"What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals." ~ Henry David Thoreau
About my blog:
I am an aspiring poet, and author. I freelance from time to time for a local newspaper in my hometown and this is my little corner of the internet to share my writing with you. In this blog you will find posts about my life, my family, poetry, books, art, my travels, music, movies, TV, Marilyn Monroe, British History (especially anything having to do with The Tudor Dynasty), astrology, paganism, restaurant reviews, GLBT equality, and any other little things that tickle my fancy.
All writing and photos are my own original work unless otherwise credited.
Picture from George Stuart's Gallery of Historical Figures
It’s been quite a while since I have written anything, so I felt it was high time I did something to change that fact. This past Fall, I made a life changing decision to go back to school with a focus on my writing and have been enjoying it immensely. One of the classes I am taking is British Literature. Can we say, “No brainer?” I love the class just as much as I thought I would.
My professor talked to the entire class about an Honors Project which is purely optional, but I was immediately intrigued. After obtaining more information about the requirements, I decided to go for it and my topic would be…. what else? Anne Boleyn!!!!!! Keep this in mind: I had not went on to college after high school, nor have I set foot in a classroom in about 20 years. I knew I was striving for a lot when I agreed to try for an honors grade in British Literature, but I was confident I would be able to handle it.
As it turns out, the project was just what I needed to validate my feelings towards my skills as a writer, a researcher, and a presenter. My best friend helped me with the artsy fartsy part of my project, and helped me to create an amazing Power Point presentation, but the rest was ALL ME.
My obsession with England’s most controversial Queen Consort paid off in a big way and all the years I had spent researching the history of her life helped tremendously when putting words to paper.
My professor loved my presentation!!! He told me it was very well done! When I later asked him about my chance of getting the Honors part of the grade, he let me know that I have it!!!! 🙂 It’s so exciting!!!!
I have decided to post a few excerpts from my honors research paper during the next few weeks. I hope you will enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them!
On my blog, “A Lion’s Share,” I am going back to the very beginning to give you a very detailed synopsis on every single episode for all FOUR seasons!!!!! I recently posted on the very first episode of Showtime’s “The Tudors” including some great pics I was able to find on the Tudors Wiki!
It has taken me a while to get to it, but here it is!!! The casting of Catherine Parr was definitely not an easy one. I was finding it very difficult to find anyone of note that I liked for the role who would in any way closely resemble her.
Catherine Parr was Henry VIII’s sixth and final wife. She had been widowed twice before and she caught Henry’s eye after Catherine Howard’s execution. She was a very caring step mother, and a wonderful and patient nurse to the King through all of his infirmities. She was a very strong supporter of the Protestant Reform, which nearly resulted in her losing her head!
Fortunately for Catherine, she outlived Henry and went on to marry Thomas Seymour after his death. She had a daughter, whom she named Mary, however, it has been very difficult to find record of what became of her after Catherine’s death shortly after childbirth.
Here is an actual pic/painting of Catherine Parr:
Here are the actresses I picked to portray Catherine Parr:
My first choice is Bernadette Peters. In trying to keep with what Catherine is actually described as looking like, I found she really fit the bill, not to mention she is a fantastic actress! She has that inner strength about her that would be a great asset if she were to play Catherine and is also wonderful at playing a motherly role as well.
My second choice is a little bit off from what Catherine was said to look like, but as I said, it has been hard to find a woman who has similar looks. I chose Julianne Moore. She is a really, really great actress, with a wonderful range and I think she would be an excellent choice.
My last choice is Nicole Kidman. I think she has a natural beauty and a grace that would really be a compliment to Catherine. She also has the sort of motherly quality I was looking for.
When King Henry noticed Catherine, she was still married to Lord Latimer. He anxiously waited for the poor man to die and immediately offered for her hand, foiling her plans and intentions to marry the man she really loved, Thomas Seymour. But, who could say no to the King if he wanted something?
Catherine’s motto was “To be useful in all I do,” and her badge was a maiden rising from a Tudor rose. She was Queen Consort for 4 years, and when the King died, she became the Queen Dowager until she died in 1548 shortly after childbirth at 36 years old.
After giving it a whole lot of thought, I have decided to use my Tudors obsession constructively. I am an amateur writer, and I love to write about lots of different topics, however, I have noticed that I tend to write a LOT about my favorite royal family.
Bearing that in mind, I have now created a page on another website, solely dedicated to my channeling my Tudors obsession in a more creative way. It’s still in the infancy stages, however, I am excited about how it is turning out! If you are a Tudor fan, or at all interested, you can find it here:
The final episode. How did it come up so quickly? I will admit, I very much put off writing about this episode, as I did not want it to be over so soon for me. Historically, of course, we all know how it ends. But, Michael Hirst brought these historical figures to such vivid life for us for four years and it makes it all that much more difficult for me to say goodbye to the series.
Just the promo for this episode alone gave me goosebumps. I found this version of it on YouTube…. it’s not the best sound or picture, but you can get an idea of what I am talking about…..
Writing about Showtime’s “The Tudors” series this past year has been a labor of love for me. I have never before attempted to write about a TV series or movie with such detail as I have done with this one. I hope you have all enjoyed reading my posts as much as I have enjoyed writing them. To be certain, this will NOT be my last post on the Tudor Dynasty or the Showtime series, but it is indeed my last detailed synopsis of an episode. With a heavy heart, I give you my last run down of the Final Episode…….
This episode is aptly titled, “Death of a Monarchy.” It couldn’t get more final than that, right? I love how they brought Maria Doyle Kennedy, Natalie Dormer, and Annabelle Wallis back on the opening credits. You can tell they reworked it to add some of the younger moments in Henry’s life.
The episode begins with a beautiful scene with a white horse, galloping towards the screen while you hear Henry’s voice. I love what he says….
“When we compare the present life of man on earth, with that time of which we have no knowledge, it seems to me like the swift flight of a single sparrow, through a banqueting hall on a Winter’s day. After a few moments of comfort, he vanishes from sight, into the Wintery world from which he came. Even so, man appears on earth for a little while. But, of what went before this life, and what will follow, we know nothing.”
King Henry and the Duke of Suffolk are sitting together, chatting. The King is in a very philosophical mood, pondering about time, and the loss of it. He quizzes the Duke about what is the most irrecoverable loss…. and informs him that time is the most irrecuperable of losses, “for it can never be redeemed.”
As usual, Bishop Gardiner is up to no good. He hands a servant a warrant for the Queen’s arrest to give to Risley….. this is definitely NOT good for the queen!
The Lord High Admirable of France pays a visit to court. Prince Edward greets him in fluent Latin, much to the delight of everyone at court. The Ladies Mary and Elizabeth are also presented to him by Queen Catherine. As they wait for the King to make an appearance, Mary uses the opportunity to speak with Bishop Gardiner, who reiterates to her the “people’s” desire to anoint Mary as queen, should the King die.
Henry makes his appearance to the Lord High Admiral of France. I like how Henry walks up to Edward and tousels his hair, and then brings the Prince to sit with him on the throne while he conducts his business with the French Admiral. Henry decides he will make peace with France and will have “no more business” with the Emperor, who he makes sure to advise to Edward has betrayed him at “every turn.” It’s clear that Henry is grooming his son to take over the throne for him. The King proposes that Mass be abolished in both England and France, but this clearly dismays the Admiral. We also learn that the French King is dying of syphilis. Henry makes no bones about using Francis’ condition as a means to gain leverage for his own desires. It’s almost laughable to hear him lecturing about how Francis’ lewd conduct is a lesson to his mortality. Certainly a bit of irony as well!
The servant that was given the arrest warrant for the Queen (I believe his name is Walter) decides to first take it to one of the Queen’s maids, who in turn secretly gives it to Catherine to warn her. The Queen is both shocked and terrified.
The King is in his chamber reading and you can hear someone sobbing very loudly in the next room. The King asks who it is, is told it’s the “Queen’s Majesty” and seems a little intrigued and suspicious as to why she is “screaming like that.” He decides to go and see her. He asks her what is wrong and she pulls herself together as best she can. She walks over, most likely terrified that now on top of everything else, the King has caught her crying. Henry asks her what is wrong. You can tell the Queen is choosing her words VERY carefully. She tells him that she fears he is displeased with her. Henry plays ignorant. He asks her what has caused her to think so and whyever would he be displeased with her??? He asks her very firmly if there is any reason he SHOULD be displeased with her. It’s a very tense moment as you wait for her to answer him. Of course, she replies that no, there is no reason for him to be displeased with her. Much to her relief, he bids her a good day and leaves the room. The way Catherine practically falls to the floor, you get a sense that her knees were probably ready to buckle at any moment and it took all she had to answer him with any composure. I will admit, I was not crazy about Joley Richardson playing Catherine Parr, as I really did not like her on “Nip/Tuck,” but I am being forced to reassess that opinion, as she has so far done a superb job.
As soon as Henry is far enough away from the room, Catherine immediately sets her ladies to work, getting rid of any books or literature whether they think it may be forbidden or not, so as to keep from incriminating herself further. She is frantic to absolve herself of guilt and she is intelligent enough to pull it off, as we will soon see…..
The Earl of Hertford pays the Duke of Suffolk a visit. Brigitte informs him that the Duke is ill, however, Charles gets out of bed to see the Earl anyways. He agrees to have a chat with him. There is a moment of concern from Brigitte about him being out of bed, and I must say, hearing Henry Cavill speak French is utterly DIVINE!!!! The Earl and the Duke quickly start discussing the unrest and unease at court about the succession. The Earl is asking for the Duke’s support for the Reformation, and in going up against Bishop Gardiner. He incorrectly assumes that since the Duchess of Suffolk supports the Reform, that Brandon does as well. He is quickly informed otherwise and hastily apologizes for his assumptions. Talk about sticking your foot in your mouth, eh? The Duke ends the conversation by telling the Earl he will not take sides in this matter and that he does not share Hertford’s beliefs in the Reform. Charles says that he would rather things were as in times past. Sad. He is very obviously tired of all of the politics.
This next scene had me actually cheering for Lady Hertford, even though she has not been a favorite character of mine. Historically, she was quite an abominable woman to deal with, and it’s very evident in this series as well. I really admired her unfailing spunk in this particular part of the episode. Lady Hertford is summoned to see Bishop Gardiner. She is perfectly aware of why he wants to see her and it does not ruffle her one bit. Gardiner, of course, questions her in regards to her affiliations with Anne Askew. She counters with the fact that Anne was illegally tortured, to which the Bishop decides to tell her that she is “guilty by association,” and shows her a warrant for her arrest. Anne stands up, reviews the warrant and hands it back to Gardiner, telling him he will never serve the warrant. She boldy informs him that she knows things about him…..things others do not. She knows he has been stealing property and money from the King and threatens to expose him if he does not tear up the warrant and forget about arresting her. She leaves him sitting there, quite deflated and I cackled in delight…. serves the wank right!
Now we come to a pivotal part in this episode, not to mention confusing. It’s fairly historically accurate, for this is truly how things transgressed, even though it seems crazy. But, that was par for the course when dealing with Henry VIII. Catherine Parr is summoned to have an audience with the King. The King is entertaining some nobles, sitting in a very luxurious room, drinking and chatting. The Queen is announced and Henry has her sent in. The room grows very quiet and you just know this is some sort of test. She dutifully kneels before him. He tells her he wishes her to clear his mind of some “doubts.” In front of the entire room of nobles, the King questions Catherine’s beliefs on what can be gained from reading the Gospels and other religious books. Like I mentioned before, Catherine was no idiot. She knew she was being tested, knew that her life depended on this one conversation and knew she had to make sure to please Henry. She quickly defers to him as Supreme Head of the Church, telling him that it is only through his knowledge and understanding of faith that she hopes to learn. He is not quick to believe her at first, telling her she has “become a doctor to instruct us all” and she did not seem to want to BE instructed. The Queen quickly assures Henry that he has misunderstood her, that she defers all things to him, her Lord and King. She begs his forgiveness, explaining that such discussions were merely meant as a distraction to his infirmities. Wow, that woman knew how to play the game. She quickly showed herself as a docile, and obedient wife, which is something Henry ultimately wanted from her. Strict obedience. He assures her they are perfect friends again and tells her he will never doubt her again. The Queen leaves, feeling reassured that she is once again in the King’s favor. Here is the really confusing part…. Henry’s servant asks him if he should rescind His Majesty’s orders to arrest the Queen. The King looks at him, surprised and indignant and asks, “Why?” Crazy… just crazy!
Poor Charles Brandon. He is getting steadily more sick. Brigitte is taking such good care of him, and it’s clear he is relieved she is there for him. He tells her he hates the night because it makes him think of “perpetual night.” It’s so sad. He knows he does not have long to live.
Let’s add some more confusion to all of this, shall we? We really get a good glimpse of how crazy Henry really was in his late years during this scene. Remember, he seemed indignant when asked if he would rescind the order to arrest Catherine?
As King Henry and Queen Catherine enjoy an outdoor luncheon, you see Lord Risley coming their way with a good number of guards. The Queen, VERY shaken and terrified, quietly asks the King what is going on. Henry, again, plays the ignorant role, pretending not to know exactly why Risley had come. Of course, he is there to arrest the Queen, under HENRY’S orders. See how this gets puzzling? What’s even more puzzling, is how the King reacts to Risley. The crazy Monarch gets out of his seat, calling Risley a knave, screaming at him to get out and take his “bastards” with him. He looks outraged and leaves everyone completely befuddled. He tells Catherine that Lord Risley was not her friend. Umm… I should say not!
Bishop Gardiner, ever the epitome of wankness, grills Risley about the events that occured, insisting that they should still try to serve the warrant to the Queen. Risley is obviously souring on the idea of arresting the Queen at this point.
Parliament convenes, and much to Lord Hertford’s irritation, Risley introduces a discussion in reference to Prince Edward’s care, education, and to whom the title of Lord Protector should fall to in the event of the King’s death. Seymour questions Risley as to why the discussion is taking place since arrangements have already been made. Risley and Gardiner staunchly defend their right to debate the arrangements already made, which angers the Earl. The Bishop goes even further to add that Seymour’s “intentions” toward the Prince and the Crown must be put before the King.” An outraged Seymour quickly punches Bishop Gardiner in the mouth. I am not a fan of violence, but that was fantastic!!!!
Following that awesome display, we come to Henry, sitting before the fire, reading again. His servant announces that the Bishop Gardiner requests an audience with him. Henry refuses his request. WOO HOO!!!!!! FINALLY!!!! The King tells his servant that the Bishop is one of a troublesome nature and that he no longer wishes to see him at court ever again. Gardiner is banished. I think he should have had a bit more come his way, but it was done in a most humiliating manner, so that is satisfactory enough for me!
The slimy Risley immediately seeks to rid himself of association with Gardiner, proclaiming his loyalty to Edward Seymour on the spot. Dastardly man. Edward accepts his loyalty and they become allies.
King Henry commissions Hans Holbein to paint a portrait of him. This will turn out to be the last painting ever done of Henry VIII and it is famous around the world. The actual portrait no longer survives, however, there are several copies done by other artists of the portrait on display throughout the UK that you can still view today.
The Duke of Suffolk is gravely ill. This part was so difficult to watch. Brigitte tells him a messenger from the King has arrived. The messenger tells the Duke that the King has heard of his illness and has asked to see him. Brigitte is incredulous (and rightly so!) and tells the messenger no. But, Charles, being the ever loyal friend and servant to Henry insists on going despite the fact that he is so weak he can barely stand on his own two feet. It’s so sad to see how pale and sickly he is. I was more than a little irritated at Henry for summoning Brandon that way when he was so sick. I know they probably were both thinking it would be the last time they would ever see eachother, but it’s so awful of the King to put Charles through that.
As Holbein is creating the sketches for his portrait of the King, it almost looks as if something walks into Henry’s peripheral view. And then you see Catherine of Aragon. Exciting!!!! The King rightfully looks as though he has seen a ghost, and asks Catherine what she is doing there. She replies that has come to see her daughter. She tells Henry he has been unkind to Mary, and she has wept often to see his treatment of her. “Is that why you have come back, to chide me? For all that I am not?” Jonathan Rhys Meyers does a very good job of making Henry look embittered and a bit tortured by his own demons. He begs her to go away. I love how she tells him very calmly, “You sent me away before, though I loved you. But I was still your wife in God’s eyes, and still am.” You can see that the King is getting delusional and becomes more “haunted” as the episode continues. I really, truly LOVE that Michael Hirst chose to bring back the first three wives!!!!! I cannot tell you how much I was bouncing in my seat to see Anne Boleyn with Elizabeth! But, I am getting ahead of myself…….
This next scene just had me shaking my head in exasperation at Henry’s insanity. Charles Brandon has finally made it to his audience with the King. Of course, it wouldn’t be Henry VIII if he wasn’t always thinking first and last about himself, right? The two best friends reminisce and Charles mentions remembering Margaret, the Battle of the Spurs, when the King made him a Duke, “God knows why.” I started crying at this point. It was so bittersweet. Henry asks Charles to trust him, literally trying to “forbid” the Duke not to die. He is confident that once again, the Duke will follow orders….. this shows Henry’s growing insanity, to be sure. He is clearly so full of himself, that he commands the ailing Duke to kneel before him, places his hands on Charles’ head and commands him to be healed. I don’t know if it is all delusion, or some wishful thinking as well on Henry’s part that it will work. I think the King was a bit in denial about being on the verge of losing his most loyal and trusted friend. It really tears at your heart as you see the glorious white horse running again………
And then, he’s gone. Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk dies at home, with Brigitte at his side. It was gut wrenching to watch this part of the show. To the very end, he was loyal to Henry alone…… not even his wife, whom he once loved deeply could persuade him to defy the King. They had grown up together as children…… and he was one of the few closest to Henry to live out his life in its entirety. Not many could claim that, as a couple of the King’s wives could attest to!
It’s even more tragic how we see Brigitte at Charles’ side, along with his son, Henry, however, when the Henry attends the formal funeral, he completely ignores her. Both him and the Duchess of Suffolk completely snub her. I am sure it was not expected otherwise in those times. After all, she was merely his Mistress. However, that had to feel like two knives in the gut rather than just the one.
The King commands that the Duke of Suffolk is to be buried at St. George’s chapel at his expense. I feel it is the very least he can do, after everything the Duke was to him……
Holbein requests an audience with the King, to show him his progress on the portrait. Henry is heartily disappointed, even indignant as to how his portrait “should” look. He orders Holbein to “do it again.”
As he is alone, mixing his “potions” to help ease his pain, Henry is confronted with the “ghost” of Anne Boleyn. I admit, since this woman is a personal passion of mine, I gobbled this scene up like a person starving. It was so well written and it’s sooooo good for Anne Boleyn fans to see her recognizing how wonderful Elizabeth has grown to be. She tells the King that although Elizabeth is like her, she is not as “intemperate” as she once was. Henry admits to Anne that he is very proud of their daughter, that he sees the wonderful qualities in her as well. He states that he wishes he could love her more, but that from time to time, she reminds him of Anne, and what she “did to him.”
Anne tells Henry that she did nothing to him, that all of the accusations against her were false. I love how she looks at him and says, “I thought you knew?” It tears the avid Anne fan apart to hear that, since we all heartily believe she was innocent. She also goes on to mention how poor Catherine Howard lies in the cold ground next to her.. how they were both like two moths drawn to the flame… and burned. And what makes it so tragic, is that it is all so very true….
Henry starts weeping, and you almost get a sense that he doesn’t quite want her to leave him when he turns and says, “Anne please dont!” But, “Anne, please dont… ” what? What did he not want her to do? Please don’t leave? Please don’t torment me? What did he really mean when he said that? That is a question that has stayed in my mind while watching this.
Now the time has come for King Henry VIII to bid farwell to his family. He is announced by his servant, and all whom are closest to him are in attendance. Henry bids Catherine, Lady Mary and Lady Elizabeth to come closer to him. He tells them he has decided that he will send them away to Greenwich. He will not spend this Christmastide with them or any thereafter. Everyone seems a bit bewildered by the King’s decision, but they accept his command. He asks Mary to be a kind and loving mother to her brother. She begs the King not to leave her an orphan so soon. He touches her face but says nothing more. To Elizabeth, he says that she is so very young, but asks her too to look after her brother. He tells her, “Bless you, child, bless you.” He comes to Catherine Parr. He says, “Cate, the time has come for us to bid farwell. It is God’s will. When I die, I order these gentlemen to treat you as if I were living still. And, if it is your pleasure to remarry, I order that you should have 7,000 pounds a year for your service, as well as your jewels and ornaments.” He then leaves a very grieving court as he walks away for the last time, ordering them all to go………
When he is gone from the room, Elizabeth immediately departs on her own leaving us to wonder what made her do that? Was it grief and a need to be alone? Was it fear of what was to come?
You hear Jane’s voice….”How’s my son?” You see Henry visibly relax. “Jane… ” he says breathlessly….”he is well. I have taken all care of him, sweet Jane and soon he will be King.” Jane keeps saying, “my poor boy… my poor child,” but Henry insists that is not true, that he is the MOST beloved boy. Jane tells Henry that their son will die young and Henry denies this telling her, “NO, NO!” Jane tells Henry that in essence, due to the way he has raised their son, the way his father raised him…. it will kill Prince Edward. Henry breaks down, seeing his Tudor Dynasty possibly dying before his very eyes.
In council, Henry appoints Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford, Lord Protector of Prince Edward during his minority, upon the event of his death, with the support of Chancellor Risley and Arch Bishop Cramner. He commands that a tomb be built and he be buried alongside his true and beloved wife, Jane Seymour at Windsor.
You see this dream like sequence of a young King Henry, staring off into space, as the white horse with comes closer and closer to him. Just as the horse reaches the young Henry……
Henry’s servant wakes him……he explains that Master Holbein is in the chapel waiting for him. The King slowly makes his way to the chapel.
The portrait is unveiled and immediately you get this rush of what Henry is seeing in the picture…. in essence, his life flashing before his eyes…. the good, the bad, the love, the hate, the friendships and the enemies….. it all comes together right here, right now. It encompassed, in that moment, everything we have loved and hated about The Tudors in the last four years. It couldn’t have ended better when Henry turns to Holbein and tells him “it is well done.” And it was. It was extremely well done and I don’t think many of us will forget this series and what it brought to us any time soon.
The last parts of music at the end were the very last bars of the theme song as the episode draws to a close. Four years of telling a story….ended. I have to say… I am grateful that Michael Hirst didn’t actually kill Henry in the end, leaving him as sort of this indestructible myth in a way. It was all very, very well done.
Thank you, Michael Hirst. For giving us this gift that most of us shan’t soon forget. You are an inspiration to those of us who continue to enjoy the history of the Tudor Dynasty and want to learn even more from it.
Fellow Tudors fans…. if you are like me and are half crazed waiting for the finale, I read an advance review of it today that included video and had me in tears. You can find the review and videos here:
It’s a review from someone who is very much a Natalie Dormer fan, but she gives a very good overall review. The finale is a bittersweet one for me, as part of me is very much wanting to see the last episode, and part of me is not wanting the series to end. I know the history, I know how it ends, but Michael Hirst has brought the historical figures to life in a way I have never seen before, and that is the part that is hard to let go of.
My obsession with the history of the British Monarchy will go on… and play out in the posts on this blog, that is an absolute certainty. But, it’s great to have directors such as Michael Hirst, who not only bring these people to vivid life before us, but also show us things we not might all get from our history classes in school. I do not even try to pretend that it’s all historically accurate, it’s entertaiment after all, however, I do think he did an outstanding job with Henry VIII and the series itself.
****All pictures for this post were found on the site – Showtime’s Tudors Wiki (which has been SUPER helpful to me!) http://tudorswiki.sho.com/photos .
The beginning of episode 7 brings us to a meeting with the King and his council. They are clearly in agreement about going to war with France and invading Boulogne. (All except for the Earl of Hertford.) Henry appoints the Duke of Suffolk Commander of the Armies and Charles accepts his new duties with obvious pleasure and anticipation. I couldn’t help but snicker as Henry makes a statement about never breaking his word and being “too old to begin now.” How delusional that monarch was!!!!
Next, we see Henry and Catherine, as Catherine recites her vows to become the King’s wife and the new Queen of England. The union is received with much joy and celebration.
Right away, Catherine proves herself to be a very kind and doting stepmother, an intelligent queen, and an obedient wife. She asks for permission to get to know the Lady Elizabeth and Prince Edward, and to install permanent lodgings for Elizabeth at court so that she may be closer to her father and get to know him better. Henry gives his permission, and you see they have a mutual respect for eachother that breeds a contentment.
Charles Brandon quickly starts assembling armies and weapons for the invasion of Boulogne. You can see it’s not only something Henry wants, but also something Charles is looking forward to. It’s a feeling of them recapturing their youthful days in some ways.
A very esteemed Duke from Spain sent by the Emperor, comes to visit court. (I won’t for the life of me even try to spell his name.) The King entrusts Queen Catherine and the Lady Mary to entertain him. The Duke is presented to the queen and to Mary, and much to his delight, Mary greets him in fluent Spanish. It’s a beautiful moment for Mary. When the Duke expresses surprise about her speaking Spanish, she replies, “Am I not my mother’s daughter?” I really loved it. I love how they have developed Mary and shown us how she did carry the same grace and dignity as her mother did.
As the merriment and dancing go on into the evening, the queen is summoned by the king’s physicians. His leg is worse again and incapacitating him. The king doesn’t want her to see him in his pained condition, but she quickly gets him to let her tend to him. She is patient and kind and loving with him. She moves her bed to his chamber to look after him better. Such a caring wife!!!
Of course, this is when Michael Hirst decides to introduce another new subplot. A man by the name of Richard Leland impresses the Duke of Suffolk and earns himself a nice ranking in the army. He befriends a man named Harry Hearst. They are sweet and personable boys and you just know that the war is not going to bode well for them.
Catherine meets with Prince Edward. It’s a very sweet scene. The little boy seems sad and missing his father and the queen instantly picks up on it. She reassures the young boy that he is very special to his father and that the king would love to see him more if he could. You can tell how attached she is already to the children. Of course, you can’t help but feel sorry for the little prince.
Poor King Henry….it seems that his plans for invading Boulogne are not going well or according to plan. The preparations are lagging… there are hold ups and not enough troops ready to the king’s satisfaction. He quickly goes on a tirade once again about how inept his commanders and advisors are. The king designates Queen Catherine as regent while he is in France, much to the dismay of Richard Rich and Bishop Gardiner. Bishop Gardiner is determined to find out the queen’s true intentions for the realm and her true religious beliefs.
The king prepares to depart for France. He tells Catherine he has left everything in order in the event that he does not return from France. He explains that his wishes are for Edward to succeed him, and if he has no issue the crown goes to Lady Mary, and then to Lady Elizabeth. I can’t help but feel overwhelmingly glad for the two girls who had been so adrift before due to their father’s paranoia and just plain cruelty. It’s nice to see him recognizing his children and treating them as a loving father would. Mary is very clearly broken up and frightened about her father leaving. It’s a true testament to a daughter’s love no matter the circumstances. Henry tenderly kisses her forehead and tells her not to weep. He asks Elizabeth to write him of all that happens in the kingdom and whatever else she sees fit to write to him. He kisses her forehead and it’s one of the first times you ever feel that Henry truly loves his children and wants the best for them. He parts, telling Catherine he is leaving his children in her capable hands, trusting her to do well by them. She of course promises to do all she can.
Henry and his troops finally reach Boulogne, France. He meets with the Duke of Suffolk to find out how the troops are progressing. The king is very eager to get things started. He is met by the troops with much excitement and honor. The morale of the troops is high…… for now……
The King gives a very stirring speech about doing their duty for England, for their king, for their inheritances. The men are eager to fight and prove their loyalty to the king.
Fighting immediately commences and Charles Brandon is very good in his position as commander. And so begins the siege of Boulogne. Henry watches from a distance with the Earl of Surrey. It’s an intense moment as you wait for Henry to give orders to Brandon to give to the army to start firing. Of course, we get the usual gunfire and cannon explosions and such, but I really do think that Michael Hirst did a good job of showing not only how brutal war could be in Tudor times, but also how much manpower it really did take to have the battles themselves.
Meanwhile, back at court, we start to see Catherine Parr’s true intentions. I have to say, the woman was both intelligent and brave in the way she went about things. She most certainly knew what the consequences of her actions could be, but her beliefs were stronger. She appoints a man by the name of Mr. Hugh Latimer as Chaplain to her household, despite his being well-known for having “controversial” beliefs. He happily accepts the position. She requests of him that he conceals his true beliefs to the Lady Mary out of respect for her faith. Hmmmm… how noble of her, but one can’t help but see it also saves her hide to “conceal” things from Mary, lol! Catherine’s sister Anne is fearful of Mr. Latimer’s appointment, but the queen refuses to “play the coward.” She is determined to further the cause of the reformation as long as she has power as queen.
While in Boulogne, Henry uses the tactics of an Italian man who devises a plan to tunnel under the castle to set off explosions and bring down the city. Henry is already asking for unrealistic deadlines, go figure. Word of some French soldiers escaping from the castle has the Earl of Surrey and the Duke of Suffolk going on the defensive in the forest.
A small battle ensues as the Earl gets ambushed. He is quickly aided by the Duke. The French soon lose the small battle in the woods, and Brandon is shocked to discover one of their new prisoners is a woman. He is both intrigued and instantly fascinated by her. She is a beautiful and fiery captive, informing Charles that the French call King Henry the “English Nero”. It’s strange that Charles seems so shocked and disappointed to hear it… or maybe he is disappointed in himself for giving his life to serve such a man???
Queen Catherine faithfully writes to King Henry, telling him how she misses him and wishing him well on his journey and battles with France. It is clear that the king misses his wife, and the gentle care she took with him. His health isn’t as bad as it has been in the past, but his leg clearly bothers him on a constant level.
As if the ugly weather and the tunnel delays weren’t bad enough, the Master Surgeon informs Henry that an outbreak of Dysentery is killing his soldiers. We leave this episode with an angry Henry, looking out over Boulogne…… we can only imagine how badly he wants to crush the French at this point, but I imagine we will get to see that soon enough in the next episode.
Stay tuned for episode 8! We are getting down to the wire, Tudors fans!!!!!
****All pictures for this post were found on the site – Showtime’s Tudors Wiki (which has been SUPER helpful to me!) http://tudorswiki.sho.com/photos .
Ah, fellow Tudors fans…. this episode seemed like such an anticlimax for me after all the craziness that Catherine Howard brought to the show. I guess it had to slow down sometime, right?
Episode 6 of this new season starts with Mary rushing to tell Elizabeth that they have both been restored to the succession by an act of Parliment. Mary is clearly overjoyed, but Elizabeth is hesitant. When Mary asks her what is troubling her, she tells her that after what had happened to Queen Catherine, “as God as my witness I shall never marry.” We all know historically that Elizabeth did indeed keep her promise, much to the dismay of many who tried to woo her or talk her into marriage, lol!
Meanwhile, the politics are getting sticky, as Eustace Chapuys comes to King Henry with an offer from King Charles for an alliance against the French. Henry, always the opportunist, speaks with the French ambassador in an effort to investigate King Francis’ intentions. When the ambassador “insults” Henry, he makes his decision. He decides to order the Scots to break with their French alliance and acknowledge England’s suzerainty over them, giving them one last chance before sending his troops to Scotland. It’s clear that Henry has decided in favor of an alliance with the Spanish Emperor.
The Earl of Surrey very faithfully continues to be a very unpredictable character! While playing cards at court, his opponent reveals that they were both related to the late queen and decides to chastize him and his family for turning a blind eye to the queen’s wanton and disreputable behavior. He uses the term, “you Howards” to the ornery Earl, who takes it personally enough to bash the unsuspecting man in the head with a pitcher and beat him until fellow courtiers pull him off, shouting that he will cut the man’s “fucking tongue out.” Interesting. In Tudor times, it was considered almost unthinkable to have violence like that at court, and it’s clear that Bishop Gardiner surely wants Surrey punished, but Henry sees fit to release him, as he would rather have him fighting in Scotland.
Finally, we come to meet Lady Latimer, aka Catherine Parr. Lord Latimer is fearful of a shadow of treason hanging over his family for events that occured during the Northern Rebellion. He invites Thomas Seymour to visit so he can ask him to make a submission on his behalf to the King, speaking of his loyalty. It’s clear that the man is very ill and is barely functioning and the stress and fear of being found treasonous is not helping. For her part, Catherine seems to be a very patient and kind nurse to him, but we quickly learn that she is already making plans for her future. A future that includes marrying Thomas Seymour.
In Scotland, Surrey is quite successful in battle and manages to capture several of the Scottish nobles. He takes them back to London with him as captives.
In a meeting, Henry is only too happy to inform his council that the battle of Solway Moss was a great victory. He also informs them that King James died, leaving his wife and new daughter behind, which means that Scotland has only a female heir to the throne.
Henry decides to have the Lady Mary preside over the Christmas festivities. Prince Edward also has his first public duties.
The paranoid King also decides to confront Thomas Seymour for his remarks regarding his handling of the Earl of Surrey. This unfortunately for Thomas, foreshadows some future disfavor from Henry.
Prince Edward is presented before the Scottish noblemen, and afterwards, the Earl of Hertford presents them with a proposal to marry the prince with the Scottish princess, uniting their countries through marriage.
The Christmas celebration is where Michael Hirst chooses to introduce Henry to Catherine Parr. The shrewd king quickly assesses Thomas Seymour’s attraction to her and decides to make him squirm. He commands an audience with Catherine, supposedly to speak with her about clearing Lord Latimer’s name of treason. You can see the wheels turning in his about her already.
Unfortunately, for the long suffering Duke of Suffolk, Henry decides to chastise him for staying away from court too long, telling him, “You can be too careful, Your Grace.” Charles quickly understands what the king means and submits to his will as always. Henry asks him to do him a favor. He orders Charles to bring a secret treaty to Embassador Chapuys, forming an alliance between Henry and King Charles. Henry promises to support the Emperor whenever asked to do so and also vows to invade France.
When the King finally meets with Catherine Parr, he quickly assures her that there is no suspicion of treason against her husband or her family, which she is relieved to hear. He realizes as he speaks to her that she is a very kind woman, intelligent and loyal. The wheels in Henry’s head continue to turn.. round and round they go!!
Of course, this would not be the Tudor times, if one religion wasn’t trying to burn another for “heresy”. Bishop Gardiner is determined to “flush” out the heretics and punish them all. Gotta love all the crazy ambition in the name of saving a religion or faith.
Poor Catherine Parr. She is now getting the usual King Henry wooing treatment, having gifts sent to her. Pretty ballsy, considering her husband wasn’t even dead yet! For her part, she seems pretty overwhelmed and scared by the attention. Who wouldn’t be, at this point? The man has been through five wives, for crying out loud, lol!
King Henry signs the treaty between himself and King Charles. It’s official. The Duke of Suffolk then presents the French embassador with an official declaration of war against France. Needless to say, it was not well received.
Bishop Gardiner informs the king that he has found a “nest of heretics” and asks the king’s permission to arrest them and “examine” them closely, which obviously means torture. A man named Tesswood is somehow connected to the Earl of Hertford and goes to him for help. Edward Seymour shows no mercy, and his wife, Anne Stanhope, shows even less by threatening Tesswood, telling him things will go badly for his family if he mentions the Seymours in any way. Such craziness! So many subplots!!! It’s getting to be a bit much packed into one episode, don’t you think?
Catherine meets with Thomas one last time. They both know what getting gifts from the King means. She is very alarmed, as she does NOT want to be queen. But, how can anyone say no to the KING? The king invites her over for dinner. The more he is in her company, it’s very clear he likes her quite a bit.
Catherine thanks the king for the generous gifts, insisting she did nothing to deserve such things. He explains he just wanted to give her good cheer. She doesn’t look convinced, and frankly, neither am I. The king asks her to play cards, where Mary and Chapuys notice Catherine might be next in line for the title of queen.
Catherine wins the card game, and Henry gifts her with a ring, which he insists she accept for “his sake.” Thomas Seymour sees the exchange and realizes he is not going to be able to marry Catherine after all. Ever the schemer, the king sends Thomas away to Brussels on permanent embassy. OUCH! That had to hurt!!!!
Lord Latimer is finally about to pass on. His health is just about giving out. They are saying his last rights and Catherine is looking both relieved for it all to be over and sad. Here’s something I don’t quite understand. She desperately tries to tell him “something” and he leans over and tells her to go to hell.. then dies. What is THAT all about? There has never been any evidence that Lord Latimer held any ill will towards his wife. What is Michael Hirst trying to say with this?
Of course, the final scene is Edward Seymour, entering Catherine Parr’s home, offering the king’s hand in marriage. Boy, he really didn’t waste any time! The body was barely cold! Pretty incredible stuff.
Tales from episode 7 coming soon!
****All pictures for this post were found on the site – Showtime’s Tudors Wiki (which has been SUPER helpful to me!) http://tudorswiki.sho.com/photos .
The casting of Catherine Howard was fun and very easy. I was actually amazed at how easy it was. I have quite a few choices for her and I am going to share them all!
Catherine Howard was Henry VIII’s fifth wife. She had quite an unsupervised type of adolescence which ultimately led to her execution.
Henry fell hard for the young Catherine in the last remaining days of his marriage to Anne of Cleves. He thought she was everything he could possibly hope for in a wife. Unfortunately, the King would find out he was terribly wrong in this assumption. She was small and slender, with auburn hair, and was said to be kind yet frivolous and empty headed.
Here is an actual pic/painting of Catherine Howard:
Here are the actresses I picked to portray Catherine Howard.
My first choice is Erika Christensen. I have seen her play a wide variety of roles and believe that she could play this role quite well. She has played the out of control teenager before, in the movie, “Traffic,” and I really believe she would do Catherine justice.
My second choice is Mena Suvari. I have also seen her play the rebellious teenager well onscreen. Her role in “American Beauty” is what really leads me to believe she could play the seductive young girl and really capture that sexual essence that Catherine had even as young as she was.
My third choice is Amanda Detmer. She has a very sunny, youthful appearance and I think she would make a good Catherine.
I have two other actresses who I had given some thought to, and although I am not entirely sure they would be right for the role, I will post their pics anyway. They are Rachel McAdams and Dakota Fanning.
When Henry married Catherine, he had a medal struck to commemorate the occasion. He quickly dubbed her his “Rose without a thorn.” Little did he know at the time how much he would come to regret calling her that! The young girl had absolutely no idea how to be a Queen of England and it was very apparent to everyone that the only thing she did know how to do was to “make merry and dance.” She broke the king’s heart when he learned of her adultery and she became the second of Henry’s wives to lose her head.
Catherine’s motto was “No other will but his,” and her badge was a crowned Tudor rose. She was only a mere 17 years old when she was executed for treason at the Tower of London.
Cullen Bailey Burns, Matthew Rasmussen, Sierra DeMulder, Louise Erdrich, Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, Margaret Atwood, Joan Didion, Sam Cook, John Jodzio, Katrina Vandenberg, Deborah Keenan, Diana Gabaldon, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, Sharon Kay Penman, Jane Austen, Oscar Wilde, Chichimanda Ngozi Adichie, Claire Ridgeway, Eric Ives, Gareth Russell, Laura Antoniou, Alison Weir, Robert Bly, Kurt Sutter, Lucy Worsley, Suzannah Lipscomb, Geoffrey Chaucer, Sir Thomas Wyatt, Henry Howard Earl of Surrey, Amanda Foreman, and so many, many more!
A Leonine Voice 