Henry VIII

It is time.

Arthur?

No, Father.

Arthur is dead.

It is me. Henry.

Ohh...

Henry...

Your brother's widow, Katherine.

You must take her as your wife. England needs Spain.

Yes, Father.

There are many who would usurp the throne,

watching and waiting in the shadows.

I am ready.

Are you? Then, tell me...

What is the most important thing to do when you are king?

Make glorious war, Father.

Recapture the spirit of Agincourt.

Expand the territories in France. Keep the Scots at bay.

- Deepen the treasury. - But what else?

To be a really great king, there is one thing you must do above all others.

You must secure the family line.

Have...a son.

The King is dead.

Long live the King.

She's still in labour. She's still in labour.

Push!

Push!

One more. One more, that's it.

It's a boy.

It's a healthy boy.

God save the King.

I said, so the King of France wishes to settle one of the richest provinces in the kingdom

over a game of chequers?

I didn't have the heart to tell him that when I was a child, I played nothing but chequers.

And if we'd have actually played, I'd have given him a terrible beating.

So, I let him keep the bloody place.

In a couple of years, I'll send Norfolk back there.

To take it back!

Oh, ho. (Laughs)

Congratulate me, Wolsey.

I am father of a baby boy.

Your Majesty.

A healthy baby boy.

I have named him Henry Fitzroy.

As for his mother, the Blount girl, we shall give her land and money.

And as for the boy, he shall be properly educated.

And have a princely household supervised by Seymour here.

And I will confer upon him the titles of the Duke of Richmond and Somerset.

And you, Thomas, you shall be the boy's godfather.

That is, if you have no objections, as Cardinal, to be godfather to a bastard,

as well as father to several of your own.

It would be an honour, sir.

Yes.

Well, Thomas, it seems that I am capable of having a son after all.

And now I have done my side of the business, you must now do yours.

- And what is that? - Legitimise him.

Legitimise him and give him the succession.

I beg you, no.

The people would never accept it.

Well, they will do what I say. I am their king.

It would have terrible political consequences.

For Spain, it would be as good as a declaration of war.

Your son would have an enemy in Mary, your daughter.

The country would be split into two.

What do you suggest, then, hm?

I suggest you keep trying for a legitimate son with the Queen.

No, no. Please.

I can't. We've been trying for 15 years, Thomas.

But your luck will surely change soon.

Hm.

Master Cromwell.

I want you to establish if the Queen still bleeds.

I will speak to her physicians.

The King needs an heir and soon.

While he doesn't have one, his enemies plot his downfall.

Sirs, these are sad times.

We have a king with no legitimate right to be king.

A butcher's son for a cardinal, who forces us into alliances with France and Spain.

It's time we sent them both to their graves...

Aye, My Lord.

..and put a rightful heir, a Plantagenet, back on the throne of England.

Yes.

So, Lords...are you with me?

Aye.

- Aye. - Aye.

- Aye. - Aye.

- Aye. - Aye.

Aye.

Aye. ALL: Aye!

So go back to your estates, prepare your armies and meet me outside London in three days.

So...

Buckingham, Derby and Wiltshire.

- Who else? - Lord Montague, sir.

And Lord Abergavenny.

It's a powerful group.

You may go.

Padre nuestro, que estas en el cielo, santificado sea tu nombre;

venga a nosotros tu reino; hagase tu voluntad en la tierra como en el cielo.

- Por favor... HENRY: Come on, Katherine. Come fo bed.

I am praying to Casilda of Toledo, patron saint of fertility, for her intercession.

Next week I begin another pilgrimage to Walsingham.

Come here.

Be a woman to your man.

What is this?

A hair shirt, My Lord.

Why?

I just want God to take pity on me... and answer my prayers.

Your skin is so raw.

It's...drawn blood.

It doesn't matter.

The suffering will be worth it in time.

Now let me give you a son, husband.

Katherine... Katherine...

I just want to be a good wife.

You are.

I just want to make you happy.

You do.

Have we not been happy these past 15 years?

Yes. Yes.

But... why?

Why does God punish us this way?

Why? Why?

I don't know, Kate.

I don't.. know.

Congratulations, Thomas.

Your daughter's done you proud.

I shan't celebrate till the ring's on her finger.

I hear the boy's father, the Earl of Northumberland, is still against it.

Well, don't worry about him. I have the King's ear on this.

He's assured me he'll grant you his blessing.

J Stately galliard

Well, Anne, one of the highest-ranking noblemen in the land

snared by a humble knight's daughter from Kent.

- You sound surprised, brother. - Well, lam.

You must admit, the odds were against it.

Percy is marrying me, brother, because he loves me.

And because... I've learned how to please a man.

And you? Do you love him?

A lot of dangerous lies are spoken about love.

What I want from Percy is security.

And when I look at our poor sister Mary, who made the mistake of loving our king,

well...I realise how precious such security is.

So, where are they?

They'll surely be here, My Lord.

There. Derby's banner.

- He comes. - Excellent.

And from here, Wiltshire.

Welcome, one and all.

Good God.

So, my father was right.

He warned me against you.

He had a bad conscience.

Ours is a legitimate claim to the throne, as well you know.

My father saved this country when your degenerate ancestors left it in ruin.

Now, I accepted you were a descendant of the Plantagenets.

I gave you land and titles as your compensation.

But, obviously, it was not enough for you.

Here. Take it.

Take it.

But you'll have to kill me first.

Argh!

Take him to the Tower.

Argh!

The good Cardinal does his work well.

The Cardinal enjoys his work too much to be good.

I don't like him.

And I don't like the power he has over you.

Thomas is a loyal subject, who does what is required of him.

Unlike certain people.

If His Majesty is referring to me, perhaps he has forgotten...

I have carried six of his children.

Five of which were born dead and one is a daughter, which is of no use to me.

- That is not my fault. - Well, whose fault is it, then?

I am capable of having sons.

That you're capable of sowing bastards up and down the country, that's well known.

And why, madam? Ask yourself that.

This country needs stability. It needs a male heir.

Without one, the throne is at risk.

J Trumpet fanfare

Must I do this, Thomas?

It won't take long, My Lord.

And it's a useful way to buy allegiance.

Is everything political?

Marriage above all things, Your Grace.

Hm. You're right there.

J Trumpet fanfare

Sir Edward Seymour and Mistress Katherine Fillol.

Ah. Edward.

How's my son? Hope you're looking after him well.