Episode Summary: Sir Robert Tavistock finds the painter Mr. Holbein painting a nude portrait of his fiancée, Lady Misseldon. Mr. Holbein and Sir Tavistock engage in an altercation leaving the former on the floor. Both men report of their confrontation to the King, and Sir Tavistock finds him at a disadvantage for His Majesty favors the painter. Little did he know that it was King Henry VIII who commissioned the painting.Continue reading...
King Henry’s court celebrates Christmastide and the King has received a few guests. Lady Mary has one of her own, Lady Salisbury, the governess who took care of her, and who is the mother of Cardinal Reginald Pole. The King knows the Countess and her son very well. He declares for everyone to hear that her son and his cousin had a falling out after Reginald refused his offer to make him the Bishop of Winchester. Lady Salisbury comes in defense of his son, stating that his refusal is due to his lack of desire for public office or notoriety. The King then publicly pardons her son. Jane Seymour and Lady Mary, however, still have another guest to present to the King. It is his daughter by Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth. The governess presents the child to His Majesty, but the King need not hear it for he knows his child. Young Elizabeth addresses the King in French and King Henry VIII instructs her to go sit on his lap, and declares to everyone that the three women in front of them is his family.
Edward Seymour presents Mr. Robert Aske to the King. His Majesty speaks to him privately to discuss with him the document he had put together detailing the events and the reasons that led to the Pilgrimage of Grace. Mr. Aske is surprised at the King’s confession at agreeing to his cause after reading his document. The King confirms the pledges the Duke of Suffolk has made to the pilgrims. Moreover, King Henry VIII informs Mr. Aske that he himself will pay a visit to York, and has decided to hold the coronation of Jane Seymour there. The King also touches upon Mr. Aske’s grievance against the King’s advisers who are not of noble blood. He informs him of his agreement to such objection, but tells him to keep his concurrence a secret. Aside from receiving approval from the King in spite of the rebellion he had led, King Henry VIII even gives Mr. Aske an expensive robe as a present. Mr. Aske is in disbelief of his good fortune, but his luck does not stop there. Lady Mary pays Mr. Aske a visit to wish him well, and learns that she and her deceased mother remain beloved in the northern part of the kingdom. Mr. Aske declares of his desire to see her succeed her father in the throne. Lady Mary then gives him a token to remember her by.
Jane Seymour appears to the crowd with her brother, and learns that their father whom she knows to have fallen ill is in fact already dead. Edward has kept his passing from her, and had already held a funeral and buried him without her knowledge. King Henry VIII arrives to join his Queen, and publicly declares that he has pardoned everyone who partook in the insurrection. Mr. Aske returns to the Pontefract Castle to convey to his fellow rebels that the King has confirmed the pledges they received from his emissary, the Duke of Suffolk. His fellow rebels including Lord Darcy, however, are not so convinced due to the rumors that had spread through the north regarding the people’s distrust in the King’s promises. This distrust threatens another uprising. Mr. Aske requests John Constable to convince the people to believe his word for he had personally heard the promises from the King, and to wait for the arrival of the King’s seal that will substantiate the pledges promised them. Mr. Constable, however, has lost confidence in the King’s word and of Mr. Aske’s for he has not brought proof of the fulfillment of the promises. Much to Mr. Aske’s dismay, Mr. Constable puts the agreement with the King in jeopardy as he gathers his men to prepare for another rebellion.
Regrettably, there is truth in Mr. Constable’s suspicions. King Henry VIII instructs Lord Suffolk to go north, and have the people of Yorkshire and Lancashire take an oath confessing to have taken an oath contrary to their religion and must then renounce them. Moreover, they are to swear their loyalty to the King, to uphold all the laws in his realm, and to assist the church commissioners in their duties. Failure to take the oath will result in the person’s execution. The King also tells Lord Suffolk to inform the people of the delays in the creation of the new parliament. The Duke, much to his chagrin, must betray his word in order to meet the King’s command. Moreover, he learns that His Majesty has no intention of fulfilling his promises to the rebels, and desires punishment for those who took part in the insurrection.
Mr. Constable returns to his camp, and soon after finds it under attack. One of the men who managed to escape reaches the Pontefract Castle to apprise them of the attack that slayed many of their men, and of the capture of Mr. Constable. Lord Suffolk and Shrewsbury carry out the orders of the King as they capture and execute all those who refuse to renounce their actions and sign the oath. The men are executed in front of their wailing families who desperately try to rescue them. It was a task Lord Suffolk reluctantly took on, and that troubled him so. However, his work is not done as Shrewsbury informs him of the King’s mandate to arrest Lord Darcy, Sir Ralph Ellerker and Mr. Robert Aske for charges of treason. Moreover, they are to keep the charges secret from their captives.
Lord Darcy, Sir Ellerker, and Mr. Aske declare their condemnation of the new uprising, and swear loyalty to the King. They are unaware that His Majesty has ordered their arrest even without the knowledge of the brewing insurrection. Lord Suffolk tells them that the King only desires that they personally explain to him the acts of rebellion that appear to betray the agreement born out of their negotiations. Although they have trust in the King’s word, Mr. Aske confesses of his distrust towards the King’s council. The leaders of the Pilgrimage of Grace go with Lord Suffolk to see the King. Mr. Aske whose faith in the King still has not faltered appeases his disconcerted family believing that no harm will come to him. He is unaware that Mr. Constable who was captured earlier has already been tortured and imprisoned. Mr. Aske arrives in the King’s court and Lord Suffolk entrusts him to Sir Francis Bryan who informs him that he has received orders to take him to the Tower of London with the pretense of keeping him there for his protection. He, however, knew at once that his life is in danger especially upon learning that Mr. Cromwell desires to interrogate him. Certain of his fate, Mr. Aske look to Lord Suffolk, but hear that there is nothing else he can do to help him.
The truth of the matter is, Lord Suffolk has been accused of being lenient to the rebels. Moreover, Mr. Cromwell notifies him that His Majesty suspects him of being a papist. Lord Suffolk is to return to the north to carry out punishment to all the rebels for it was found that he only executed a few. The King is not pleased with his work for he desires to make an example of the rebels. Later, Mr. Cromwell interrogates Mr. Aske and learns that the people believed that the destruction of their abbeys showed the first sign of the dissolution of their religion. Moreover, Mr. Aske explains that the abbeys took care of its faithful, and provided alms to the needy and commissioned the building of infrastructure for the benefit of everyone. He then speaks to Lord Darcy about the letter he wrote after the King has imposed his pardon, and uses it against him through the twisting of facts and the creation of malicious intent that are obviously false. Lord Darcy declares that it is Thomas Cromwell and not Mr. Aske who brought forth the rebellion. Moreover, he believes that although Mr. Cromwell currently has the power to execute people he so chooses, including people of nobility, there is one who still has the power to do the same to him.
Disconcerted of the orders he received, Charles Brandon is overwhelmed with conflict and anguish of what he is about to carry out. Upon the urging of his wife, Catherine Willoughby, Charles Brandon confides to her that he is to return to the north to enact retribution and execute more rebels without due process as per the orders of the King. Because the pilgrims included women and children, he is to execute them as well. Otherwise, he will fall in disfavor with the King, and most likely suffer the same fate as the rebels. Catherine is disgusted at the orders Charles has agreed to perform, but like her husband, she cannot do anything to prevent it.
King Henry VIII pays a visit to Mr. Aske to enlighten him about the monks he revered and sought to protect. His Majesty apprises him of the wrongdoings of the religious. He claims that they are far from what they claim to be. He finds Mr. Aske to be misguided, but still believes that he is one of his most loyal men. Mr. Aske confirms his loyalty to the King and vows not to seek to offend him. His Majesty seems to show mercy towards Mr. Aske, one that the other leaders of the insurrection did not receive as their lifeless heads sit atop spears to serve as a warning to anyone else who seeks to betray the King.
Lady Rochford informs Jane Seymour that the King has taken Lady Misseldon as his mistress. The Queen though saddened with the revelation accepts it as though she already knew of it happening. She then tells Lady Rochford not to be troubled for her for she has great reason to be happy. Jane Seymour alludes to her pregnancy with her appetite for quail’s eggs. King Henry VIII deducing that his wife is finally with child is overjoyed with the news.
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