You think you know a story, but you only know how it ends.
To get to the heart of the story, you have to go back to the beginning.
"Dear heart, I cannot say how much I miss you.
I wish myself, especially in the evening...
...in my sweetheart's arms, whose..."
Pray continue.
"Whose pretty breasts I trust shortly to kiss.
Neither tongue nor pen can express the hurt of not seeing you.
The only compensation is the thrill of anticipating our next meeting.
For what joy in this world can be greater...
...than to have the company of her who is the most dearly loved?"
Well, the king is plainly in love with you.
Don't you see, niece?
It makes a man, any man, extremely vulnerable.
How do you like your charge, sweetheart?
I...
At first, I confess, I did not like it so much.
I did not care for the king.
But now, I...
- Now I... - Anne.
It would be wise for you not to be fooled by your own masquerade.
It is your duty to use his love...
...to our advantage in supplanting Wolsey.
The cardinal stands between us and everything.
And it is now in your power to do him a great hurt.
And we expect you to do so.
I shall go straight to Paris to meet King Francis...
...and ratify the new treaty between Your Majesties.
And since His Holiness remains a prisoner of the emperor...
...I have summoned a conclave of the cardinals...
...to meet in Paris.
It will be little matter to persuade them, in the absence of the Pope...
...to grant me licence and authority...
...to make a final judgement on Your Majesty's annulment.
You leave with our blessing.
And with anticipation of your success, Your Eminence.
For which we are most impatient.
I'm Your Majesty's true and humble servant.
Oh, I forgot.
There is someone you should take.
His name is Thomas Wyatt.
- The poet? - I don't like him.
He once possessed a jewel I would have.
Lady Anne, what are you doing here?
I have an audience with His Majesty.
What would a silly girl like you have to say to a king?
Your Majesty.
Tell me he'll succeed.
Who, sweetheart?
Wolsey.
He will, won't he? He'll get an annulment?
Of course he will.
Don't you doubt it.
What is it?
Is it not strange?
Strange?
To trust so great a matter to just one servant, whoever he is?
When Your Majesty has a thousand servants...
...ready and willing to do your bidding?
And when your very happiness hangs upon this resolution.
My love.
This should not concern you.
Forgive me. I spoke of things I should not.
No, no.
I give you leave that we may always speak freely with each other.
Honestly, openly and with a true heart.
For me, that is the true definition of love.
Forgive me, ambassador, for receiving you here.
I am at Your Majesty's disposal.
Senor Mendoza, help me.
Of course, I am Your Majesty's.
I need to get a message to the emperor. I have no other way.
Wolsey opens all my letters.
And now I know that he has turned several of my women into his spies.
By what means?
By money, or even, so they tell me, by granting them sexual favours.
Dear God. How can I help?
The emperor is the head of my family.
I want him to know that the king is trying to divorce me.
He wants to keep it secret, but he has already instigated proceedings.
It's impossible!
Surely he needs the Pope's permission?
But the Pope is still the emperor's prisoner.
Senor Mendoza...
...for the love of our saviour, Jesus Christ...
...and the love of all that is sacred...
...tell my nephew what is being done to me here!
Leave it to me.
I will find a way to evade the cardinal's spies.
What are you thinking about?
I wasn't thinking.
I was listening.
You working on something new?
To work on something I have to hear it.
I love you.
What about your wife?
You know very well she's not my wife.
I never believed that love should be bound by doctrine.
I'm going away.
You're going away? Why?
Cardinal Wolsey is going to France.
He invited me to go with him.
With other musicians.
Must you go?
You know very well that an invitation from a cardinal...
...is like an invitation from a king.
We little people must put our hands into the fire if invited to.
I'll miss you.
No, you won't.
You'll soon find other distractions.
Tell me truthfully. What are your hopes for this mission?
I have many hopes.
Firstly, to heal the wounds caused by years of Anglo-French hostility.
And then to work towards a new balance of power in Europe.
The sacking of Rome, the imprisonment of the Pope...
...these things have destabilized the whole of Europe.
And the Church?
The Church is also in need of mediation.
At the conclave, we shall lay plans for a general council which...
...in the absence of the Pope...
...will deal with pressing matters of heresy and reform.
And the king's matter?
That will also be dealt with. But as one of a number of other matters.
Do you think the cardinals will give you the authority to deal with it?
- Yes. - Then you will be de facto Pope.
And since His Holiness may never escape captivity...
This is idle speculation.
I have work to do, Sir Thomas.
Why are you sitting in the darkness?
What's wrong?
- You don't understand. - Of course I do.
I'm your brother, aren't I?
If only you were still as you used to be.
I remember I told you everything.
All my secrets.
- You can still tell me. - I can't.
Why?
You'd share them.
Your Majesty.
We salute you, Cardinal Pacificus, cardinal of peace.
Eminence.
Enchante, Madame. As beautiful as ever, like the sun.
You are very gracious, Monsieur Cardinal.
And we treat you as a brother, for that is what you are.
A true and loyal friend of France. We welcome you...
...and all those with you, into our court and into our hearts.
I am greatly honoured, Your Majesty. And very touched.
- This is nothing. - Tallis.
Mr. Wyatt.
I've been thinking.
Perhaps you would set a poem of mine to music.
I'd be honoured. Do you have one ready?
I'm working on one. I have the first line.
Then you have almost everything.
Bonjour, Monsieur Cardinal.
Bonjour, Your Grace.
The Duke of Orleans is very glad to be betrothed to Princess Mary.
Very, very happy.
Charming.
You don't like the French much, do you, Sir Thomas?
I don't mind them, Mr. Wyatt.
It's just that they're always so very French.
Were there any letters for me?
No letters, madam.
Lady Anne.
Yes, Your Majesty.
I know what you are doing.
But do not think to take the king away from me.
Let him play with you. Let him give you gifts.
But he cannot give you his true heart.
For I have that in my keeping.
Letters from His Eminence Cardinal Wolsey.
Your Majesty should know that His Holiness Pope Clement...
...has escaped Castel St. Angelo.
He's escaped?
Apparently, he dressed as an old blind man...
...and walked out past his captors.
Where is he now?
According to my information, in an Italian town called Orvieto...
...in the bishop's palace there, with his court.
Of course, he is still within the power of the emperor.
And yet he is free?
It would be possible...
It would be possible to send someone to him?
To give him a message?
Indeed, it would be possible.
How do you know all this? From Wolsey?
No, Your Majesty. I have my own sources.
Let us say I wanted a message carried to His Holiness.
Do you know someone? Someone you could trust with your life?
Dr. Knight. A man of God.
A diplomat. And a true Englishman.
Bring him to me.
So that's how he does it.
Call.
My two queens win.
I hate cards.
I hate this court.
I even hate time itself.
Your Majesty, might I make a suggestion?
Anything.
Forget the court.
Let's go to the woods. Let's go for a hunt.
As we used to do.
Yes, yes.
But not Brandon.
- Charles is your... - I haven't forgiven my Lord Suffolk.
I can't forgive him.
He never asked permission to marry my sister.
It's insufferable arrogance.
I mean, what did he expect?
Look.
I don't mean that he's banished forever.
Just as long as he breathes.
Come on.
You know what we should do?
- What, sweetheart? - Have a picnic.
At Compton's place.
Keep your eyes open.
Walk them round.
You see, William?
Things can never be as they used to be.
Sir Thomas Boleyn, Your Grace.
- My lord. - Your Grace.
- To what do I owe this pleasure? - May I speak frankly?
To your health, my lord.
And yours.
Norfolk has sent me.
But Norfolk hates me. I am a new man, after all.
And he is far too grand for me.
I suspect he despises us all for the same reasons.
And yet he has interests to protect and further...
...like the rest of us.
He must deal with us as he finds us.
And, after all, there is someone he hates even more.
- The cardinal. - Of course.
But what is that to me?
Do you miss the court, Your Grace?
Perhaps you don't.
Down here, in this green space...
...you have so much leisure to enjoy. So many idle pursuits.
Yet I have heard it said by some...
...that the king's presence is like the sun.
And when you are away from it...
...there is only eternal night.
You're a clever man, Boleyn.
That is what people say.
They say you are charming and clever.
What does Norfolk want?
He wants you to help us destroy Wolsey.
And in return, he will persuade the king to forgive you...
...and welcome you back to court.
Thank you, my lord.
What did you hear?
Everything.
What will you do?
What should I do?
You once told me...
...that sometimes Wolsey had been kind to you.
Did I?
I had quite forgotten.
It seems Our Majesty is in love.
Sir.
Poor Harry.
Tallis?
What is it? Bloody poets never sleep.
I've written the first few lines. Can I read them to you?
They flee from me That sometime did me seek
With nak ed foot Stalking in my chamber
I have seen them Gentle, tame and weak
That are now wild And do not remember
That sometime They put themselves in danger
To tak e bread at my hand
And now they range
Busily seeking With a continual change
- That's all there is so far. - It's wonderful.
There is music in it.
What's it about?
- A girl. - What girl?
Let's just call her the brunette.
I loved her once.
And I thought she loved me.
But now she belongs to another?
Quiet in here.
She may be just a girl, but I tell you this, Mr. Tallis...
...if she gets her way...
...she will set our whole country in a roar.
Thank you.
His Majesty wants assurance...
...that Your Eminence has everything you desire.
Forgive me.
If I was younger, or more foolish, or more alive...
...I would gladly take this offer.
You deserve better than to be used as a whore.
My lords and ladies, the queen.
Your Majesty.
- Your Majesty. - Your Majesty.
- Your Grace.
Your Grace.
Your Majesty.
- Lord Darby. - My queen.
I have something for you.
You see.
The falcon is your crest and the pomegranate is hers.
You still don't understand, do you?
It's not a game, George. It's dangerous.
Mistress Boleyn.
- Mr. Cromwell. - I have some news.
The king is dispatching a good man to see the Pope about the divorce.
A Dr. Knight.
I know Dr. Knight. He was my tutor.
Indeed. All things connect.
Ladies.
Sir.
Would I be right to think you are maids of honour to Her Majesty?
Yes, sir.
George Boleyn.
You don't know me now but one day you will.
- We could be useful to each other. - How so?
You tell me who you're fucking...
...and I'll tell you if it's a good idea.
You understand?
And in return?
I'll think of something.
It depends how hungry you are to be rich and famous.
It's something I can arrange.
I'm a builder of fortunes.
Here.
We rely upon you, Dr. Knight...
...to deliver these two bulls to His Holiness, at Orvieto.
They were written by our own hand.
Majesty.
It would be better for Europe...
...if we now make peace with the emperor.
How can you say that? He made me his prisoner.
He squeezed my balls. I had to pay him millions in ransom.
And my eldest son is still his captive.
How can I make peace with that piece of shit?
You must be gratified by the progress you've made so far.
It's something of a burden...
...dragging my old body from country to country.
You'd rather be at home.
I do fret, rather, that the king will be influenced...
...by others in my absence.
After the conclave, you need not fret.
You'll soon have the power to please him.
Evening, my lord.
Thank you.
Boy.
Damn you.
The king.
Sweet Anne.
The queen.
No, no. Wait.
Only a moment.
Tonight I dine with your father and uncle.
Your Majesty, my father says it is all beyond his deserving.
No.
For when I am with them, I am close to you.
Here.
Another token of my affection.
Take it. From your humble servant.
Your neck.
I love your neck.
My lords, let us drink...
...to the resolution of the matter which is uppermost in our minds.
- Your Majesty. - Majesty.
In a very short while, we shall have an answer.
I would trust to hear it more from Dr. Knight than Cardinal Wolsey.
Why do you say?
I fear it is not in the cardinal's interest to succeed.
But surely his interests and mine are one and the same?
He is my servant.
His Grace means that the cardinal...
...has some prejudice against my daughter.
I know. I know.
He called her a silly girl.
She told me.
There is another matter.
My lord did not want to tell you.
But it is something I think Your Majesty should be made aware of.
Well?
Majesty...
...by your great bounty, I was appointed...
...comptroller of Your Majesty's household.
And in such a capacity...
...I have discovered that when corrupt religious houses are closed down...
...instead of their assets going to your exchequer...
...as they should do...
...they are often diverted elsewhere.
Elsewhere?
Into Wolsey's private foundations.
Into the creation of his college at Oxford.
I must admit...
...I find your intimations shocking.
Indeed, I am hurt.
Cardinal Wolsey is not only my chancellor...
...he has always been my friend.
In this world, Majesty, a true and loyal friend...
...is the greatest boon any man can have.
For in everything else, there is a strange habit of forsaking.
That reminds me, the Duke of Suffolk came to see me.
- Brandon? - He said...
...he would crawl on his hands and knees...
...to beg Your Majesty's forgiveness.
The necklace. Who gave it to you?
Answer me.
His Majesty.
You are expensive, huh?
An expensive whore!
I am no whore...
...Your Majesty.
I love His Majesty. I believe he loves me.
He is infatuated by you, as men often are by new things.
Soon he will see you for what you really are.
And he will tire of you...
...as all the others.
And what if he does not?
I did not give you permission to speak.
You are a servant.
Go now.
Go.
- Who are you? - Dr. Knight, forgive us, sir.
We must just ask you to break off your journey.
Impossible. I am on the king's business.
Yes, sir, we know that. That is why you must come with us.
Dr. Knight, come in.
- Your Eminence... - I make it my business...
...to know the king's business.
Did you really think you could go to Orvieto without my knowing about it?
Now, you've been sent by the king to the Pope...
...with these two bulls, is that correct?
Yes.
These are extraordinary documents. Do you know what's in them?
- Yes, a little. - And you still agreed to carry them?
The first document asks the Pope to permit him, once divorced...
...to marry any woman he chooses...
...even one who would be forbidden to him...
...because of a prior relationship to one of her relatives.
I don't understand that. The king wrote this.
- What woman is he referring to? - Mistress Anne Boleyn.
Anne Boleyn?
The king loves Anne Boleyn?
Yes, sir.
And what is this prior relationship he refers to?
Surely Your Eminence is aware that His Majesty...
...had carnal relations with Anne's older sister, Mary.
Perhaps even with their mother.
So it is rumoured. I give it no credence.
With regard to the mother.
And the second document. Have you read it?
- No, sir. - Just as well.
I wouldn't like to be the man...
...that has to present this to the descendant of Saint Peter.
It asks this: " If no way can be found to nullify the king's marriage...
...then the Pope should allow him to take a second wife."
Do you understand? He's asking the Pope to sanction bigamy.
Since the king commands it, you must be on your way, Dr. Knight.
But with no hope of success, or honour.
I heard you crawled here like a dog.
- Something like... - Hold your tongue.
You were always too useful with it.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Have you come to beg my forgiveness?
Yes, Your Majesty.
Well, then beg for it.
With all my heart. With all my soul.
With every ounce of my being.
My king, my sovereign, my dread lord...
...I beg you to forgive your miserable servant...
...your humble, worthless, thoughtless servant...
...who deserves so little...
...and by your bounty and your grace...
...was given so much.
Ungrateful wretch that I am.
Unworthy of Your Majesty's love.
Come here.
If you can beat me...
...you can come back to court.
Ready?
Welcome back.
- What was I supposed to do? - I don't know.
But I agree with you. It was crude and unacceptable.
- I'm disappointed in His Majesty. - Thomas, I have to ask you this.
Will you accept the judgement of the cardinals?
What does it matter now?
The Pope is free.
- There is no need for a conclave. - No, there is more need than ever.
The Pope is still in the power of the emperor...
...unable to exercise any control over the Church.
So someone else must do so and I ask you again...
...will you accept the judgement of the cardinals?
More, if you are not for me now, then you are against me.
Stakes have grown higher.
Mr. Cromwell tells me that the king now dines with Norfolk and Boleyn.
They are my bitter enemies. They constantly seek my downfall.
And if you do not help me, then you help them.
Need I remind you of this?
You owe all your advancement in this world to me.
Thomas, we've known each other a long time.
I know you've often complained about my methods, my way of dealing.
But underneath all of that, I believe we still share many things.
We're still humanists, even though the world batters our beliefs...
...and compromises our actions.
Nothing, no earthly thing, not even a prince...
...will ever compromise mine.
Oh, I see.
You don't want to get your hands dirty. I understand.
Well, unfortunately, you don't have a choice.
The dyer's hand is always stained by the elements he works with.
Here is my element.
The spiritual element.
The higher element.
Now you tell me...
...am I stained by it?
Let me know the moment the cardinals arrive.
Mon cher Wolsey.
I expect you heard.
The cardinals are not coming.
There's nothing I can do about it.
They only take orders from His Holiness.
The wheel turns, my friend.
They flee from me That sometime did me seek
With nak ed foot stalking In my chamber
Thanks be to fortune, It has been otherwise
Twenty times better But once in special
In thin array, after a pleasant guise
When her loose gown From her shoulders did fall
And she caught me In her arms long and small
There with all sweetly did we kiss
And softly said, "Dear Heart, how like you this?"
Out. Out.
Your Eminence, your blessing on my daughter?
- Blessings, my child. - Thank you, Your Eminence.
- Your Eminence, please, a moment. - No, no.
- Now, Mr. Cromwell. - Your Eminence.
- The king awaits you, but... - What?
He is not alone.
Majesty.
Well?
Majesty, I was hoping that...
You can speak freely in front of Mistress Boleyn.
She knows everything.
So. You've come back from Paris.
- Yes. - Tell us of your triumphs.
Tell us all your news.
We are so eager to hear.
Oh, for the love of God, man.
Do I have my divorce?
Your Majesty will recall that I went to Paris...
It was no dream.
I lay broad waking
But all is turned Through my gentleness
Into a strange fashion Of forsaking
And I have leave to go Of her goodness
But since that I so kindly am served
I'd like to know what she has deserved