Anne Cleaves Henry's Court!

France and Spain have aligned with Rome against King Henry while his people search for the next Queen of England. The Duke of Cleves plays a most excellent cat with the mice sent by Cromwell to secure the Duke's sister as Henry's bride. Ultimately, Cleves' games heighten the King's interest, and as the threat of foreign attack tightens tension across the kingdom, Henry accepts Anne as his next Queen. Apparently, the potent support of the Protestant League which comes with his new bride was the right bait at the right time!  

Impatient and restless, troubled by his declining health, Henry builds high hopes around the image of his betrothed. "I need to nourish love." Henry muses, as our troubled monarch confides his deepest fears over this mystery match to longtime friend, Lord Suffolk, before tearing off to meet Anne for the first time. Queen Jane is now placed on so high a pedestal in Henry's memory, that I doubt any woman could really compete.   

Meanwhile, Lord Suffolk has secretly allied himself with Lord Seymour against Thomas Cromwell. This means that either would use their gilded tongues to sour the match between King and Cleves, as this bride is of Cromwell's choosing and definitely of the wrong faith to suit either lords tastes. Suffolk, who was tapped by Henry to bring his new bride to London, has ample opportunity to pour his cleverly poisoned words into Anne's ear.  

It is clear almost as soon as Henry has laid eyes on his new bride that he finds very little about this modest and moral lady appealing. Suffolk and Seymour have very little to do to further their cause. Cromwell's fate is sealed with the King's monstrous displeasure, and Lords Suffolk and Seymour all but lick the cream of their victory off their satisfied faces. Lady Suffolk continues to mourn the loss of her "sweet" Brandon. "I am as good as I may be," he replies, "And you must take me as I am."  

Anne fears the king's displeasure both before and after their first meeting, and she appears no more pleased with her political marriage than Henry. She makes efforts to be appealing to her new husband and to be a good Queen to her new people. She tries to befriend Princess Mary, and makes good headway. Despite Mary's frantic fears that the new Queen and her tyrant father will wed her off to a "heretic", Mary cannot help but like the modest and kind Anne of Cleves. She even finds herself intrigued by the cousin that matchmaking Anne has chosen to introduce to the Princess, the charming Duke Philip of Bavaria.  

Alas, this Queen Anne is far too demure, silent, and upright to tempt our fickle King though! Betrayed by his own body, affronted by the continued existence of the defiant Cardinal Pole, and now dealt a losing hand by Lady Love, it seems only a matter of time before the King's temper outraces his reason. Tensions mount throughout the castle as Henry cannot bring himself to consummate the marriage. Who will be the next visitor to the Tower, and how long before heads roll once more?              

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My Thoughts ~~~~~~~~~~~~~   

Delightful! There is much to enthrall viewers this week. Anne's appearance remains a mystery til well into the episode. Her costuming, as one would expect by now, is exceptional. I found it remarkable how the costume designers managed to aid in conveying this character's innocence, awkwardness, modesty, and foreign culture so elegantly and subtly.   Anne's red bejeweled outfit worn during her formal presentation to King and court illustrates the personality differences between Henry and Anne quite well. From her elaborate headpiece to the intricate detail picked out in thread, pearls and gems, she projects a more modest, detail-oriented, and formally courteous presence than our curt, self-involved and broad-sweeping monarch could ever hope to achieve. 

Her silver wedding outfit while stunning, seems to emphasize her shyness. Almost nun-like in form, this dress makes of Anne a cold Seraph that appears childlike beside Henry in his own silver finery. Clothing aside, Joss Stone has really impressed me with her acting debut. I think she has created a wonderful balance in her presentation of Anne of Cleves; intelligent but innocent, modest yet commanding, regal and unsure by turns, and timid when the King requires demure at the least. I look forward to future performance by this artist.  

Henry's newest wedding apparel is absolutely gorgeous in matching silver brocade, delicate lawn, and ornate heavy silver chain. Much earlier in the episode, during the scene where the King is discussing Anne of Cleves with Cromwell, Henry is wearing a truly sumptuous doublet. It appears to be a dark green cloth, like velvet or suede, with bold leather trim and studs, like the exotic pattern of some feral beast. This marvelous piece of work is actual quite a subtle piece for our clotheshorse king, and for all it's subtle charm and quality it becomes mere shadow beside the splendor of his wedding outfit.  

There is, as always, quite a wealth of fabulous clothing in this season to inspire the imagination of any budding seamstress tempted by period clothing, but it should be noted that many outfits in The Tudors are not necessarily in strict accordance with clothing styles or materials of the given period. Certain aspects may come from an era somewhat earlier or later than Henry's lifetime.   

We are seeing more of Mary Tudor, as we should by now. All too soon, Henry will be meeting his maker, and Bloody Mary will ascend to the throne. Of course, Henry has two wives left before taking his leave! I find Mary's confidences in Ambassador Chapuys quite an intriguing method of learning more about how the Princess views what is going on around her, and what she really thinks about it all.  

I particularly enjoyed watching Queen Anne and her charming cousin slowly but surely drawing the self-controlled Mary into behaving more like a noble young maiden and less like a formal portrait of herself meant only for silent display. Sarah Bolger has joined the Tudors' lineup of strong and talented women in her marvelous portrayal of the intelligent, soft-hearted, and oft-conflicted Mary.  

We are also given more personal time with the often annoying Cromwell. It only makes sense that one would need to drum up some sympathy for this unlikable fellow before the King's favor is abruptly and irrevocably withdrawn. All of the little family scenes are fine, but the real prize with Cromwell in this episode is between himself and one of his young pages. The page is startled to be caught swiping a rare piece of fruit from his master's desk.  

Cromwell was easily overlooked as he prayed silently in a dark corner. He expresses his views on prayer, and the unbreakable sacred bond between Creator and man quite simply but eloquently in this brief scene. "All you need is your soul." he murmurs earnestly to the frightened young page. We finally see a gentler side of Cromwell as he begins to fear for his life and the lives of his family. With the fate of the Pole family so fresh in his memory, viewers can't help but feel at least a twinge of sympathy for this beleaguered official.  

In an even briefer scene, we are witness to the continued disharmony between Lord Suffolk and his much beloved wife. Likewise, I cannot help feeling sorry for poor Brandon caught as he is between the love of his wife and the demands of his king. He knows, better than most, how swift, brutal, and unpredictable the King's temper can be. Yet, even as he protests his choices and begs for understanding from his disapproving spouse, one cannot help wonder how much he may stray from a reasonable code of conduct by simply convincing himself that he is only doing what he must.  

The season ends with the next episode, and I am already looking forward to all ten episodes promised in season four! Showtime has really created a marvelous period drama in The Tudors. Filled to bursting with beauty, pageantry, warfare, scandal, intrigue, history and sex appeal The Tudors has been most expertly crafted in fine detail to appeal to modern audiences while giving a reasonable depiction of actual history. Season four promises to conclude the life of Henry VIII, but I find myself hoping that they will continue the tale through to Queen Elizabeth reign.