Henry VIII and His Six Wives

We, therefore, thank you for those subsidies you have voted

towards the war.

A war in your defence.

And for the trust you have shown us

in committing the colleges and chantries to our care.

My beloved subjects...

...it may be the last time we have occasion

to parole this parliament and address the state

of our realm.

Now it is not unknown to you that we have reigned

of this kingdom for nearly 40 years.

During which time we have so ordered, thanks be to God,

that no outward enemy hath oppressed you

or taken anything from you.

But... unless you, my Lords temporal,

and you, my Lords spiritual, and you, my loving subjects,

study to amend one thing that is amiss...

...there can be no peace within the realm.

Charity and concord... ...are not among you.

St Paul says, "Charity is not proud."

"Charity is not envious, charity is gentle and..."

So forth.

But what charity is there in you...

...when one calls another... ...hypocrite and a Baptist,

papist, heretic?

Be in charity, one with another...

...like brother and brother...love...

...dread and serve God.

So that which I, as your supreme head

and sovereign lord, exhorts and require you.

Is he really going to die?

I suppose he is.

Why don't you...

Your Grace...

...must prepare to meet his God.

What judge send you to pass this sentence?

Your physician, sir.

They can do no more.

It is time for Your Grace... ...to weigh his past life...

...and to seek for God's mercy...through Christ.

For the Prince, Madame.

Oh!

For our son.

Thomas, I believe you educated your wife.

Would you do the same for my son?

Gladly, sir.

Would you?

Katherine, did you hear that? More's going to educate the Prince.

An honour, Your Grace.

But it will be to his honour, sir.

And what would Your Grace have him learn?

Oh, everything, Bishop. The old and the new,

Aquinas, Euripides, your Erasmus.

Sir, at this moment, the ladies are waiting

to celebrate his birth.

Another time, Thomas.

The only text that Brandon never read would be a stud book.

Charity, my lord.

Largess for the commons!

Come!

You shall pick them from me.

Henry... We must go to Richmond.

He was not ill. There's no remedy,

nothing the physicians could do.

It was so sudden.

Kate, this is the will of God.

Will of God.

And we must accept it. Will of God.

And ask His blessing.

We'll... We'll make pilgrimage to Walsingham de Hales.

We're still young, we'll have other children.

God has chosen to take the boy.

I'll give you another son... I promise you.

Sir, your father's policy was ever to avoid war

aside from the financial consideration of sending

40,000 men into France.

And you talk just like my father.

Now the Archbishop will tell me that God only forbids war

because of our sins. Your Grace...

My quarrel is God's quarrel, is it not?

Sir, all the world knows Your Grace

is yielding the Pope's cause.

That you would rather die than take any dishonour.

But the point in question is... The point, my tutor, is...

...whether we allow the King of France,

a pronounced heretic, to bend all Christian princes

to his will and pleasure.

My lords, we are in Holy League with the Emperor

and his Spanish Majesty to defend Christendom.

Are we to betray our sworn alliance?

The Queen's been at him. Howard, your whispers

are as private as a horse's fart.

The Queen's parentage has nothing to do with it.

Naturally, her father is anxious to regain his territory

in an effort to increase his while we sit hoarding

our miserable store of gold like some old lick penny!

Did the Fifth King Henry decline such a challenge?

He knew France was his birthright and, by God, he claimed it.

I'm not against giving the French a good hiding.

But what surety is there that our men won't come

limping home with the flux again?

Because this time the almoner will see

they have proper victuals.

Can you do that, Master Wolsey?

Can you procure good cut-rate beef for us?

My lords,

we have not yet considered the other danger, Scotland.

Fisher is right, sir.

With so many men out of the Kingdom,

they might do us great mischief.

With all respect, Your Highness,

I propose that we wait upon events...

...if there should be a change of fortune.

If the Emperor should prevail... By your leave, sir.

Would it not be a sorry thing for His Grace,

being so expert in archery,

to see the Emperor with more strings to his bow?

Sir, I beg you not to be led into any foolishness.

Gentlemen, I... I've ever accepted your good council

but, in this instance, I do overrule you.

The dignity and the unity of the Roman Church

must be defended. Therefore, the Queen as regent

will hold something of our power at home

whilst I lead the army to France.

Master Wolsey will supply us with food, men, transport

and all our engines of war.

The King will have new dockyards in the estuary

of the Thames, at Deptford, and at Woolwich.

At Deptford, a guild of pilots will be formed

for the purpose of sound and navigation.

His Grace further commands construction

of the following ships for which levies will be raised.

The galley of the Virgin Mary, 900 tonnes, 207 culverin,

The Lion, 950 tonnes, 180 falcon and culverin.

The Great Galley, 800 tonnes, 120 falcon and demi-culverin.

Send her out.

Henry, why are you... Don't speak, Madame.

Read that.

Is it your father's hand?

Yes. But... Read it.

It was brought here by the French Ambassador.

Proof that your father is a liar.

A conspiring liar.

And that he's made peace with France.

He must have reasons. Oh, yes.

He's to receive the territory of the Navarre.

He's been bribed, Madame, bought.

Three months after promising to continue the war,

which he induced me to enter as you induced me to it.

Because I had been at some pains, Madame, some expense.

And now when... when we are ready to renew the campaign when the kingdom of France is at my feet.

Your father gulls me... and his servant, the Emperor.

Do you see this clause?

Here's the clause, Madame.

Speak it.

"And if the King of England refuses to accept"

"such a peace..."

Yes, yes.

"..we, the emperor and I..."

"do solemnly pledge ourselves to assist the King of France"

"in the defence of his realms."

My friends, my sweet allies.

I... I do not think... that there is any...

faith in this world, you all play me false.

Do I? Yes.

At Flodden? You did not beat the Scots, Madame.

Flodden was won by the Howard's, Madame, by English Howards.

And you would do well to attribute your victories

to God, My Lady, before yourself.

You think to rule me

but you will do well to assume a woman's role

and give me a child an heir to this throne.

Do you think I do not pray for that each day of my life?

One still-born female hidden away

like a pauper's breath. Two boys that cannot live out

a month. Henry, do you have any love

for me? Princes do not marry for love,

My Lady, but to beget children.

Then give me a healthy child!

Sir, I am yours, your servant.

I did not spent.

I cannot think of my father without shame.

This is well, Madame.

For I intend making peace with France.

A greater peace than your father can imagine.

I've been made the royal fool but I've learned the lesson.

They shall never deceive me again.

I will never trust any more.

Draw up an enactment for the preservation

of forests, Wolsey. And the seeding of new ones?

Good. We have a moat about us but it must be fortified,

ships and ordnance, My Lord Cardinal.

Crews trained to fight with cannon until we have built such a fleet

that as may not be destroyed.

Sir, if I may venture to say so, there are two further elements

that constitute the defence of this kingdom.

The love of your people which Your Grace already has...

And the son which I lack. Is that it?

We must secure the succession, Sir.

Without an heir there could be a return to civil war.