Three years had passed since Prince Richard was born. Anne's daughter, Princess Elizabeth was now seven years old and was already a decorated scholar. She now spoke perfect Latin, Italian, Spanish, and Welsh, and had begun learning German and Greek. Prince Edward was also gifted with a bright intelligence at four and had begun learning Greek with Princess Elizabeth. Prince Richard at three years old, was his brother's shadow. He liked to follow Prince Edward everywhere and would often copy his speech and actions. A lot had changed in those few years and most of it had been tumultuous. In June 1538, just short of six months after Prince Richard's birth, Anne had been indisposed with an illness. During that time, Thomas Cromwell had led Henry into dissolving more monasteries for nothing more than greed. Anne had been terrified when the news came in late December that these actions caused Henry to be excommunicated by the Pope. As a stout Catholic, Princess Mary had visibly paled upon hearing the news. To her, it must've meant that her father's soul would be damned for all eternity when he died. For Anne, it was not so much that she cared for the Pope or the falseness and idolatry of the Roman Catholic religion. It was that in this one stroke, the Pope had released their Catholic subjects in England from their duty to obey their King. It was a terrible end to a year that had already been hard for her, having had lost her mother earlier, in April.
Now, this excommunication ruined several plans. The Holy Roman Emperor had sent a dispatch immediately to England to inform Anne and Henry that unfortunately he could no longer consider the match between his son, Prince Felipe and Princess Mary. His conscience could never allow him to permit a marriage union in which his son's father-in-law was no longer in union with the Holy Church. Mary had been devastated. While Anne had been against the match in any case, she did feel for Mary. She had thought to one day be Queen of Spain, as the mother of her own beloved mother had been. She would live in the palaces her mother had known as a girl and view the portraits of her Spanish forebears in the royal galleries of Spain. And also, Mary was already 22, and the window of her fertile years was closing. Of course, she would have had to wait for another four years to marry the Spanish Prince anyway, because he had only been a child of 11. Although her affection for Mary was always seasoned graciously with calculation, Anne had genuinely felt for her, and had pet her, and told her that the Prince was a child anyway and she would be better off with a fully grown man.
More terrible news came in the beginning of 1539. Emperor Charles and King Francois had entered into a peace agreement. That did not bode well for English interests. England traditionally decided the balance between the great powers of Europe. It was always England that would ally with either Spain or France, as the two countries were inherent enemies. Now, everything was changing. "Sir", Anne had urged, "We must try to ally with France!". She had sat in on the emergency Privy Council meeting that had been called. Many of the councilors were nodding in agreement. "We already know for certain that the Emperor will not ally with us, for he wrote to us only last year to express his refusal to honor the betrothal of Prince Felipe and Princess Mary". "And how would you have us ally with France?", Henry asked, already knowing the answer. "It must be through the marriage of Princess Mary and Prince Charles, Duc de Orleans", Anne replied. "Her Highness would never submit to a French marriage", said one William Fitzwilliam, the Earl of Southampton. "She is too proud of her half Spanish blood". Anne shook her head. "My Lord Southampton, I must remind you that Mary is an English Princess, and she knows her duty is to marry where she is bid. And anyway, I cannot see how she can object to a French marriage by virtue of her Spanish ancestry, when it is the Spanish themselves who threaten us with an alliance to France".
"That may be so", began Thomas Cromwell. "But I beg Your Majesty to consider that we may run into much the same issue in trying to ally with France. France is still a Catholic nation. King Francis will not be eager for such a match". "France is always eager to stir up trouble in Spain", Arthur Plantagenet, Viscount Lisle pointed out. Anne was always struck that, although he was more than sixty years old, she could see the resemblance he had to Henry. After all, he was Henry's illegitimate maternal uncle, and the son of King Edward V, Henry's grandfather. "Mark me, a peace between France and Spain will never hold". The councilors nodded slowly or rubbed their chins in thoughtful silence. Anne was still regarding the old man. It surprised her to no end that Henry even allowed his uncle a place at court, let alone a seat on the Privy Council. After all, even with two strong, healthy, and well accomplished sons, Henry still feared the Plantagenets. Many of them were in exile or locked away. Anne had been horrified almost a year ago when he thought of imprisoning Margaret Pole, the Plantagenet Countess of Salisbury, and Mary's one-time governess.
It was all because her son, Reginald Pole, now a Cardinal, had written that Henry's marriage to Anne was an abomination. Anne had no great love for Margaret Pole. She was the great friend of Katherine of Aragon and had wholeheartedly and publicly disagreed with the King when he decided to annul their unlawful marriage. Anne was sure that the Countess of Salisbury was one of that number that still clung to the idea that Princess Mary was the only legitimate heir to the throne. But, Anne had done everything she could to cousin Margaret Pole, and all of Mary's supporters ever since her son Edward was born. No one spoke out against her, especially since the people were not so 'righteous' as to prefer civil war- which would surely break out if the succession was left unclear- to championing not one, but two princes, even if they felt the marriage morally wrong. The Dowager Princess was dead, Anne had been crowned Queen of England for seven years, and she and Henry had a fruitful marriage of three children- two of them Princes, and even now, one was on the way. There was no point in changing that. Everyone feared a return to the bloody days of the Cousins Wars.
"Perhaps, Lord Lisle", began Anne's uncle, Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk. "But it would be foolhardy indeed to base our plans on the assumption that the peace between France and Spain would fall apart at some point. We cannot risk what damage might be incurred in the meantime. I am in agreement with Her Majesty the Queen". Anne inclined her head demurely. She knew that her uncle was not supporting her merely for familial affection. His actions were never based on affection. Despite his outward conversion to the Anglican faith, which was becoming more and more reformed, he was heavily Catholic. It was only that he was a man of few scruples. He was not like the martyrs, willing to die to support their faith rather than conform to one they disagreed with. He would always dance to the tune of the King, thus preserving his fortune and titles. A match between the French Catholic Prince, the Duke of Orleans, and the Catholic Princess Mary, could be a center of interest and intrigue for Catholic Englishmen. Next it would be the suggestion of a French Princess for Prince Edward to 'solidify' the alliance with France. All the while, schemes would be hatched to have her trained to press him into a return to Rome. She knew how her uncle worked.
"Thank you, my Lord Norfolk", said Anne indifferently. She turned to Henry. "Your Majesty, if we don't move quickly, I have no doubt that Prince Charles will be betrothed to either the Spanish Infanta Maria, or her cousin Anna, the Archduchess of Austria, within the year". The King nodded and turned to his Lords. "The Queen makes a sound argument. What say you, my Lords?". Thomas Cromwell spoke up. "Her Majesty, wise as she may be, forgets that any lasting Catholic alliance is as ill-disposed as it is unlikely". Anne just noticed the hint of a frown in the corners of her uncle's mouth. Cromwell, was of course, an avid reformer. "They may, at any point act against our interests, and in good conscience", he went on. "They will believe that our God-appointed sovereign is no longer a true King, as defined by the Catholic Church. By their logic, why should they ally with us when they think they can rightfully invade?". Many of the councilors nodded and made general responses of reluctant agreement. "My Lords", said Anne, her imperious tone causing them to become silent, "An alliance with France by the marriage of Princess Mary would be our greatest protection. Need I remind you that the ladies that will surely be put forth to the French Prince are her second cousins. Think you Francois would prefer a match between Catholic brides with Spanish blood, or, a Catholic bride, who is an English Princess, with Spanish blood?".
Henry looked intrigued. "Yes...yes I can see that", he mused out loud. "My Lords", he addressed the Council, "Her Majesty may be right. Francis would gain more from an alliance through a match with his son and Princess Mary, for he would be allying with the cousin of the Holy Roman Emperor, and the daughter of the King of England". "It does sound reasonable", concurred Sir Anthony Browne. "And certainly, it removes the threat of attack from both France and Spain", said Anne's brother-in-law, William Stafford, who was made Earl of Hunsdon two years before. "Aye", said Lord Lisle. "Spain would never attack us while we are allied with France, and they cannot attack France while the Emperor's own cousin is wedded to a French Prince". "My thoughts exactly, my Lord", said Anne. "And France would not dare enter an agreement with Spain while there is even the slightest glimmer of a chance that, should the worst befall the Dauphin, or our own dear Princes, any child born of the union would have a claim to the English throne, which the French covet beyond anything else". This was met by the approval of most of the council. "My Lords", said Thomas Cromwell beseechingly, "I urge you, look beyond the surface. Do you not think it possible that we might only be aiding France to our detriment?". Most of the Lords looked skeptical.
Cromwell turned to the King. "Hear me, Your Majesty. While the Queen might be right, there is also a chance that we could strengthen the bond between France and Spain. Any alliance created with Princess Mary implicates an alliance with Spain. If she is married to a French Prince, Spain will never attack France. I fear I must remind you my Lords, that the Spanish, as well as most Catholic nations believe, incorrectly of course, that Princess Mary is the only legitimate heir to the throne. That being the case, what is to stop France and Spain from allying against us to set their Prince and our Princess Mary on the throne of England? That would bring England back under the control of Rome and Popish heresy, which is all the Spanish care for". Henry looked thoughtful. "Everything could all be to make England a dominion of the Holy Roman Empire", Cromwell added, calculatingly. Le batard!, Anne thought wildly. She knew he added that last piece to move the King to instantly oppose the match. Henry grew red in the face. His temper was out of control these days, although it thankfully did not usually land upon Anne's head.
"Never!", he bellowed. "Charles has ever been a conniving, deceitful Spanish dog!". Anne knew he was thinking of how Charles had thwarted Henry in the past when he tried to put the annulment of his marriage to Katherine to the Pope. Charles had rashly kidnapped the Pope and sacked the city of Rome so as to put fear in his heart, and prevent him from granting the annulment. Henry turned to his wife. "Anne, it was a sound plan, but we cannot risk it!". Anne nodded and kept her peace. There would be time for debate later. She knew better than to push the King at this point. Instead she fixed her attention on Cromwell. "And so, my Lord Privy Seal, what is it that you propose?". She had come to know that he never put out his own ideas until he at least attempted to thwart hers. "I propose that we move away from these Catholic matches". "You would have Princess Mary wed a Protestant then?", she asked, leaving no room for his traditional ambiguousness. "...Perhaps", he answered slowly, glancing quickly at the King to gauge his reaction. "If it were the best possible match for England's needs". Anne ignored his diplomatic answer. "Oh come now. Do not be bashful. Surely, my Lord, you have someone in mind already for Princess Mary. His Majesty and I will hear it".
Cromwell glanced at the King who nodded him to do as he was told. "...It could be advantageous to consider a match between Princess Mary and Wilhelm, Duke of Julich, Cleves, and Berg". A few years before, Anne had suggested a similar match between Mary and the Duke of Bar, the son of the Duke of Lorraine. But the King had left it too late and the Duke of Bar had been betrothed to the Duchess Anna, Duke Wilhelm's sister...although, now that she thought of it, that marriage had not gone ahead, and she was sure she heard the betrothal had been dissolved. "All of Catholic Europe would be against us", said Thomas Howard stoutly. "That is something we cannot risk!". "Your Grace, they are already against us because of...the Papal Bull", Cromwell replied skillfully. He knew that naming the King's excommunication was always a sore point that could cause Henry's anger to flare at whoever mentioned it. "We cannot hope for true allies in Catholics. There is always the threat of betrayal". There was murmuring among the council. "I agree", said Henry finally. "We will send envoys to the Duke after we have drawn up preliminary plans".