The Wives of Henry the Eighth and the Parts They Played in History
David Hume · en
Anne knew that her position was unstable, and her husband's open
flirtation with a lady of the Court drove her to fury. Presuming upon her
former influence, she imperiously attempted to have her new rival removed
from the proximity of the King. Henry flared up at this, and let Anne
know, as brutally as language could put it, that the days of his
complaisance with her were over, and that he regretted having done so much
for her sake. Who the King's new lady-love was is not certain. Chapuys
calls her "a very beautiful and adroit young lady, for whom his love is
daily increasing, whilst the credit and insolence of the concubine (_i.e._
Anne) decreases." That the new favourite was supported by the aristocratic
party that opposed Anne and the religious changes is evident from Chapuys'
remark that "there is some good hope that if this love of the King's
continues the affairs of the Queen (Katharine) and the Princess will
prosper, for the young lady is greatly attached to them." Anne and her
family struggled to keep their footing, but when Henry had once plucked up
courage to shake off the trammels, he had all a weak man's violence and
obstinacy in following his new course. One of Princess Mary's household
came to tell Chapuys in October that "the King had turned Lady Rochford
(Anne's sister-in-law) out of the Court because she had conspired with the
concubine by hook or by crook to get rid of the young lady." The rise of
the new favourite immediately changed the attitude of the courtiers
towards Mary. "On Wednesday before leaving the More she (Mary) was visited
by all the ladies and gentlemen, regardless of the annoyance of Anne. The
day before yesterday (October 22nd) the Princess was at Richmond with the
brat (_garse, i.e._ Elizabeth), and the lady (Anne) came to see her
daughter accompanied by the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk and others, all
of whom went and saluted the Princess (Mary) with some of the ladies;
which was quite a new thing."