Bring Up The Bodies

There is an accidental fire in Anne’s bedroom, and afterward, Lady Rochford hints to Cromwell that someone may be visiting the queen’s bedchamber. On January 24, 1536, Henry is seriously injured in a jousting tournament. Initially, he is believed to be dead, and the nobles panic. Henry recovers, but the incident reveals the chaos that will ensue if Henry dies without a clear heir, and, ideally, one old enough not to require a regent. A few days later, on the day of Katherine’s funeral, Anne loses her pregnancy. Archbishop Thomas Cranmer tries to comfort Henry, reassuring him that this disappointment is still part of a divine plan, but Henry is frustrated and bitter toward Anne. Speaking with Cranmer and Cromwell, Henry complains that he feels he was somehow tricked or bewitched into marrying Anne. Afterward, Cranmer and Cromwell discuss the situation. Now that Katherine is dead, it would be in Henry’s best interests to reconcile with Emperor Charles, and Anne stands as an obstacle to this alliance.

Cranmer and Cromwell meet with Anne’s uncle, Thomas Howard, the Duke of Norfolk. Norfolk is a powerful nobleman, who is wary of their efforts to reconcile. Cromwell contemplates the shifting loyalties of the Tudor court as he tries to decide on an ally.