After princess Elisabeth's baptism, Henry orders Thomas Cromwell to draw up a bill of succession favoring his and Ann's offspring, to be accepted by an oath from all subjects. The affront to the imperialist party is maximized by making princess Mary a lowly lady in waiting to her half-sister, yet the French King still refuses openly to recognize the new Queen. Ann orders her rival lady Eleanor Luke eliminated, by false charges of jewel theft. Tired of Henry's schismatic obstinacy, Pope Paul III makes the loyal, hence jailed bishop Fisher a cardinal, Henry orders his beheading. Thomas More can no longer support his entire family, yet answers Cromwell's questions with Henry's own pamphlet arguing for papal supremacy by divine right. At her father Thomas Boleyn's suggestion only an ambitious mistress is a problematic rival, Ann urges Margaret 'Madge' Sheldon to 'succeed' Eleanor. Thomas More refuses to take the oath as phrased, while accepting he succession, landing him in the Tower.
Episode rating
Cast of episode
- 50
- 23
- 18
- 5
- 3
- 1
- Sir Thomas More
- Anne Boleyn
- Mary Tudor
- Charles Brandon
- King Henry VIII
- Queen Catherine of Aragon
- Thomas Cromwell
- Mark Smeaton
- Thomas Boleyn
- Thomas Wyatt
- Thomas Cranmer
- Pope Paul III
- George Boleyn
- William Brereton
- Cardinal Campeggio
- Ambassador Bishop Chapuys
- Bishop Fisher
- Mary Boleyn
- Bishop Tunstall
- Lady Eleanor Luke
- Brandon's son
- Alice More
- Margaret Moore
- John More
- Lady Margaret Bryan
- Madge Sheldon
- Cromwell's Servant
- Chamberlain
- Bishop of London
- Tower Constable