by the law condemned to die and thank my Lord God that he has appointed me this death for my offence. For since the time that I have had years of discretion, I have lived as a sinner and have offended my Lord God, for which I ask him heartily for forgiveness. And it is not unknown to many of you that I have been a great traveler in the world but being of a base degree was called to a high estate. Since the time I came thereunto, I have offended my Prince, for which I also ask him for hearty amnesty. I beseech you all to pray to God with me that he will forgive me. O Father, forgive me, O Son forgive me, O Holy Ghost forgive me, O three persons and one God forgive me. And now I pray you that be here, to bear record that I die in the Catholic faith not doubting any article of my faith, no nor doubting any sacrament of the church.”—Thomas Cromwell

  If Cromwell could have at least hoped for a swift and smooth execution, then it was not to be the case. Henry, enraged at Cromwell’s collusion with the Spanish—and through them with the Pope who excommunicated him—chose not to commute the usual sentence for treason to a simple, quick beheading. Cromwell would be hung, disemboweled while yet alive, drawn on the rack, and quartered, with his limbs sent to the corners of the Kingdom, a brutal and dramatic warning to any who would dare to commit treason.

  The crowd was both horrified and intoxicated by the spectacle, and blood was everywhere. Most of the realm was glad to see him go. Cheers rang out each time the executioner performed a different part of his charge, especially loudly when Cromwell’s genitals were cut off. Contemporary accounts claim that it took only ten minutes for him to bleed to death while still hanging, suggesting that whoever cut him open had severed a femoral artery. At least for that unintentionally quick death Cromwell may have been grateful in his last moments.

  Pamphlets were printed hailing the King for ridding the realm of such a vile traitor. One popular one was called the Ballad of Thomas Cromwell. Anne threw a celebration banquet where she declared her public support of Henry’s actions. Universities began debating on who the next minister might be and, with three successive such ministers having been arrested on treason, if one should seek that post at all. Cromwell had made no repentance of his intransigence, he had only asked for forgiveness by his Prince, whom he must have viewed as the ultimate authority in the realm. The pieces of his body were hung on the four posts of London’s city entrances. Three days later, his head was stolen from its post, never to be recovered. After several weeks, his remains were taken down from their posts and their final resting place is still one of debate.

  Anne was able to breathe a sigh of relief at the execution of her former ally and later adversary. Now responsible directly for the fall of not one but two of Henry’s most trusted ministers, her position was solid. Cromwell had proved his usefulness and, now that he was gone, she would need to set about making new powerful friends at court. Several names had been put forward to the King for selection as a new minister. Conservatives saw this as their opportunity to advance one of their candidates with a Thomas Writothesley and a Stephen Gardiner mentioned for the post; however, Baron Audley officially replaced Cromwell in his duties. As Audley had been was Lord Chancellor before Cromwell became Lord Privy Seal, the Privy Seal’s duties were transferred to Audley after Cromwell’s downfall. The title Lord Privy Seal was not used again in Henry’s reign.

  7.4 New Security at Home, New Danger Abroad

  Anne had delivered the first editions of Tyndale’s English Bible in February 1538 to the Bisham Abbey attendants, but additional changes at Henry’s request had been made that summer. With the second edition, the Ten Articles were even further emphasized with the banning of worshipping false idols. After the Cromwell execution, a spiteful Henry ordered gold-embellished versions of the English Bible to be custom-made and sent to Francis I and Charles V. This would prove to be a provocation that unintentionally aided Charles in what had been the Emperor’s concerted effort over the summer of 1538 to remove the threat from France while incorporating the Pope’s promised aid to his men-at-arms.

  In addition to the Bibles, confident at having rebuffed the Spanish and consolidated his control over England, Henry personally wrote a letter to each of his brother kings, letting them know that he was intimately involved in the domestic affairs of his kingdom and encouraging his brothers to do the same. This was a too obvious implication that Spain and France should both keep to their own affairs and not dare threaten England. To Francis, at Anne’s behest, Henry sent along a gold plate filled with jewels and a 17-carat sapphire that the Ambassador from the Venetian States (France’s rival in Italy) had gifted to the shrine of St. Beckett. The Queen also signed the letter with her husband, calling the King of France her dear and beloved friend, wishing him fair health, and pleading with him to visit England soon. The gesture would be too little (or perhaps too much) too late.

  Part of this diplomatic effort was to get a feel for the climate towards England. By the end of the 1530’s France and Spain were rumored to have started peace talks and to be working towards a treaty together, which would have permanently put England on the sidelines as a major European player. Although this was not necessarily a bad thing—after all, the country had enough major items on its domestic agenda items to keep them occupied—Henry was an egocentric ruler who pathologically craved respect and recognition from other nations. This possible peace treaty was a direct insult to Henry’s status, one he would not tolerate.

  Anne did her best to encourage Henry to keep his mind focused towards domestic affairs and press for further religious changes, but he kept his thoughts on France and Spain. In January 1539, the two nations made good on their peace treaty, which stipulated that neither nation was allowed to enter into foreign alliances without the advanced approval of the other country, effectively binding the two largest European powers on the same side. This “Peace of Toledo,” as it was so named, was one of the singular diplomatic events of the 16th century.

  The two powers boasted the largest populations of Western Europe, but also held between them the largest land-based military prowess in the entire Continent. Henry had a right to be fearful, but the reality was that Spain was still heavily engaged in its war with the Ottoman Empire for control of the eastern Mediterranean and was seeking to recover from recent losses in Hungary. France was doing its best to maintain adequate food supplies and hold on to lands it had occupied for several years in Italy against Venetian forces. Neither country was in any real position to engage in a full scale war with an island nation, especially one as fully equipped as Henry’s, yet both Francis and Charles, despite the former’s loose friendship with England, were increasingly upset with Henry and Anne’s religious reforms, and Charles certainly had every reason to attack, but no means of capably doing so. At least, not yet.

  Chapter 8

  The Mistress

  Lady Frances Hastings was born in 1525, the first of eleven children to Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon, and Catherine Pole. The Earl had been granted his title of nobility November 3rd, 1529, for service to the crown. A healthy girl with a yielding and pleasing disposition, Frances was educated to the standards of her day in sewing, household management, cooking, and child rearing.

  She had developed a fondness for reading a variety of subjects from her father’s libraries in their Leicestershire estate. As a child she was often caught sneaking books by the creek to read in private, some several times; she simply adored the wri
tten word. When she was caught, her mother would scold the servants for indulging Frances and often times garnish their wages for influencing the impressionable youth.

  Frances excelled in her studies and developed a great talent for knitting, but while well educated in secular matters, she was not particularly trained in religious affairs. Her mother focused mainly on the practical aspects of life and while her father was secretly a committed Catholic, he was emotionally absent from his daughter’s upbringing and often away at court. Her tutors taught her the new faith, but Frances did not take much to piety; her preferred means of reflection came in self-expression and reading, rather than in devotion to God. As with most children, she found religious lessons boring and was unable to concentrate.

  Her introduction to court came in the spring of 1540 at a diplomatic ceremony honoring the Ottoman Ambassador. Her father sent home the invitation with a letter saying that her training had sufficiently prepared her to be introduced at court. The remaining children would be attended by his mother-in-law and the servants while Frances and her mother came to London. The Earl had been aware of a vacant position in the Queen’s household for quite some time and that the latest front-runner for the spot, a Lady Anne Hastings, had recently failed to meet with the Queen’s approval. Francis would speak with Lord Audley about recommending his daughter to the household.

  Her first experience at court allowed her to showcase her dancing skills, education, and to finally experience a world of excitement and culture. Only fifteen, Frances had already developed womanly curves and was often mistaken for being older than she truly was. Her features were also above average, based on the beauty standards of that day: standing 5'4”, she had fair skin, green eyes, and dark blonde hair. Her manners were impeccable, because of her mother’s strict training, but she was still unprepared for life at court.

  Despite the pretense of chastity among young ladies of the upper classes, the court was a place where nearly none of the women long retained their virginity. Hardly a moral training ground, the court had quite a way of exciting this impressionable, amiable young lady, and she reveled in it. Nevertheless, her potential competitors for the position with the Queen did not consider her a threat because her youth and vitality combined to appear as naiveté. They would come to regret so quickly dismissing the young Lady Frances.

  Not long after bringing his daughter to court, Frances’ father was sent on a mission to Italy, leaving his family alone. In his absence, her mother and her father’s trusted advisors continued to lavish Frances with advice on court behavior, grooming, and making herself stand out from the other Ladies while yet appearing demure. To be at court was expensive and exposed her to an entirely new standard of living where shopping for new dresses, glittering jewels, and other accouterments commonly took place on a daily basis. Spoiled by these extravagancies for the first time, Frances felt a new sense of value and happiness. She also had more time to spend with her mother and for the first time began to form a genuine connection with the woman who had given birth to her.

  Her mother had watched the court reactions carefully and quickly understood how easily Frances could bait men of wealth and power; indeed, the Earl had not informed her of his private ambition that Frances might catch the eye of the most powerful man in England. Lady Pole cultivated her daughter as a potential prize, training her in the rituals of courtly love. Correspondence between her parents during this time shows that the girl was progressing quite well.

  It was not long before Frances caught the eye of the conservative, anti-Boleyn faction as well. The faction now consisted of her father, Henry Howard the Earl of Surrey, the Duke of Norfolk, the Seymour family, and Bishop Stephen Gardiner. Attempts to persuade Ambassador Chapuys to join failed; while the Spaniard would have made one of the strongest allies the faction had, after the Cromwell affair he became understandably disengaged from English affairs. He was waiting to be recalled by Charles and looked forward to retirement.

  While away in Italy, the Earl had been in contact with the faction. Frances’ father had initially been the hardest to persuade to start associating with the conservatives, but his fierce jealousy at the skill and speed with which the Boleyns had risen and his deep Catholic faith had finally swayed him. Francis was raised a devout Catholic even though he was not home enough to ensure his wife enforced this principle in their children. When the Reformation happened he conformed, like many papists, under threat of loss of life and property. Given his rank in the peerage he ensured that and he and his family were among the first to swear the oaths of Succession and Supremacy, as not to arouse suspicion; however, privately held to the old ways and resented the influence of Anne in pulling the King away from the Roman church.

  As for the other members, the rest had suffered at the hands of the Boleyns. While all but the Seymour brothers were of the nobility, and had suffered little financially from the Queen’s influence, it was the power to influence the King that they most desired to take back from the Boleyns.

  As this faction reviewed every avenue that might benefit them in attempting their own rise, Norfolk suggested Frances as a possible candidate for Anne’s open lady-in-waiting position, which would give them a pair of eyes and ears within the royal chambers, and perhaps to entice the lusty King. The rest of the faction agreed, provided that Francis could guarantee his daughter would do her duty. The faction had attempted to lay low since the Jane affair went sour but with Frances, it was a renewed chance for them to Act. With this Queen, ensuring the placement would not be easy. Such positions were highly competitive and the ladies-in-waiting already chosen were of very prestigious families and exceptionally educated.

  Bishop Gardiner viewed the Lady Frances as a mere tool to be used in helping his allied anti-reformists win back power. He was primarily concerned that her religious background would pose a serious obstacle and that Frances, herself, might be a reformist. The faction attempted to persuade Gardiner that Frances was the means to their eventual restoration, and they needed his aid because by virtue of his position in the church he would be a critical player in getting the lady appointed to the Queen’s chambers.

  Without Gardiner’s input, Lord Audley was certain to reject adding more servants to the Queen’s chambers during such difficult financial times. The success of this planned infiltration was far from assured; but the faction was convinced that the King would take a liking to the striking young lady, so great a contrast she was with his wife. To prepare her to catch the monarch’s eyes, the group pooled resources and showered the young lady with the most extravagant gowns, and jewels, an already star-struck young woman’s wildest dreams were coming true.

  They took advantage of her ignorance as to how she should court a gentleman. Instead, they played to her youthful passions and reinforced the values of chivalry. Prizing her as their latest meal ticket, they acquired the best tutors and etiquette coaches, and taught her a great deal about the social graces expected of a lady at court. It is questionable whether her father had grasped her knowledge of relationships but it is known that he conditioned her to treat her virginity more as a commodity to be used as bait than as a matter of virtue. He reinforced the value of using one’s advantages to achieve position and wealth and managed to manipulate Frances’ good nature, innocence, and intoxication at the luxury and attention of courtly life.

  Anne, so skilled thus far in climbing to power and consolidating her position, was yet finding it difficult transitioning her role with the King she had so long sought to win. Throughout their marriage Anne had struggled to maintain the quiet dignity befitting a Queen. As a mistress, it had been acceptable, even enticing, for her to continually assert her independence, intelligence, wit and political savvy. As the royal consort, by contrast, her duties had become drastically different.

  As a wife, obedience, submission, and loyal servitude were meant to be her strengths. She was to serve as the silent partner behind the throne, her on
ly responsibility being to bear a male heir, which she had already accomplished, along with her surviving daughter. Over time, despite her success in moving her husband to her side during instances such as the Cromwell affair, she found her interactions with the King to be growing tenser, mostly over religious matters. She could feel strains on her marriage building with every time she gave the King her views, but her nature would not allow her to consistently hold her tongue. The King’s eye was again poised to wander.

  8.1 A New Lady-in-Waiting

  In early 1540 an application was filed on Frances’ behalf for a position as a lady-in-waiting to the Queen. The Earl’s recent successful diplomatic ventures between England and Italy saw an increase in trade and revenues due the crown. He returned in the spring to join his wife and daughter at court. These events provided the perfect platform to advance the standing of Frances. Intelligent but still young and naïve, the Queen was seen as certain to be insufficiently impressed with the lovely but inexperienced young maid. Anne had typically preferred her servants to be affable but intelligent, reform-minded, and most of all obedient and humble. Frances was far too young to be any of those things and while she did her utmost to impress her majesty, she never measured up to Anne’s standards.

  To assure his daughter’s placement, Francis arranged for a beautiful gold and onyx broach to be made for the Queen, with a French inscription on the back reading “Her Royal Majesty Queen Anne.” Later accounts by one of Frances’ nephews indicate that the Queen received the gift favorably and asked to meet Frances again, before making judgment. The ploy worked and by March of 1540, Frances was officially a lady-in-waiting to Queen Anne.