– It’s Finally a Boy for Henry –
by Damianista | Fan Fun with Damian Lewis | December 2, 2024
“What good is my rule if I can’t save John? If he [Henry] can burn John Lambert, he can burn any of us. Any of us. I should have spoken.” – Thomas Cromwell
This episode stands out for me as the best of the four we’ve seen so far. I love it that we get to see both Thomas Cromwell and Henry VIII at their most human in happiness and sadness. But then as someone who teaches politics for a living, I also love the political intrigue with everybody playing mind games to get ahead in the court by eliminating others. Cromwell has a big target on his back as the second powerful man in England and his humanity makes him vulnerable.
The painting Hans Holbein started of the King and the Queen in Episode 3 Defiance is now complete and glorious. Henry’s vanity shows as he appreciates his own magnificence on the wall and his insecurity as he examines Jane’s belly as though he wants to make sure that the baby is still there.
A bang on the door brings the good news to Cromwell: It’s a boy!
The scene where the King takes his baby son into his arms to proudly introduce him to the court reminds me of Simba’s presentation in The Lion King 🙂
Now, Norfolk and I do not often see eye- to-eye but I have to agree with him that Lady Mary looks sour than ever probably thinking she will never sit on the throne. And everybody else at the court is so full of joy about the arrival of the little prince that…
…nobody but Cromwell seems to care about the empty seat next to Henry. Jane is sick and the doctor’s face speaks volumes about her condition. The tradition dictates that the King and the Queen may not attend their child’s christening – not that Jane would be able attend otherwise, she can barely stand. But it’s heartbreaking that, in her state, the young mother is asking Cromwell to attend and tell her all about the ceremony later. This is the last time we see Jane speaking.
Next time we see her, Jane is on her deathbed with Archbishop Cranmer giving her last rites. Henry is in the room and whispers to Cromwell that he would walk to Jerusalem if he knew that would save her. This is a rare moment we see the king as a man, a husband who knows his beloved wife is dying. And Damian gives a moment of humanity to this otherwise sinister, merciless, terrifying king. Damian says in a recent interview this scene was particularly moving for him “from an acting point of view and being immersed and present.”
Henry is not the only one in the room with feelings for Jane. I have no idea about the real-life relationship between Cromwell and Jane Seymour, but Hilary Mantel gives more than a few hints about a mutual attraction there and that Cromwell might have asked for Jane’s hand in marriage if Henry had not started to flirt with her as they visited Wolf Hall in Wolf Hall Episode 5 Crows. I think Cromwell would walk to Jerusalem AND BACK, if he had known that would save Jane. Too frustrated to think straight at the moment, Cromwell speaks his mind which he obviously should not do.
“Negligence. It’s just negligence. They’ve suffered her to take cold. They’ve suffered her to eat things she shouldn’t have eaten. If she’d married me, she’d be alive. She’d be alive now. I would have managed it. I would have managed it better.”
YIKES!
Where normal people would see sadness and grief, the noble Englishmen see an opportunity. As the Privy Council is preparing to petition the king to marry again, Norfolk is keen on having Cromwell find a French bride for Henry so they could stop the flirtation between France and Spain.
Henry is dressed up all in white, the color of mourning for the Monarch, whereas the rest of the court is dressed in black. He says he’d be content to have a chaste life going forward. His voice breaks as he says he will never be able to find a pearl like Jane. But when Cromwell shares that the Privy Council will petition him to marry, Henry is ready to sacrifice himself for the good of the country 🙂 And guess what? He thinks he may be interested in Madame de Longueville, a widow that the King of Scotland wants for himself.
Read the rest of the original article at Fan Fun with Damian Lewis