“Come, sir,” Cromwell had begun as the two of them were seated in the chancellor’s well-appointed office sipping some spiced wine. “We must find some means to persuade the queen to be more compatible with His Majesty. The safety and the security of our kingdom rests on this to a large degree, don’t you agree?”
Rutland nodded. He had already heard quite a lot about the king’s marital situation both from his own wife and from the various stories that were circulating quite freely around the court.
“As you’ll admit, my lord, this present situation cannot be allowed to continue indefinitely,” Cromwell continued. “His Majesty’s been married for over three months now and I understand that there’s no improvement in the situation. I tell you, my lord, you must find a way, that is, between you and your wife to counsel the queen to use, er, how shall I say this? – to use all pleasantness to the king. Remember, my lord, His Majesty must have another son. One is not enough. Our Prince Edward might be a very bonny and healthy lad now, but who can tell? Who knows what will happen in the future? Even princes and princesses with all the best love and care in the world have been known to die at an early age. Think, my lord, think of what happened to the king’s own brother and sisters: Edmund, Katherine and Elizabeth. They all died early.”
Rutland nodded in agreement. He was fully aware of what was at stake.
However, unfortunately for Cromwell, the Earl of Rutland felt that he could not approach the queen on this subject and when he spoke of it with his wife a few days later, she could not help him. Then the next day Lady Rutland had an idea. “My lord,” she said as they sat down together in the privacy of their comfortable solarium. “I know what I’ll do. I shall ask Mrs. Loew to advise Her Majesty.”
“Who? The German woman who’s been allowed to remain in England with the queen?”
“Yes, my dear. She seems to have the queen’s ear. I’ve seen them more than once in a huddle discussing various matters. Of course, they were talking in German so I don’t know what they were talking about but it does seem that Her Majesty likes to discuss all sorts of matters with her. In fact, I’d even go as far as to say that this Mrs. Loew is her favourite, that is, among her German ladies.”
“So try your best, my love, and let me know what happens.”
But nothing happened. When Lady Rutland asked Mrs. Loew to come and see her a few days later she asked her if she and the queen had discussed the queen’s nocturnal activities in the royal bed. Mrs. Loew’s normally placid pale face turned bright red.
“Nein, nein, er, oh, no, Your Ladyship. Of course not,” she spluttered. “My Lady Anne would never talk to me about things like that. All she’ll tell me is that she and the king wish each other “Good night” and give each other a gentle kiss on the cheek before going to sleep.”
“Can you not talk to her again and…”
“Oh, no, certainly not, Lady Rutland. My lady will not hear of such matters. And besides, such topics are not easy for me to talk about and especially with Her Majesty. Back home in Cleves we would never…”
“Yes, yes, I understand,” Lady Rutland nodded quickly. “You may go now. Perhaps I will speak to you later about this.”
To be honest, Lady Rutland understood the situation in which she had placed Mrs. Loew and so she decided not to pursue the matter any further with her. That night, with a heavy heart she reported her lack of success to her husband. He, in turn repeated this information to an increasingly nervous chancellor.
“And are you sure there’s no other way of getting any more information out of these women?” Cromwell asked, finishing his goblet of wine without offering any to his informant.
Rutland shook his head. “I think we’ve done everything that we can possibly do, sir. I’ve come to the conclusion that we’ll just have to let nature take its course. I mean, how long can a husband and wife lie together in bed without anything happening? Can you seriously imagine the king allowing a woman to share his bed night after night without his lusty nature getting the better of him? It’s just not possible. Fear not, Master Chancellor,” Rutland added as he stood up to leave Cromwell’s office, “Something must happen. Otherwise, it just doesn’t bear thinking about.”
“Well, let’s hope and pray you’re right there, sir. Because if you’re wrong, I… well, I just don’t want to think about it. So, good day to you, sir,” and Rutland left, leaving an increasingly frustrated chancellor sitting at his desk contemplating a not very happy vision of the future.
Chapter Fourteen - Cromwell is Surprised
Cromwell’s vision of the future certainly did not include the following meeting which occurred two weeks later. The chancellor had been in a foul mood: either barking orders at everyone or being deliberately kind and considerate and speaking gently to anyone with whom he had dealings. He was behaving like a ship which had lost its bearings and did not know in which direction it was heading. So it came as a complete surprise to him when his royal master asked him to come and see him in his chamber to be greeted as he had been in the past, the past that is, before the Lady Anne had appeared on the scene.
“Ah, do come in, my Earl of Essex,” Henry welcomed him. “Do draw up a seat and come and sit beside me like you used to in the past.”
“Earl of Essex, Sire, I…”
“No, no, Thomas,” Henry smiled, holding up his hand. “Please lay these protestations aside. I have seen it fit to promote you and grant you the title held by the late holder of this title, Henry Bouchier. As no doubt you know, he died a couple of weeks ago when he broke his neck falling off his horse. Naturally I was very sad to hear about this accident but I’ve decided to keep this old title alive. Therefore, soon you will proceed from here to the Council chamber where you’ll hear your full title read out together with all the honours that go with it. That is what I wish to tell you for the present.” He paused and then added before his chancellor could say anything. “You may go now as I’m about to dine with Her Majesty.”
“But, Your Majesty,” Cromwell began. “I do not…”
“No, no, Thomas, fear not and please be the first to accept my congratulations. You look a little surprised. Do not think of your king as an ungrateful monarch who knows only how to chop heads off disobedient subjects or cast other unhappy souls into the Tower.”
“Oh, no, Sire, I just…”
“No, no, Thomas. I’ve said quite enough. Now please make your way to the Council. They are there waiting for you.” And seeing that he would learn no more from His Majesty about his sudden and unexpected promotion, Cromwell hurried off. Imagine his surprise when as the guards opened the Council chamber doors and ushered him in, all the members surrounding the long oval table stood up as one man and bowed to him. Cromwell was amazed. Nothing like this had happened to him before. He was aware that most of the men there despised him and thought he was nothing but a presumptuous upstart. They tolerated him only because of his close relationship to the king. And yet here they were, these same councillors now bowing down to him in great deference. It did not make any sense. Cromwell’s mind raced ahead. What was behind all this? Had this anything to do with the king’s marriage? Had His Majesty resolved his differences with the queen his wife, now his wife of three months’ standing?
As the heavy silence continued in that long and lavishly decorated hall, and all of the councillors stood up straight, the Garter King of Arms banged his silver-knobbed staff on the floor. “Thomas Cromwell, Chancellor of England,” he proclaimed in a loud voice. “I am bid by his gracious majesty, King Henry the Eighth of England, to inform you and all the other assembled magnates gathered here that from today, the eighteenth of April, 1540, you are now to be known to us all,” and here he paused in order to let the power of his words sink in, “the Earl of Essex, Viceregent and High Chamberlain of England, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Justice of the Forests beyond Trent.”
Cromwell stood there, stunned. All this, and for me? Now? And after all what His Majesty had told him about his
marriage? Surely it was not possible. Now he was only one degree lower than a duke. To prevent himself from shaking he gripped the top of the chair in front of him and humbly lowered his eyes. He did this, in fact, so that no-one would notice the shocked expression that covered his face. Then in order to hide his feelings further, he sat down and busied himself with signing a few documents lying on the table in front of him. By the time he had finished, he signalled that all the councillors should sit and take their places. He made a short speech thanking them for granting him these great honours and then, in his usual business-like manner, said that the Council should proceed with the business of the day.
That night, at a celebratory ball at Greenwich Palace, the recently promoted Earl of Essex was in for another surprise.
“Who’s that young lady over there?” he asked his secretary. “The one who’s been fawning all over His Majesty all evening?”
“Why, don’t you know. Sir? That’s Catherine Howard.”
“What, one of the Duke of Howard’s brood?”
“Yes, sir. To be exact, she’s the daughter of Lord Edmund Howard and Mistress Joyce Culpepper.”
“And what’s she doing here, that is, apart from trying to gain the king’s attention?”
“Her uncle, the duke, brought her to court recently to be a lady-in-waiting for Her Majesty, sir.”
Cromwell thought about this for a minute. How could this latest move by one of his fiercest opponents on the Council affect him? He knew from past experience that Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, was a bitter enemy, was jealous of his power and did little to hide his great dislike of the king’s chief minister. Whenever he had the opportunity to foil any of my ideas at the Council, Cromwell thought, he did not hesitate to do so. And now the duke’s niece had been brought to court to worm her way into the king’s heart. Would that also mean that she would try and worm her way into the king’s bed as well? From the way she was caressing His Majesty’s thigh, it certainly looked like it.
Suddenly Cromwell turned to his secretary again. “Tell me, why haven’t I seen her here before? Is this the first time she’s been here?”
“Oh no, sir. She’s been here several times in the past but perhaps you didn’t notice her because you’ve been so busy of late. As we both know, sir, you’ve been very concerned about His Majesty and his problems with the queen.”
Cromwell grunted and took a couple of sweetmeats from a passing servant. “Yes, that may be so, young man. Indeed, I have been very busy recently dealing with that problem, but I must tell you I don’t like the way Mistress Howard is behaving over there. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she is flirting with His Majesty – and in the presence of his wife, too.”
“But, sir,” the secretary said. “I’m not sure that you’re right in what you’re saying. After all, it was Her Majesty who agreed that young Catherine come here tonight, so surely everything must be in order?”
“I’m not sure, Master Secretary. Just look how she’s showing herself to the king. That bodice seems very low-cut to me. And I’m no expert in the latest fashions.”
“I agree with you, sir, but my wife tells me that that style is the latest fashion and that any woman at court who doesn’t want to be thought of as old-fashioned is now wearing those low-cut bodices like the young Catherine Howard girl.”
“Humph! That may be so, but would your wife put her hand on the king’s knee - if not higher - like Howard’s niece is doing now? I mean, just look at her! She’s practically fondling his codpiece!”
“Yes, sir, I can see that. And as for my wife, I can assure you that she is an honourable woman and would certainly not offend His Majesty.”
Cromwell nodded in agreement, but before they could discuss Catherine Howard’s behaviour any further, a servant entered and signalled that he had a note for the chancellor. Cromwell opened it quickly and read that the king wanted him to attend a private and urgent meeting on the morrow in his chamber.
“Ah, please enter,” Henry beamed the next morning as Cromwell stepped into his master’s chamber. “Please enter, my new Vice-regent and Earl of Essex. Hmm, maybe I’ll make you a duke next time. Now where would you like to be a duke of? Cumberland? Cambridge? Surrey? Oh, well, we’ll see.” Henry pointed to a chair for Cromwell and, as in the past, the pair of them sat down next to the table. “Now, Thomas, take some of these delicious comfits and tell me how your new title sits on you? Well, I hope.”
“Oh, certainly, Your Majesty, but I fear that several of your lords are less than happy with my promotion.”
“Just ignore them, Thomas,” and Henry waved his hand dismissively. “They’ll get used to it in time. They always do. Just think what they’ll say when I make you a duke, eh?” Henry leaned over to grab a fistful of comfits and then sank back into his chair. “Now let me tell you why I’ve called this meeting. I have two important matters that need your attention and both of them are to do with my forthcoming divorce.”
The king could not have shattered Cromwell’s feeling of well-being any more dramatically. “Divorce, Sire? Now?” he said, spluttering a few comfits over the table.
“Yes, Thomas. Divorce.”
“Sire, I know you are less than pleased with the queen - but divorce? If I may say so, Sire, you have been married to the queen for only four or five months.”
“I am fully aware of that but it’s been four or five months too long. Surely, you of all people must be able to see that the present situation cannot be allowed to continue.”
And before Cromwell could say a word, the king continued. “Thomas, I have given this matter some very serious consideration over these past few weeks, so listen very carefully. There are two sides to this divorce: one political and one personal. First, the political one. Since you first made overtures to the Duchy of Cleves last year, the whole political situation in Europe has changed. That being so, I now understand that I have nothing to gain politically by being married to this woman. In other words, this alliance with Cleves is worthless.”
“How so, Your Majesty?” Thomas asked, noting that the king had said that he, Thomas, had made the overtures a year ago.
“How so, Thomas? That’s easily explained. I assume that you’ve seen that the Emperor Charles the Fifth may be trying to take over the Rhineland area. This area includes Cleves and Guelderland, and it looks as though he intends to do this by force of arms.”
Cromwell nodded and quickly arrived at the obvious conclusion. “And so, Your Majesty, if that were indeed to happen, we would have to send an army over to Cleves in order to support the queen’s brother.”
“Exactly, Thomas. My goodness, it never took you long to see what was happening, did it? Here, take some more comfits.”
Cromwell did so and the king continued. “Now, not only do I not want to commit an English army to a war which will not directly benefit my country, I also don’t want to spend all that money on such a venture either.”
The chancellor nodded in agreement.
“Thomas, you and I did not dissolve all those monasteries and abbeys just to pay for a war, did we? No, of course not,” and Henry brought his fist hard down on the table as he said so. “Now I’ll tell you about my personal reasons I want this divorce.”
“No, Sire, there is really no need,” Cromwell said quickly. He had already learned about his master’s reasons through his domestic snoops and spies. Besides, he did not wish to become even more involved with the king’s marital problems. Now that he believed or, rather, he hoped that he had steered clear of them, he definitely did not wish to become involved with his royal master’s problems once again. The trauma that he had undergone at the beginning of the present marriage was enough to ensure that he would not repeat the folly of becoming so deeply involved with his royal master’s private life again.
In a brief but vivid moment, he recalled what had happened to Cardinal Wolsey, the previous chancellor and his mentor. The cardinal had become involved with His Majesty and his desire to di
vorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. When he had failed to bring this about, Cromwell remembered, the past chancellor had been summoned to London but perhaps fortunately for him, he had suddenly died on the way. Could such a situation happen to me? Cromwell thought. Suddenly dying or even being executed simply because His Majesty wanted a divorce?
The chancellor’s grim thoughts were interrupted by Henry’s voice. “Yes, Thomas, there is a need for me to tell you about the queen. I want you to fully understand the situation I am now in.” The king leaned forward conspiratorially as though he wanted nobody else to hear what he had to say. “While it is true, Thomas, that the queen is a gentle, kind and sweet lady, we are not compatible in bed. As you know, I find her body fat and flabby and that she also gives off noxious odours. All this prevents me from fulfilling my royal duties. I know I am able to father a son or two, for I’ve done so already, haven’t I?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“But I cannot do so with this woman. It is just impossible. And besides, I don’t think she knows what she’s supposed to do in bed either. I’ve heard through some of her ladies that she told them that her mother had never given her any instruction about such matters. Did you know that, Thomas?”
“No, Sire.” was the quiet answer.
“And so, as my chief minister, you will see that I have no choice. I must divorce this woman and have a new wife who will give me sons. My son, Prince Edward, is not enough. For the continuation of the Tudor dynasty I must have at least one more son. Is that asking for so much?”
“No, Your Majesty. I fully understand your need for another son or two, but I feel I must ask you, how will this look abroad – divorcing the queen after only a few months of married life?”
Anne of Cleves- Unbeloved Page 17