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Now that he’s been given supreme authority over the church, it’s only a matter of time before Henry and Anne are married. And now that he’s banished Katherine, I’m betting it’ll happen as soon as they have the chance. But first? A visit to France and to the King and his wife there. And what of the assassin who has been hired by the French Ambassador? In real history Anne lived beyond any potential assassination attempts, but I wonder how close they got?

It would seem the answer of how close the assassin gets to Anne is answered rather fast. He’s in her chambers, leaving a message through a deck of cards. While this threat is being laid out, the Archbishop is giving a speech to the court. He is clearly feeling better and knows he’s speaking above himself. The Boleyns see this as well, with Anne’s father whispering during mass to his son that the King must break with the church, for now and for always.

Turns out it’s Christmastime, and Mark doesn’t understand why there isn’t more revelry at court. Because the Queen has been banished along with her ladies, and Anne does not yet have ladies in waiting to the degree the Queen does, Wyatt remarks that a court without ladies is almost no court at all. The missing revelry has not extended to the King and Anne, however. Back from their travels they are giving one another presents. He has given her bolts of cloth for new dresses, which she loves dearly (vain as she is), and he has also had a bed made for her (hint, hint). Anne has given Henry several giant spears, for boar hunting. After Anne’s present, another present is given to Henry, and it turns out it’s from Katherine. Angrily, Henry proclaims he won’t receive her gifts, but Anne tries to remind him not to let Katherine spoil their Christmas spirit.

Thomas Moore comes in just then, with a gift for Henry. It’s a gorgeous crucifix, which makes sense coming from him. Henry takes the opportunity to schedule a meeting with him regarding the continued abuses at the hands of the clergy. With that, Thomas leaves and more gifts arrive. Back in the great hall, Mark is composing a new holiday ballad with several other musicians when Henry comes in looking for Charles. Henry simply wants to play a game of tennis, but Charles takes the opportunity to put into question Anne’s purity … he points out the rumors of Anne and Thomas Wyatt fornicating brazenly, but Henry will have none of it, storming off in a huff.

Cranmen and Cromwell are meeting in private, and Cramnen’s modesty is still there. Turns out he’s been appointed as Henry’s special clerical envoy to the court of England. Shocked at the honor, it’s made clear by Cromwell that the reason for the appointment is Cranmen’s agreement with Henry’s religious views.

Anne and Henry, out walking in the winter beauty, discuss again the “false” rumors of Anne and Wyatt. Henry tells her that Charles has repeated the rumors, and Anne asks whether Charles has been banished form court. While she and the king are walking, the assassin steals into Anne’s chambers to lay out the cards he’s using to express his threat. Outside, Henry is telling Anne of his desire for the two to go to France to meet there with the King. She does not understand what that has to do with her, but then Henry tells her that he wants to present her formally, as the future Queen of England and as Henry’s future wife! When Anne gets back from her walk it doesn’t take her long to notice the threat laid bare on her table, and she is none too pleased at it!

Back in Cromwell’s chambers, Charles Brandon shows up only to be told he has been banished from court yet again. The pair have words with one another, both calling one another out on their double-sided personalities. Cromwell wins, however, because he has the order to force Brandon to leave court. This pair will undoubtedly continue to be at odds, and that won’t end well for one of them.

Henry, meanwhile, is calling out his bishops for signing both oaths to Rome and to England. He has decided the two oaths contradict, and that makes the bishops at most half-subjects to the people of England. With that, he calls them all to choose sides, either with Henry or with the Pope and Rome. It’s the next step in breaking with Rome, to be certain. The response from the clergy is made rather clear the next Sunday at church, when one of the priests takes aim at the King from the pulpit. Thankfully for Henry, everyone else there screams at the man as he is dragged from the pulpit kicking and screaming. At Parliament, this answer is made even more clear when almost all the clergy agree to accept Henry as their ruler over the Pope. He has won yet another battle.

Bombshell number one to drop this episode? Sir Thomas Moore requesting he be let retire to a private life, away from court, Henry and Prodestant beliefs! He’s no longer able to be a self-proclaimed beacon of Catholic light for England, and wishes to return to his family. Henry allows him to leave, and even says it’s willingly on his part. For Henry, this means that he can now appoint someone who is more in line with his beliefs, and with Moore’s agreement to never speak publicly on the subject of Anne, he’s that much more at ease. And then Moore tells Henry that if he were to see fit to reconcile with Katherine, the whole of England’s divisions would be healed in an instant. Bold!

Wyatt has shown up to the house of Katherine, and has a royal pronouncement that she must return her royal jewels. In the process, he tries once again to court Katherine’s lady. He’s left her a poem in her pocket while she was telling him she’d never succumb to being his mistress, and she’s so clearly moved by it. Sheesh, lady. It’s just a poem, and he’s just using it to bed you and then leave you, your reputation sullied. Sure, the poem’s pretty, but come ON.

Back at court, Henry finds out all is organized for the visit to France, with a new treaty to be written between England and France, along with the Lady Anne being welcomed with open arms. Anne’s busy flirting it up with Mark Smeaton, whom she then takes to introduce him to the king. It sounds like Anne has been talking about Mark to Henry, and he asks Mark to play him something. With that, Anne takes her seat next to Henry while Mark starts a new dancing tune, all while smiling about as gay as a man can smile. I’m sorry, but if they don’t make him the new gay character on the show (every season has to have one!), then I’ll be really disappointed. While the court is dancing, Henry says he wants to forgive Charles and bring him back to court. To assail the gossip that will surely follow, he decides he will invite Wyatt to France with them so that no one can say that he’s jealous of the man. Silly Henry, everyone will just say you’ve invited him to keep an eye on him!

While that frivolity is going on, Cromwell and Mr. Boleyn are chatting it up in a dark corner. Turns out Mr. Cranmen’s gotten married in secret, taking full advantage of the Prodestant view that priests should be allowed to get married. Boleyn is surprised to discover Cromwell is all for priests being able to marry. And that’s when we find out that his goal is to destroy the Catholic Church all together, rather than simply reform it. And with that, Boleyn makes it clear he’s on that same page. Interesting!

Before they head to France, Henry has her crowned a Marquess. The title is usually only held by men, making her the first woman to ever hold such a title. This has been done so that she is of a level to marry Henry. He could have made her a Duchess, but instead has inferred upon her a title so grand that no woman in the world can be above her, Queen or not! He also gives her land and a yearly stipend of 100k to keep her in the manner which she will be expected to be accustomed as a Marquess. Even in today’s world that’s a fair lot of money, so back then it made her one of the richest people in the world.

The last of the Archbishops withholding their vote for the King has died of old age. He was the last in the way of the marriage of Henry and Anne, so while this is a great thing for Henry and Anne, this is terrible for the Catholic resistance to not only Henry’s divorce, but the Protestant faith in general.

Didn’t I say it was bad news to fall for Wyatt’s poem?!?!? When Mistress Darrow goes to give it back to him, he flirts it up with her and she’s visibly enamored with him. Within minutes he’s kissing her and taking off her dress so that he can completely deflower her, much against what she’s said she would allow him to do. Smooth talker, this Thomas Wyatt. She’s in way over her head, as even Anne Boleyn could barely rid herself of him!

Thomas Moore juxtaposes that moment while walking with his daughter Margaret. He is telling her that his beliefs are quickly becoming considered treason, and in the very near future he may well be a martyr for the Catholic cause. Poor Margaret can’t even be sad that her father is in danger, because he tells her he wants his family to encourage him to “run to death”.

Anne’s showing off her gowns she’s bringing to France with her, and Henry seems more lusty than impressed. Then he gives her the royal jewels, reset for her to wear while in France. Visibly pleased by the gift, she then kneels beside Henry, tells him that she loves him, and then as a way of saying thank you, she gives him his very own “happy ending”. Nice. Even though she won’t sleep with him, she’ll still be sure he’s kept pleased and with only her in his sights.

The assassin is part of the court! The Spanish Ambassador is talking to him, and they’ve agreed he will try to carry out his mission while they are in France. This will make it look like a foreign power has killed her, which will probably cause a war. So off the assassin goes with the King and Anne. In France, we find out that the French Queen has refused to meet Anne, but the men don’t see too much issue with this. While Henry and Francis wait for Anne to show up to the party, the men agree they will join on a crusade, but when the Pope is mentioned, Henry tries to change the subject.

Boleyn has offered to dine with Charles Brandon and his wife, but Brandon refuses. And when it’s made clear there’s rumors Brandon’s supporting Queen Katherine, he makes no secret of acknowledging the rumors to be true. This won’t go well for him! And Anne’s sister Mary has returned very suddenly, back to France with her sister. She’s supposedly in mourning over the death of her husband (he died of the sweat, but they don’t go into that in the show), but she seems more interested in flirting with Mark. That man sure does make his way through the ladies! When Mary says her dead husband was impotent and she can’t wait to bed a Frenchman, Mark lets her in on his little secret. He wants to bed a young Frenchman as well! I knew it!!

Just then the music starts and the dancers make their way out from the sidelines to perform for the two Kings. As the dancers make their way out to find male partners, one calls on he Francis to dance with her. At the end of the dance, the girl takes off her mask and … SHOCK … it’s Anne. She’s pulled the same ruse Henry pulled when he first met Anne. Francis’ surprised it’s her, though, and the pair head off to get reacquainted. Remember, she was once part of his court. While talking, we get to find out she probably had an affair with the king himself while in France, as she asks him to keep certain things he knows about her between the two of them. Nice!! And then the Francis tells Anne that she needs to remember how difficult being Queen will be for her, that even for those born to be kings and queens do not always want to be so, and so to put oneself in that position not having been born for it makes her all the more likely to not enjoy being Queen once she gets there. Ominous note in the air to be sure.

Later that night, after all the dancing and reveling is done, Anne is back in her rooms reading by the fire. Sneaking up on her is the assassin, but before he is ready to strike, we see Henry in the room as well! The assassin cannot do his work that night, and Anne is very lucky for it. And then, there is Anne, naked and in her bed waiting for the King. Looks like she won’t make him wait any longer to bed her. Here’s hoping they can make a son out of this!

season two links:

Episode 201