It is June 1529, and we are preparing Catalina for her speech. "Do you think I will be good enough?" Catalina asks.
"Of course you will be," I assure her. "You have the backing of the people; King Henry doesn't. You will win the trial."
"At least I know that it will hold Henry off for a little while."
"But not for long."
"I know. King Henry always gets what he wants in the end."
"Not always. He comes after us again in 1912, and we all fight back. He and his lackeys won't get any of us then."
"Lackeys?"
"It's kind of what I called his friends back then. However, I don't really consider them his friends since Henry doesn't treat them like that."
"It makes sense," Maggie says. "He's King, so he has no need to treat anyone like equals, so that would carry on to when he comes back."
"The thing is, I don't know how he comes back. I certainly won't be the one to do that."
We finish dressing the Queen, and she looks at herself in the hand mirror we give her. "Thank you, ladies," she smiles. "I could not ask for better friends."
"We will do everything we can for Your Majesty," Maggie assures her, "remember that."
"I will." She leaves her bedchamber, and we follow behind her.
We all go to Blackfriars together, and King Henry is already there. A massive crowd has formed near the entrance, and there must be thousands of people there. They turn and spot Catalina. "God bless Your Majesty!" Someone yells.
"God save the queen!" Another shouts. The crowd starts cheering and applauding Catalina as she passes, and Catalina smiles at each of them. We follow behind her, and I marvel at how devoted the population is to the queen. You do not often see that in my time, so I will treasure it now. I know the circumstances aren't ideal, but I will take what I can get.
The monastery is set out, ready for the trial, and King Henry is standing in front of his throne. Bishop Fisher is standing on Catalina's side of the court, and he smiles when he spots Catalina. Everyone turns, and the court falls silent as Catalina and the rest of us walk through. Everyone bows to her since she's still the queen, and Catalina stands before her throne. Before everyone is a long table where Cardinal Wolsey and Cardinal Campeggio are standing. Campeggio is leaning on a walking stick. The rest of us find an empty bench at the front and remain standing. "You may be seated," Cardinal Campeggio says, and everyone sits down. "We are here to conduct a trial into King Henry VIII's marriage to Queen Katherine of Aragon. We will conduct this trial in an orderly fashion. King Henry, will you state your opening case for us?"
King Henry stands up and walks into the middle space between the two thrones separating him from Catalina. "Cardinal Campeggio, Cardinal Wolsey, my Lords, we are gathered here to conduct a serious investigation into my marriage. In Leviticus, it states that if a man marries his brother's wife, it is unclean as he has uncovered his brother's nakedness. They shall be childless. Queen Katherine was my brother's wife, and so by marrying her, I have defied the rule in Leviticus." Everyone remains silent as they think about what they heard. "I have not said anything about it for years because of my love and devotion to the Queen." I highly doubt that Henry. If anything, you have not said anything because you haven't found anyone that would replace her until now! "My lawyers have looked into my case deeply, and my bishops have agreed that my marriage to Queen Katherine was never valid."
"Objection!" Bishop Fisher yells, and he stands up. "I never agreed to such a thing, and if someone says I have, Cranmer has faked it!"
"Please sit down, Bishop," Cardinal Wolsey says. Who does he think he is? Wolsey, I mean, not Fisher. He is clearly on the King's side and will do anything he can to get the annulment.
Bishop Fisher sits down. "The Pope should never have granted a dispensation for me to marry Katherine. Cardinal Wolsey, Cardinal Campeggio, I trust you will both investigate this matter thoroughly and produce an answer that will calm my troubled conscience." King Henry sits down on his throne again. He looks confident like he knows he will win this trial. Although I know something he doesn't—he will not win the trial.
"Queen Katherine, will you take to the floor and explain your counterargument?" Wolsey asks. He barely even looks up when Catalina stands up and walks to the middle of the room. She looks over at us, and I nod. Catalina turns back to Henry and continues walking before kneeling at the foot of his throne.
People gasp, and Wolsey looks up. "Get up, woman!" Henry hisses.
"Sir, I beseech you for all the love that hath between us, and for the love of God, let me have justice." Henry grabs Catalina and forces her to rise, but Catalina kneels again. "Take of me some pity and compassion, for I am a poor woman and a stranger born out of your dominion."
"Stand up!"
"I have here no assured friends and much less impartial counsel. Alas! Sir, wherein have I offended you, or what occasion of displeasure have I deserved?" King Henry looks away at Catalina and at the two cardinals. I cannot see his face but can imagine the fury etched on his face. Henry will not let the Queen get away with her speech. "I have been to you a true, humble, and obedient wife, ever comfortable to your will and pleasure, that never said or did anything to the contrary thereof, being always well pleased and contented with all things wherein you had any delight or dalliance, whether it be in little or much."
"I said get up!" King Henry launches to his feet, and while Catalina flinches, she remains kneeling, and she looks up at the King.
"I never grudged in word or countenance or showed a visage or spark of discontent. I loved all those whom you loved, only for your sake, whether I had cause or no," She looks over at Henry's lawyers, and most of them have the decency to look away, "and whether they were my friends or enemies. These twenty years or more I have been your true wife, and by me, you had many children, although it had pleased God to call them out of this world, which had been no fault of mine."
"We are sonless, Katherine! England will never accept Mary as queen!" The people start booing, and I must admit that I started that.
"When you had me at first, I take God to my judge; I was a true maid, without touch of man. And whether it be true or no, I put it to your conscience. If there be any just cause by the law that you can allege against me either of dishonesty or any other impediment to banish and put me from you, I am well content to depart to my great shame and dishonour."
"You are already dishonouring yourself, Katherine! I gave you plenty of chances to accept my annulment and choose somewhere else to live, but—"
"And if there be none, then here, I most lowly beseech you, let me remain in my former estate. Therefore, I most humbly require you, in the way of charity and for the love of God—who is the best judge—to spare me the extremity of this new court until I may be advised what way and order my friends in Spain will advise me to take."
"You had plenty of time to write to your nephew."
"Objection!" I yell. "Queen Katherine was only alerted about the trial a week ago. That is nowhere enough time to write to Charles the fifth and know what she should do. The trial should be postponed until she has heard back."
"Sit down, Mistress Smith-White, or you will be removed from the Court," Cardinal Wolsey says. I sit down.
"And if you will not extend to me so much impartial favour, your pleasure then be fulfilled, and to God, I commit my cause!" Catalina stands up and begins walking toward us. I fall in line behind her and do Mum, Mummy, Maggie, Joan, and Jane.
"Katherine, Queen of England, come again into the court!"
"Should you not return?" One of the men asks as they escort us out.
"I have said everything I wish to," Catalina says, "and until my case can be tried in Rome, the King has no right to hold a legatine court here."
We head outside, and the crowd starts cheering. "God save the Queen!" Someone yells, and the rest of the crowd joins in as we walk through them towards the barge to take us back to Court. Our journey back is silent as we think about what happened. While Catalina will win the fight, she will lose the war. I sigh as I look out onto the river. So much is going to change, and I am unsure if I can keep up with everything.