The King's Favourite

Katherine The Smart

Anne requested a meeting with her mother, father, brother and uncle shortly after Henry had left her chambers. She was granted a meeting and told them her news when it came around.

"Anne why did you call a meeting? You have successfully bedded the King, what else do you want?" Began her impatient father.

Anne knew that she had to tell her secret to be taken seriously "I am with child" she proclaimed

"The King's?" Verified her uncle.

Anne was offended and shot back a rude response. She still disliked her uncle "Yes uncle the King's child. Do you believe me to be a harlot?"

Her brother, George and her father chuckled at Anne's pure wit but her uncle looked displeased.

"Anyway" returned Anne "What am I to do?"

Her mother answered "There is nothing you can do. Simply keep it a secret."

"I have told the King" Anne admitted

"What did you do that for?" George harshly questioned

Anne replied "Well it's the Kings child. He has a right to know."

Anne's mother was looking distressed at Anne's last confession so Anne asked "Why is it so different if I told the King?"

"Anne you are young and inexperienced in these matters" Anne knew a lecture was coming from her mother "A child born or conceived out of wedlock can be fatal for a family reputation. We could be destitute and you ruined. You must claim it was a mistake and you aren't carrying or loose it. You can never be married to a man with a wife."

Despite her news of the Katherine dispatch, Anne knew she couldn't tell even her closest family. She wouldn't even have told Mary had she still been alive. "I will not loose my child, nor claim it was a mistake and I am not carrying. I will simply hope for a boy and hope Catherine faces a terrible illness making Henry a widow."

Her uncle was skeptical "Dangerous words from a woman in your position. You have dark thoughts that you should rid yourself of, Katherine is in good health."

Anne could do nothing but close the meting. She hoped she would gain support from her family, but clearly she was mistaken. She only had Henry and hope for a boy. She dreaded what would happen if she had a girl.

Katherine had been moved to a castle in the North so Henry could appear to have actions matching the fake contract. Although her faith in her husband was beginning to recover, Katherine still wrote to the Pope expressing her concern as she threatened to do in the tower:

Your Holiness,

I have received the pardoning papers sent from Rome to clear me of my sins. The crime they were for was not one I had committed but still I thank you for the offer of pardon. I must ask the legitimacy of the papers however as the language was Italian and not Latin- I am not questioning the Lord or your judgement but I must ask for my own safety.

Sincere Blessings

Queen Katherine of England and Aragon.

The letter was beautifully written in Katherine's perfect handwriting and was sealed with the seal of the queen. It was unmistakably obvious in its importance and simply beamed 'threatening to the King'.

Katherine sent the letter to the Pope through her private messenger, however it never arrived in the Vatican. Henry received news that Katherine had released her private messenger with an urgent letter and sent a guard to intercept it. The guard paid the messenger to give up the letter and lie to Katherine if it's deliverance, the messenger agreed and returned to Katherine with enough money to pay rent for 4 months.