‘The king is married to the queen,’ she snapped, disgusted at the calculating way Younger discussed her daughter.
‘The queen is older, no one lives forever,’ said Younger. ‘You never know, Lizzie, there might yet be a chance for a Howard king.’
He gave her a sly smile, then disappeared into the crowd. Elizabeth stared after his retreating back, unsure whether to be amused at his arrogance or appalled at his cruelty.
He doesn’t see women as people with feelings, she thought,we are pawns in his game. Has he set his heart on a Howard heir?
She shivered, involuntarily, and wished she were far away from the scheming and harshness of court, far away even from the travails at Hever Castle, safe in the scriptorium at Cerensthorpe Abbey where she could admire the books and write her thoughts, detailing her loathing of her powerlessness and plotting how to spare her remaining unmarried daughter from the machinations of her brother, her father and the king.
35
THE FIELD OF THE CLOTH OF GOLD – JUNE 1520
The sun flashed on the golden silk and Elizabeth raised her hand to shield her eyes. Stretching into the distance was a vast city of sumptuous buildings: castles, manor houses, churches, yet it was all an illusion. A town built from silk and wood, canvas and tar, created to show the wealth and skill of the two great countries – England and France.
Everywhere Elizabeth turned, there was splendour: pavilions festooned with cloth of crimson, fountains spilling spice-scented wine and Henry’s courtiers, men and women alike, wearing jewel-studded finery, strutting like peacocks in their carefully chosen outfits, each item selected to outshine and intimidate their French counterparts. The wave of voices washing around her like an eager tide was resonant with excitement as it rose and fell, a background of accents, laughter and the desire to impress.
The Field of the Cloth of Gold had been months in the planning and preparation. In his role of Comptroller of the Household, her husband, Sir Thomas Boleyn, had been at the heart of the organisation. He had worked with the treasurer, Sir Edward Poynings, to arrange the accommodation for Henry’s entourage, which included 3,997 attendants with 2,087 horses.Queen Katherine’s travelling court was made up of 1,178 people and 778 horses. As the king’s trusted advisor, Thomas had travelled backwards and forwards between the English and French courts smoothing out problems and dealing with the logistics to create the magnificence of the pageant stretching into the distance.
The meeting was to seal the new peace treaty between England and France. Henry also claimed it was to promote Christian unity and show princely honour and chivalry to King Francis. As Elizabeth gazed around, she realised this display was a clear demonstration of England’s power and wealth; it was both a gesture of friendship and also a warning to the wider European political powers that Henry was a king who was not to be underestimated. It was awe-inspiring and Elizabeth knew Henry would adore this carnival of excess; after all, he could never have enough of his own image in the mirror, and the brilliance mixed with the gaudy colours, the illusion of the creations, was a reflection of Henry himself.
She heard her husband’s laugh before she saw him and, as it had done since their first meeting, she felt the giddiness of her love for Thomas.
‘Tom,’ she called as he strode out of the nearby tent, talking to the young Henry Stafford, Earl of Stafford.
‘Lizzie,’ he exclaimed as she hurried towards him. ‘I was showing Henry the tent we’ll be using this evening for the masque. He wants to ensure Ursula is seated in a quiet corner but one that has an excellent view of the entertainments.’
‘Lady Stafford told me your exciting news,’ said Elizabeth. ‘A baby on the way and you only married six months ago.’
Henry Stafford was part of the extended Howard family, as his sister Elizabeth was married to Younger. The previous year, Henry Stafford had married Ursula Pole, the daughter of Margaret Pole, considered to be the last of the Plantagenets.Elizabeth had included Ursula, who was barely sixteen, and her three gentlewomen within the Boleyn party.
‘We were very surprised, but my sister has confirmed Ursula’s symptoms and we have since seen a physician,’ said Henry, who was eighteen. His expression was one of mingled pride and nervousness.
‘My beautiful wife gave me a child every year for the first five years of our marriage,’ said Thomas, slipping his arm around Elizabeth’s waist, ‘and, if I’m not mistaken, the three who thrived and survived are here.’ He gestured towards the teeming crowds around them.
‘I’m sorry you lost two children,’ said Henry in a low voice to Elizabeth.
‘Thank you, my dear,’ replied Elizabeth. ‘It was many years ago, but they are always here.’ She placed a hand on her heart.
‘Are your remaining children married?’
‘Mary has recently wed William Carey,’ said Elizabeth, ‘and we are in negotiations concerning our son, George, to marry Jane Parker, the daughter of Baron Morley. Anne has been abroad but will return soon, so there are many happy events on the horizon.’
‘You are blessed, Lady Boleyn,’ said Henry, then he gave a shallow bow. ‘Sir Thomas, thank you for your consideration on our behalf. I shall take my leave and inform Ursula of the plans for this evening.’
He hurried away, swallowed up by the crowd.
‘Is this not magnificent, Lizzie?’ said Thomas, sweeping his hand around to encompass the spectacle.
‘We live in an age of true wonder,’ she agreed. ‘You’ve done a remarkable job, but now I need the man who is my husband, rather than the diplomat and courtier.’
‘And why is that?’ he asked, lowering his voice and raising one eyebrow, his tone deliberately seductive, pulling her close.
Lizzie laughed, her heart quickening as it always did under his touch.
‘Later, my love,’ she murmured, ‘for now, we’ll have to resist. Mary and George are waiting in our lodgings and, hopefully, Anne will have arrived by the time we return. For the first time in years, our family will be together.’
Holding hands and giggling like young lovers, Elizabeth allowed Thomas to hurry her through the crowds, past Henry’s temporary palace where he and Queen Katherine were lodged with the Princess Mary. It was a vast and impressive structure, laid out in four separate sections, with a tower on each corner, all facing into a bustling central courtyard. Thomas explained the base was made from bricks and from these solid foundations grew the 30-foot-high walls of cloth and canvas, each stretched over timber frames and painted to look like stone. The slanting roof was made from oiled cloth and decorated to give the illusion of lead pointing on slates. Huge windows glittered in the bright sunshine, containing images of warriors and heroes from mythology, including Hercules and Alexander the Great.
