Bloody Mary by Carolly Erickson Page A

and the mechanical birds to sing, and two armed figures made to resemble Charles and Henry threw away their swords and embraced. At that moment “an image of the father of heaven all in burned gold” appeared above the island, under a banner proclaiming, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.” 10
    During Charles’ visit the two kings played tennis and rode together, and the English knights jousted against the emperor’s attendants, the prince of Orange and the marquis of Brandenburg. Henry and Charles took the lists themselves in a gorgeous tournament, wearing horse bards of russet velvet depicting “knights on horseback riding upon mountains of gold.” A play was presented in the great hall at Windsor, mocking Francis and celebrating the English and imperial enterprise against him. An untamed horse representing France ran wild across the stage until the king and emperor, in the person of Amity, sent their messengers Prudence and Policy to tame the horse and their envoy Force to bridle him once and for all. 11
    There were banquets as well during the emperor’s visit, and exchanges of compliments and effusive camaraderie, but this royal meeting was of the utmost seriousness. Despite his youth Charles was a mature ruler on a diplomatic mission of the gravest import. He knew exactly what he hoped to gain in England and what he was willing to give in return. Preliminary meetings had raised and settled most of the major points of dispute months before, and there was agreement on the central issues of the betrothal and the English declaration against France that would follow it. The betrothal contract had been hammered out with some difficulty. Charles’ negotiators first insisted that Mary be delivered to them as soon as she reached the age of seven, so that she could be trained as a lady of the imperial court for some years before her marriage. Wolsey refused, fearing that the princess might in some way be “repudiated, violated ordisparaged” once she arrived in Brussels. Next Wolsey’s request for dower lands in Flanders and Spain to the value of 20,000 marks was refused as excessively large, and he in turn refused an imperial request that England declare against France at once, without waiting for the betrothal to be sworn. Finally compromises were worked out on all these points: Mary would not go to Brussels until she was twelve, her dower lands would total ten thousand pounds in value, and the English declaration would be deferred until the time of Charles’ personal visit. Mary’s dowry of eighty thousand pounds was reluctantly accepted, though the imperial negotiators pointed out that it was less than the king of Portugal was offering to give with his daughter. 12
    Some months after these negotiations the Spanish ambassador came to Richmond, and while he was there Katherine insisted that he see the emperor’s future bride. Mary was dressed beautifully and brought before him to dance. She danced a slow dance first, “and twirled so prettily that no woman could do better,” and then began the leaping steps of the galliard, “acquitting herself marvellously well.” She played the virginal for the ambassador too, and showed such poise and skill that he marveled at her ability and wrote that she might be envied by a woman of twenty. He pronounced her pretty and, surprisingly, tall for her age—probably implying that she was taller than Spanish girls of six. 13
    After several weeks of visits and entertainments Charles, Henry and Wolsey closeted themselves to finalize the alliance. Plans were made for the invasion of France and the division of French lands between the two sovereigns afterward. On June 16 war was declared against France. At Windsor the matrimonial treaty was signed, and when Mary kissed Charles goodbye as he left to make his way to the Channel for the return crossing to Brussels it was no longer as his cousin but as his affianced bride. In six years they