Anne fastidiously attended to preparations for the Easter holidays of 1542. For hours she sat and decided what biblical passages she might preach with the aid of Archbishop Cranmer and John Skip, her almoner (a chaplain whose primary duty was disbursement of charity). This year’s message would be one of hope and finding salvation in Christ. She had Prince Henry and Princess Elizabeth brought to her to assist in the preparations, along with the children of St. Mary’s Orphanage. The previous year her family and her people had encountered many domestic and foreign obstacles, this sermon was meant to reinstall in the people their faith that all would be made well by God, through the person of the King. Pamphlets were drawn up depicting the religious idolatries of the old faith and praising instead those who sought redemption under the reformers. The previous editions of pamphlets responding to the Pope, such as after he had blamed the sweating sickness on Henry and the reformers, were redistributed, but the new ones were highly persuasive and illustrative. These were not to be the only arrangements made for the services.
Following the death of Anne’s father in the winter, she had seen her sister Mary for the first time in years. It is not exactly known why the sisters fell out, but it is likely that Mary desired a quiet life away from the pace at court, and it was too awkward for them to maintain close ties after Anne had replaced Mary as Henry’s mistress, only to go on to become Queen. With Frances mother ailing and near death, the King granted her leave to go home to care for her and if necessary prepare for her burial.
Mary had married Sir William Stafford in 1534 and by him she had two children, Anne and Edward. Stafford was Mary’s second marriage; her first marriage to William Carey also produced two children, Henry and Catherine Carey. Their father had never approved of Mary’s first husband, perhaps because William was not a man of high status. Initially he had shown promise as a courtier, but after he married Mary and her sister became Queen they had both desired to leave court and lead private lives.
Anne and Mary rarely spoke, except for an occasional note to borrow money or announce a coming child. Unfortunately, the sisters did not have long to rekindle their childhood bond. In July 1543 Mary died at the Boleyn family estate in Essex of Rochford Hall. It is not known what impact if any her death had on Anne. There are no recorded visits of the Queen visiting her nieces or nephews. The only family she had left was her brother George and she would come to count on his counsel greatly.
In the mean time, Henry continued to shower gifts of jewels upon Frances. He sent expensive gifts to her family estate and short letters reminding her to be true to him whilst he was away. Frances disposed of most of these letters and when strapped for cash allegedly sold one of the fine necklaces he had sent her. Her mother’s health was failing daily and by the fifth day of her return, the Lady Catherine had died. Burying her mother had been more difficult than Frances could have imagined. The pair had not been close in life, but her death permanently ended all ties she could have had. The closest their relationship had been was when the young girl had first arrived at court. Her father was away in the Netherlands at this time, negotiating a trade deal, and was not there to bury his wife or console his children.
Frances, the eldest and now lady of the manor, appealed to the King to allow her to stay at home long enough to see her father return to care for her siblings. The request was denied and she was ordered to return to the court before the fall. The King had gone long enough without his toy, and he wanted his affections answered. In an attempt at consolation, he sent her a purse with 500 pounds, to ease her disposition. Her younger brother recorded years later in his private correspondence that she threw the money into the fire pit upon receipt. The accuracy of her brother’s report is questionable, given that Thomas Hastings was to go on to be known as a fraud and extortionist, but the story cannot be dismissed out of hand.
8.4 Scandal Erupts
Frances could no longer stand her separation from Don Miguel, neither could she stand to keep up the charade of adopting the Protestant faith or pretending to love Henry. In essence, she was being someone she was not and it was taking its toll on her psyche. It had been months since she had seen her true love; she did not return the deep feelings Henry felt for her and was still often repulsed by his advances. She wrote Miguel, pleading for his presence, detailing her grief for both her mother’s loss and their absence from each other. Eventually, another letter was able to find its way directly to his hands, through Frances’ good friend and confident the Lady Norris.
Don Miguel appeared by barge late in the evening of August 2nd, 1542, and was shown to Frances’ chamber by her closest servant, Emily Waterston. They spent hours enjoying one another’s company, and perhaps even consummated their love, despite their earlier promise to each other. It is difficult to say for sure whether or not they took that step, but things had surely changed in Frances, given how increasingly intimate she appeared to have been growing with the King. Don Miguel vowed never to forsake her and pledged eternal honor to her as his husband. She detailed her dealings with the King, and according to his diaries, at one point even damned Henry to hell.
Miguel understood her frustration, yet was powerless to move against the English King. She begged and pleaded with him yet again to take her to Spain with him where they could be happy with one another. He pleaded with her to reconcile herself to her post in life for as long as it pleased the King. She must endure, for both of their sakes. He urged her to stay strong and assured them that, in God’s good time, they would someday be together. Unfortunately this was not a realistic option for either, given his status at court if he were to leave abruptly. If his intentions were uncovered it could lead to an international showdown, when relations were already strained between their two nations. Not only that, Chapuys was in failing health and he was only waiting for Charles to send a replacement that would be along shortly. The situation was precarious for both of the lovers. Tokens of their affection were exchanged, Don Miguel gave her a modest gold necklace with a simple cross on it; it would be the only necklace she wore thereafter.
While it is not known when Don Miguel left her home, a letter from Frances dated August 18th, 1542, described to him her most intimate thoughts. In the letter she vowed that she was forever his servant and longed to be nothing more than his to be his wife and a true Catholic. She explained how she eagerly awaited their wedding day and when she could bear him children. She also described her true feelings towards Henry, nicknaming him the “fool,” and her hatred of Anne.
The letter was intercepted by the Queen’s agents. There is no record of how they encountered it, but most likely, one of Frances’ servants betrayed her by turning over the information, whether from being threatened or for profit. Regardless of the source, it is believed Anne hired agents to thoroughly dig into Frances’ past, hoping to ruin the girl. They did not have to dig very deep. At this time, Lady Norris’ involvement was not suspected. What is not clear from the evidence is why Anne waited so long if she had indeed decided to look into Frances’ past. Either way, such serious evidence changed the situation dramatically in the Queen’s favor. With Frances at her estates, the Queen hired agents to search into the girl’s affairs. Once she had returned to court they were to search her estates.
Frances returned to court on August 27th and it was not long thereafter that Anne’s agents had uncovered proof of Frances’ affair with the Spaniard, her pre-contract of marriage promising herself to only him, and her devout Catholicism, constituted treason and heresy, all within one piece of paper, written in her own hand. Anne immediately sought George’s counsel on how to proceed. George advised her to send the letter in secret to Lord Audley, leaving them for him to uncover and tell Henry when the time was right. By leaving the evidence anonymously the Queen could not be found to be tampering with the evidence. Later that evening, George disguised his handwriting by writing a note in broken English, dated September 13th, 1542, and forwarded the evidence damn
ing Frances. He left it on top of the evidence of her crimes in Audley’s palace office, upon his very chair, in the dead of night.
The following morning, Lord Audley returned to his post. Waiting for him was George’s letter, and proof of Frances’ betrayal of the King. The Chancellor could hardly believe what he was reading. The letter from George warned that he should take the evidence very seriously, for the royal mistress meant the King such harm the likes of which had not known before. It also warned that Audley should speak of the letter’s contents to no one but the King himself. Audley was puzzled as to who would leave such damning evidence, and more importantly, if it was true? Audley followed his anonymous spy’s instructions to the letter. Upon finding another letter from Frances so as to confirm the signature on the incriminating letter, he immediately headed for the King’s chamber. This was the first time that the Chancellor would deliver devastating personal news to his master, and he was not certain how the King would react.
Upon hearing Audley’s news of Frances, Henry was outraged and refused to believe it. He immediately summoned Frances into his chambers for an explanation. As reports of the incident tell, she humbly attempted to confirm that the letter was indeed hers and she meant every word of it, while half-heartedly apologizing to the King and throwing herself on his mercy, and asking only that he not hold her love accountable for her duplicity. Buxton reported later that she seemed almost eager and relieved to be rid of these secrets. Audley could hardly believe that this girl not only wrote the letter but was actually confessing her actions. A rational person could venture that she was either incredibly brave or incredibly naïve about what awaited her, if she thought honesty in this situation would save her from the gallows; perhaps it was a bit of both.
The fury that swept over Henry was terrifying to all those present. He struck her twice and ordered her sent to the Tower at once. According to Buxton, the King shouted “I’ll show you what torment I can truly inflict! Get her from my sight NOW!” After removing Frances, the King began to weep at being made such a fool. He spent the remainder of that day in his chambers refusing admittance to everyone. Audley informed George of the day’s events, ignorant that it was he who had forwarded the damning letter. Afterwards, George’s first action was to tell the Queen.
A Bill of Attainder for Frances, on charges of heresy and treason, was drawn up within hours of her arrest, subject to the uncovering of additional evidence. The King took Anne away from Whitehall by barge the following evening, to escape his humiliation. In rare form, he told his Queen everything about what he knew Frances had done. Anne listened in silence, comforting her husband, and received several genuine apologies from his majesty for his conduct at so long having chosen this “wretched whore” over his true and ever faithful wife.
Although she listened comfortingly and humbly, inside she yet seethed, and she chastised him for his actions. She had been deeply hurt at his betrayal and was not sure when, if ever, she could or would forgive him. He vowed to her that, on his honor, he would never again take a mistress, so long as he lived, and re-instated the pledge he had made during their courtship to love only her. He admitted that he had betrayed Anne’s trust and had treated her as if she were no more than the lowliest maid in his Kingdom, actions the foolishness of which had now been made abundantly clear. He thanked Anne repeatedly for the children she had borne him, her fierceness of spirit and in helping him to secure his Kingdom as its supreme master, and for the gracious love she bore him. In true humility, Anne graciously accepted his apology and both shared tears of joy, the husband and wife were now also, friends again. The Queen once again proved to provide great comfort to his majesty, and he was grateful to have his truest ally back on his side.
On October 17th, 1542, Frances trial was held in the Star Chamber. The court date was delayed so that royal investigators could search the Hastings family estates for further evidence. It was there that they had found the relics and rosary that Frances had hidden away, confirming the charge of heresy, along with other letters from Don Miguel that confirmed treason.
Due to the sensitivity of the circumstances, which were an embarrassment to the King, all means possible were used to keep the Lady Frances quiet and outside of the public eye. Lord Audley had even been given the strictest orders to maintain the girl’s silence and under the laws of the time Frances was not allowed a defense attorney, nor to defend herself from the charges. She would only be allotted the right of a brief statement once the court had passed judgment. Heresy alone was enough to make the trial a charade and its verdict a foregone conclusion, but given her status, it was the scandal of the decade, perhaps of Henry’s entire reign. The conservative, anti-reformist faction was in absolute panic, although some knew of the affair with Don Miguel, none—including Frances’ father—had known about Frances’ religious beliefs.
Frances was found guilty after a hearing of less than twenty minutes and sentenced to be burned at the stake, at a date and time of his majesty’s pleasure, at Tyburn. It was then that Frances’ famous words were finally spoken at court:
“I tarry not for the Tower, at the King’s pleasure, and yet it was not so long ago I tarried on the voyage of my soul to hell, also at his majesty’s pleasure.”—Lady Frances
The words were outrageous and unrepentant that they infuriated the chamber. During her stay in prison Frances came to realize that she was pregnant, only by a few weeks apparently, but the signs were there. In the early morning hours of the 21st of October, a physician was summoned to her chamber to examine the matter more closely and concluded that she was, indeed, with child. This element dramatically changed the situation. It is still unclear whether she was carrying the King’s bastard, or that of her lover Don Miguel. No conclusive evidence, beyond rumor and assumption, validate whether Frances ever actually had intercourse with the King, or with the Spaniard, or both.
Either way, when the Queen was informed it was in the presence of Lady Norris, who immediately asked permission to validate these rumors for her majesty. Anne agreed and four nights later the Lady Norris was privately escorted into Frances’ cell. Left alone, the two women reminisced of fonder days, and Norris slipped the prisoner a poisonous vile before leaving the Tower.
Reporting back to the Queen that evening, Norris detailed the dejected state that Frances was in, reported that she was suicidal at the news of her pregnancy, and prayed constantly that God would take her before his majesty would; also, that if not, she would seek to remedy the situation herself, as her soul was already destined for Hell. The following morning, on October 26th, Frances was found dead in her cell. The physicians confirmed that she was dead, but no cause could be found, the cell was searched for weapons and none were found. Poisoning was suspected as the suicide method, but no means of it were discovered. Lord Audley ordered an investigation into the cause of this apparent suicide. The scandal caused a sensation not only in London but throughout Europe.
The Pope used this chance to again denounce Henry calling the events following the Excommunication, from the sweating sickness to this scandal, certain proof of God’s disapproval. Beyond Frances having made Henry a cuckold, her suicide made evident her true feelings toward the King. Further, Henry had so corrupted a young maid that she preferred Hell—suicide is a mortal sin in Catholicism, from which there is no absolution—to staying an English subject.
Historians have speculated that Frances’ traumatized emotional state, and woeful circumstances overcame both her reason and her faith, allowing her enough a lapse as to permit this dramatic final Act. Here was a woman who had risen to the highest place in society, and hated every minute of it. She was now imprisoned, with no hope of again seeing her true love; all told, she would have felt that she had been left with nothing. Understanding Frances’ state of despair, it is entirely possible that she consumed Lady Norris’s parting gift in her friend’s presence, only for Norris to remove the evidence. The truth may never be
known.
No public notice was made of the suicide. The only public mention of the sorry events was that the Lady Frances had died of natural causes. The mode of death shamed Henry and fueled Catholic anger, leading to claims that he had been proven unfit to be God’s messenger on Earth. No record of Anne’s response to the matter survives, but it can only be speculated that she was overjoyed. Frances’ death came swiftly and quietly. The young maid remains one of few political prisoners whose crimes were left unexploited by the crown, for obvious reasons.
Adding to the turmoil, Prince Henry came down with smallpox in November. The King’s personal physician, William Butts, attended the child and, while he made a fully recovery by the spring of 1543, the renewed sense of crisis over the fate of the only male heir to the crown caused severe tension in both family and government. Lord Audley kept a close eye on the Prince’s condition, even seeking advice from European doctors on new cures. As it happened, the Prince suffered from a mild enough strain of the disease that he survived, indeed, to modern understanding, he would even have gained immunity to the pox. Nevertheless, based on this illness, the King ordered that the Prince would ever afterward be moved every few months among various palaces. Further, the King ordered his son to begin an intensive study of military, political, and foreign affairs, to prepare him for the crown.
Chapter 9
A Queen’s Influence
If the conservative faction had hoped to drive Anne Boleyn from the throne with a mere teenage girl, they were woefully disappointed. They would not only quickly see proof that the Queen’s hold on the King had not only survived, it had been enhanced. In matters both foreign and domestic, Anne remained the Mistress of her own house, and would be an even more important adviser to the King than before.
Had the Queen Lived: Page 29