King Henry VIII is aging rapidly: the recent siege of Boulogne has taken its toll, his ulcerous leg is constantly in pain, and he now requires glasses to read. Political events continue to be tumultuous and exhausting. The profligate Earl of Surrey, a noble not known for his sense of judgment, loses 600 men in an unprovoked battle in France, endangering Henry’s recent success at Boulogne. News arrives that the King of France is preparing for war and, worse, that the Emperor Charles, England’s recent ally, has seized English ships and properties. The rising influence of Bishop Gardiner is signaled by the appointment of a Catholic, Wriothesley, to the important position of Lord Chancellor. Nonetheless the Lutherans continue with their radical reforms, the latest of which is women preachers. One such preacher, Anne Askew, is imprisoned and tortured by Wriothesley and then burnt at the stake for her perceived heresies. Sir Richard Rich brings bad news to the Princess Mary; her best friend, and long-time confidante, Eustace Chapuys, is dead. Mary avows that it is all her fault for not being a boy, and declares, that, if she becomes Queen, then she will return England to the true faith. Sensing their rise in authority, Gardiner and his allies are determined to trap Queen Catherine. Brazenly, the Bishop suggests to the King that he has proof of her heresy. Henry confuses the Bishop with the reply that even if this were true – and he probably knows that it is - he would spare her life. The Earl of Surrey, however, is not so fortunate. Defiant on his return to court, he fails to convince Henry’s Privy Council with his explanation of how so many men were lost under his command in France. His rank is withdrawn and the King refuses to see him. Surrey’s wild antics and attitude have won him no friends among Henry’s closest advisers, and he is arrested on charges of treason. After a quick and one-sided trial he is sentenced to death.
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