Had the Queen Lived:

by Raven A. Nuckols

  The Seymour’s saw this coupling as their opportunity to unite with the conservative faction, restore the rightful Princess Mary to the succession, and reverse the Acts that the Reformation had caused. Jane was their tool to achieve all of this, using the same tactics she had seen employed years before by Anne. It was a dangerous game she was about to play, but if it bore fruit she could be the next Queen of England. For a woman with no marriage prospects at all, this fantasy must have seemed both terrifying and irresistible.

  Henry’s new infatuation would play hard to get, with much coaching from Edward. At some point prior to January 1536, Henry had given Jane a locket with only his picture inside of it, a gift of favor. It was not long thereafter that Anne found out what was transpiring and went into a blind rage, ripping the necklace from around Jane’s neck and hurting her own hand in the process. She was furious that this lowly servant in her own household had managed to capture her husband’s affections; surely he could have picked a lady not serving her everyday to be his whore. The anger was certainly understandable; she knew well that Jane was copying her own moves. Anne continued to abuse her maid emotionally, verbally and physically at every available opportunity. The entire court was well aware of the new lady in Henry’s eye and some set about wooing her. Jane’s price tag would be the same as her predecessors had been—marriage or nothing.

  Mary’s supporters were certainly aware of Jane’s presence and her sympathy towards their cause. Chapuys kept her informed daily of even the smallest, most seemingly insignificant detail. A new Catholic wife would bring none of the consequences in Europe or domestic unhappiness that Anne‘s marriage had resulted in. Jane could solve long-standing resentments with Spain, reunite England with Rome, and return Protestants to status as heretics. Anne had every reason to be genuinely worried about this mistress. The plan was simple, increase Jane’s standing in the King’s affections until he thought only of his desire for her; fill his majesty’s mind with increasingly negative thoughts toward the Boleyns, and recruit new allies to their cause. Anne had to go, no matter the cost. They had seen how easily swayed the King was once before when a woman refused him, perhaps it could work again.

  The King however, was not looking to leave his wife; he had been down this road before, and while his affections for Jane grew stronger daily, he did not want to be coerced again to marriage. This entire game was no easy feat and for it to be even remotely successful, Jane would need intimate details of the King’s true nature, his fears, his desires and most of all, how to play upon his passions. Those vital details she would get from Edward and her father. The little pawn was moving across the board, heading straight for the Queen.

  2.3 Out with the New, In with the Old

  Charles Brandon awoke groggy and with a severe headache. Notes from eyewitnesses at the time recall him asking his attendants where he was and how he’d gotten there. His wife Catherine stayed by his side day and night and assured him all was well. The doctors were treating his shoulder, head and other injuries as best they could, but he had lost a great deal of blood and he would need to remain in the doctor’s care for several more weeks. He was laid in his chambers and news of his condition was taken to both of their majesties. Henry ordered that he be kept updated of Brandon’s condition daily and that Brandon be given the very best medical care. The King continued to visit daily with Charles and Catherine and deepened his bond with both of them. His recovery was slow, taking nearly three months. The King refused nearly all embassies and foreign delegations while his friend recuperated. He focused on domestic matters and his family.

  Chapuys continued writing to Lady Mary, optimistic about her chances of being reinstated, especially with Jane in the picture. Chapuys was setting the Lady Mary up for false hope. Still, it brought poor Mary good spirits, at least for a time. She suffered from multiple ailments including migraines and other disorders most likely brought on by psychosomatic trauma. Relations were still strained between England and Spain but, under the circumstances, with Henry refusing all visitors while attending to his injured friend, his refusing a meeting with Spain was thankfully not interpreted as a sign of disfavor. Unfortunately for the Spanish Ambassador, during this time of stress Henry was not turning to Jane, he was finding comfort in the Queen.

  The King, when not keeping vigil over Brandon, would spend hours talking with Anne late into the night about things past, memories of his friend, and what he hoped for the future for all his friends, family and his kingdom. Henry wanted to spend time with those whom he loved and who could provide comfort and reminisce with him. These were things Jane Seymour could not do, as she barely knew Brandon and certainly could not stroll down memory lane with Henry as Anne could. Further, Brandon’s fall reminded Henry of his own mortality.

  Henry realized that it could just as easily have been he who was thrown from the horse that day. He thought of the consequences had he suffered Brandon’s injuries. It could have been him, wracked with pain and of barely sound mind; it could have been Anne thrown into hysterics at sight of the tragedy, and in the delicate early stages of her pregnancy, with her prior miscarriage, who but God could say what such a shock might have done to both her, and to his potential heir? With these thoughts in mind, Henry put aside his boisterous ego and spent more time with Anne and Elizabeth, needing to feel close to his own family and cherishing those moments with them. He had an epiphany that his family and his future was what had to come first. He had done well to play his lustful passions in his youth, but seeing Brandon lying there unconscious caused him nightmares. That could very easily have been him. Now he would focus on his family and his unborn child, who hopefully would turn out to be the son he so longed for.

  Henry was well aware of the friction between his wife and his injured best friend, but Anne put aside her personal inclinations and supported her husband. It does not seem likely that during such an emotionally trying time for Henry that she would be brazen in her comments and actions, as her husband’s friend lay near death. Further, she had no reason to risk such provocation. As jealous as she may have been over Henry’s affair with Jane while she was pregnant, she well understood it was custom for a King to seek temporary solace to lay with another woman while his wife was with child.

  Anne may not have cared for Brandon, but certainly would not have wanted to see any genuine harm come to him, in this manner at least. His injury after all brought Henry to her bedside every night, pregnant or not, and was slowly but surely pushing away any affection he had towards Jane. She had every reason to be grateful. She had just celebrated her predecessor’s death and, with her primary threat removed, she had every opportunity to bring her husband closer to her instead of pushing him away. Being affectionate towards Brandon and his wife during such a delicate time would be the most effective means of retaining Henry’s interests. If anything, doing the opposite of this could prove to be at least injudicious, even self-harming; two traits Anne did not possess. She instead redirected any anger about the King’s taking a mistress solely towards Jane.

  Although the relationship between Brandon and Anne had never been friendly, they both shared a common love for the King. It would have been unwise for the Queen or any of her faction to outwardly exploit in open court Brandon’s injuries as a means of enhancing their agenda; privately, however, such manipulation was another matter. The reforms were progressing smoothly, the Boleyn family held the most power at court, and the Queen’s pregnancy was progressing well.

  There are two powerful arguments to be made in favor of the Queen’s actions during this time. Her rage towards Jane was well documented and understandable; however, with the counsel of her father and brother, Anne was able to channel that rage away from her husband, at least for the most part. They certainly argued about his affairs; she would not have been the type to let it go. Nevertheless, during Brandon’s recovery, Henry was genuinely stressed and attempting to balance his infrequent indiscretions with Jane w
ith his increasing sense of domestic security with the Queen’s developing pregnancy. Because Henry had taken so much care to spend nearly every night with Anne, she had let up on her typical harping about his affairs and attempted to make the most of their time together to bring him closer to her.

  Rumors at court, started by Chapuys and Spanish sympathizers, had the Boleyn faction using spells and witchcraft to bring about Brandon’s injuries, just as they had supposedly caused Katherine’s poisoning, but neither the court nor the King were inclined to believe such wild accusations. He continued to visit Anne’s chamber and supped with her each night for weeks. In private they reminisced about times at court with Brandon. Anne played her own part brilliantly. She had a real chance to bring Henry closer to her, out of love instead of manipulation. She even went to visit Brandon and his wife with the King, bringing them gifts and showing them favor. At Anne’s own insistence, she vowed to hold a welcome-back banquet in Brandon’s honor upon his full recovery, much to the King’s great joy and surprise.

  Brandon and Catherine saw right through Anne’s Act. While Anne utterly detested Brandon, she saw it as an opening for her to make new alliances. Always the consummate politician, she strategically played her next few emotional moves to bolster her position and make the King more loyal to her than ever. It worked well. Her tenderness in Henry’s time of need, and towards someone against whom she had had a history of grievance, brought her husband closer to her than ever before. For Henry, it validated the reason he fell in love with her in the first place. Henry spent every night in Anne’s chambers for the next four months.

  Anne’s brother George proved to be an outlet for her frustration over Jane’s attempted plotting to sneak messages to Henry through her brother Edward, lying about where she had been at odd hours when she should have been waiting on her Queen and hiding possessions such as jewelry or letters that Henry had sent Jane, which the Queen went looking for in her chambers. It was difficult for George to withstand his sister’s tantrums, but he did so for the security of their family and, being her closest advisor, she placed absolute trust in his judgments. Anne had a short fuse and scary temper. Her fits of rage were legendary and no one was spared a severe tongue lashing by her.

  The best piece of advice that George provided was not to pay Jane any attention, as that would only elevate her in importance and make her an official rival. In private with George, when her ladies were not present, Anne would reveal her real feelings of intense rage. This was perhaps one of the most difficult things for her to do as, prior to Brandon’s fall, the King had been sending Jane gifts and was preparing to have her brother Edward elevated to the Privy Chamber. His feelings for Jane had been beyond obvious. She would pace back and forth, her mind constantly filled with irrational thoughts, wondering if Henry meant to put her aside in place of Jane. George would calm her from these manias, after all she was pregnant once more, and would urge her to stop her agitations for the sake of her child, lest she miscarry and then leave them truly vulnerable.

  The Queen made several bedside visits to Charles Brandon, bringing him herbs and other remedies and vowing to keep him in her great affections. She even visited with his wife, bringing her gifts and showing great humility and piety towards the grieving wife. The ploy did not work at all to the afflicted, but it still pleased the King greatly. When Henry was informed of Anne’s goodwill missions, he remarked to Cromwell that he had never loved Anne more than he did in her generosity over Brandon’s recovery. Chapuys’ dispatches of the time admitted of the change in the Queen’s behavior, but noted with typical cynicism that it was nothing more than a lion attempting to bait its prey before pouncing. Anne even reached out to former ladies who might have been slighted, including some of the Lady Mary’s own servants, bestowing gifts on them and elevating the now-bastard daughter’s household’s wages. Brandon and Catherine hated every move Anne made, but they too would not risk angering the King by betraying their real feelings about the Queen. They would wait, confident that their time would come.

  Brandon recovered—partially at least—around the middle of April, although he would always have trouble with his shoulder and would never be able to hold lance to joust again. The physicians of the day had no remedy for such wounds other than to keep him stable, prescribe certain herbal concoctions to take daily, and recommend rest and prayer. Brandon requested of Henry that he be allowed to retire to his estates in the country with his wife; he had missed seeing his children and he felt the country air might do him some good.

  Henry gave Brandon his blessing and told him not to stay away too long. Dr. Butts released him from care, but was cautious to tell Brandon not to put too much stress on the injured arm or he could risk tearing his shoulder, which would be incurable. In time, Brandon recovered from some of his wounds, but he would never be the same.

  Brandon suffered from what was likely a severe concussion and his speech was often slow. His associates recognized a noticeable change in his behavior at Privy Council meetings. He suffered from insomnia and became paranoid and anxious at things that previously would not have bothered him. He was also incredibly irritable and known for swift and sudden mood changes, quickly forgetting altogether why he was angry in the first place. In one infamous incident he threw a heavy goblet at his wife Catherine—claiming she brought him the wrong ale—and hit her in the head, causing a gash in her forehead.

  She went to her sister’s house for the better part of two weeks to recuperate; worse yet, he claimed to have no memory of having so assaulted his wife. When Catherine finally came back, she removed anything sharp in the house that he might find and use to harm himself, her, or their children. He had never been violent before this head trauma. Brandon apologized to her and attempted to make it up to her by buying her three new dresses with matching head pieces and fine jewels from Italy.

  He would have recurring nightmares and seeing liveries or jousting equipment would put him in a very volatile mood and bring memories of that day flooding back. Today, a person with these symptoms might be thought to be suffering from Traumatic Brain Injury, or even a form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. At the time, all that was known was that Brandon was much more volatile since his injury.

  It leaves one to speculate how different Henry’s reign might have been had it been he, rather than his friend, who had suffered those injuries during that fateful joust… .

  While Catherine attempted to soothe Brandon’s new emotional state, it became almost unbearable over the next few years and the two would eventually become estranged. He would spend the rest of his life trying to win her love back, sometimes successfully, but often times not. The King was told of his hardships and for his part bestowed upon Brandon a recently converted monastery in Yorkshire for his health and increased his revenues on other land holdings by 3,000 pounds a year. Now that Brandon was healing, the King continued conducting the affairs of state while continuing to visit Anne daily.

  Henry had visited Jane and brought her gifts frequently up until Brandon’s fall. After that, the visits became less frequent and soon stopped altogether. The last gift she received from the King was on January 28th. It was clear to everyone that Brandon’s accident had ceased his desire for Jane, although the conservatives would not give up hope. Jane simply could not relate to Henry on the fundamental emotional level that he needed. She only knew of Brandon, but had spent no time with him and had no memories to share and knew nothing of his personality.

  Henry desired a companion who could relate to how he was feeling out of genuine shared experience, not a mistress demanding marriage of all things. Jane’s family urged her to be patient and continue her course, but Henry saw right through it. As a result of both Jane’s actions and his need for bonding, the King no longer brought Jane gifts or had her share his table. When they did speak, it was brief, with no sign of the true affection or admiration that had once been progressing on a natural romantic course.
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  The Seymour family was furious. Edward was nervous that should anyone of privilege uncover their plot there could be lethal consequences. The conservatives had tried, and failed miserably, to execute a marital coup d’état. The Boleyn’s still reigned supreme and with this turning of affection all were on cautious ground, but Jane’s fate had been sealed during her final visit with Henry in early February 1536. She kept on neutral topics and asked about Brandon, trying to bring back his interest by playing it safe. She suggested a game of cards and it was obvious when she let him win. There was no longer any spark or connection to her. Instead, the King was bored and ended their meeting early. This was the last visit they would have.

  Edward Seymour retained his seat at Privy Council meetings, but his input was not widely sought. He was asked less frequently to comment on matters of genuine importance and instead given supervisory tasks such as “Keeper of the Stables,” a post he did not relish. Furthermore, when he was at the Privy Council he tended to intentionally argue, merely for the sake of arguing, with any suggestions made by either Lord or Viscount Rochford. Had he been wise enough to truly evaluate and understand what a valuable post he held, he could have cultivated the endless opportunities it held. Being the Keeper of the Stables brought him into almost daily contact with the King, allowing an unseen advantage over most of the other courtiers.