Just after the arrival of the new French ambassador, who promises French troops will drive the emperor out of Italy soon, the epidemic and utter panic reach London, even the royal court, where Henry tries every remedy, including working up a natural sweat, ultimately flees like most before him. The duke of Norfolk is removed from court.
The Cardinal flatters Ann and announces the alliance with France against the emperor is a fact, while he sends lawyers Stephen Gardiner and Foxe to pope Clement VII in Orvieto, requesting an annulment of the royal marriage to Catherine, if necessary by threats, while the emperor demands confirmation. Sir William Compton is diagnosed on his Warwickshire estate with highly contagious 'sweating sickness', the physician bleeds his back- death comes swift, his body is burned before burial, Thomas Tallis breaks his lute on the fresh grave, then courts Joan Larke. Princess Margaret marries the old decrepit king of Portugal only when promised she may. A victory at Pavia by Henry's Habsburg ally, emperor Charles, who even captured the French king Francis I, is celebrated in a joust, where Henry personally fights, and failing to close his helmet gets wounded, almost losing an eye, but gets back in the saddle, as if he were invulnerable a reckless jump over a bog with a pole which breaks and miserable medical care -bleeding- remind Henry of his mortality, which makes the king focus on the Tudor dynasty's lack of a male heir. Poor mister Pace has gone mad in the Tower before the innocent secretary is released cardinal Wolsey nominates his successor: Thomas Cromwell, equally low-born and ruthlessly ambitious. Henry is rewarded by Rome with the hereditary honorary title Fidei Defensor (Defender of the Faith) for his denunciation of Martin Luther in a writing by his own hand, helped by Thomas More, arousing great anger with Luther and his followers. Thomas More is knighted for his help with the king's anti-Luther. The Emperor is invited to the King's court. Anne Boleyn catches the King's notice in a sumptuous masque (play and masked ball) staged by composer William Cornish, her father the diplomat is promoted Knight of the Garter and comptroller of the royal household, she named lady in waiting to queen Katherine of Aragon. Envoys from the Habsburg king of Spain, who was recently elected Holy Roman-Emperor Charles V, meet with Cardinal Woolsey and agree to cement an eternal treaty between their nations against France -Woolsey is ordered to build the greatest navy in Europe, spending Henry's father's rich inheritance- by engaging Henry's kid daughter princess Mary to wed Charles himself, who promises Woolsey a generous pension and support at a bid for the papacy. King Henry asked Charles Brandon to escort his sister, princess Margaret, to her betrothed, the old Portuguese king, and for the occasion creates him Duke of Suffolk.
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