Original subtitles

Have you dispatched Suffolk to the North?

-Yes, Your Majesty. -What did you say to him?

I urged him, as a true knight to his sovereign lord, not to spare...

...but, frankly, to slay plenty of these false rebels.

I said there was no need for courtesy in shedding the blood of traitors.

And?

The emperor will shortly be dispatching an envoy...

...to discuss with Your Majesty possible candidates...

...for the hand of the Lady Mary.

What do you think of this?

It's the Bucintoro, the doge's ship.

When it is built, the queen will ride in it to her coronation.

And it will indeed be a memorable occasion.

Of course, it'll have to wait till after the birth of my son.

What's that?

This is a pamphlet, widely distributed.

Its author is Reginald Pole of Your Majesty's acquaintance...

...who has recently been made a cardinal by the bishop of Rome.

A cardinal?

What does it say?

It condemns Your Majesty in the vilest of terms.

As what?

As a heretic...

...and as an adulterer.

So much for gratitude.

Unfortunately, there is more.

My creatures tell me that the same Cardinal Pole...

...is now in France as papal legate...

...and has been granted private audience with King Francis.

He's trying to persuade the French and others...

...to help rekindle the rebellions against Your Majesty.

Every year, the doge of Venice travels out in this ship into the lagoon...

...to renew his marriage vows with the sea.

Marriage with the sea.

What prince does not aspire to have such an elemental mistress?

Mr. Robert Aske...

...you've been accused of conspiring to deprive the king...

...of his title of head of the Church...

...of seeking to compel him to hold a parliament...

...and finally, of levying war against him...

...all after His Majesty's gracious pardon was granted.

On all these counts we find you guilty as charged.

You are to be returned to York...

...where you enjoyed your most frantic triumph...

...and there hanged in chains as a punishment...

...for your grievous sins against His Majesty's Highness...

...and against this realm.

Your horse is ready, Your Grace.

Father.

Son.

I know you will do your duty.

Thank you.

Now, go check on the horses.

I don't ask for your blessing, Catherine.

Please don't send me away with your curse.

You're a man of honour.

And I pray to God I shall never have cause to curse or disoblige you.

But I beg you, show mercy.

Especially to the innocent.

Sir Ralph Ellerker.

Sir Ralph.

You're accused of taking part in the late insurrection...

...that so wretchedly offended His King's Majesty...

...and the whole realm.

We have taken account of your deposition to the court...

...that you joined the rebels out of fear for your life...

...and the lives of your dependants.

We also note your subsequent vows of contrition.

We ask you to sign this.

What is it?

An oath.

You swear that you are heartily sorry...

...that you have offended the King's Highness in this rebellion.

You promise never again to make unlawful assembly...

...and also promise to inform against anyone else who does.

From henceforth you shall be a true and faithful subject unto our king...

...our sovereign Lord Henry VIII, king of England and France...

...and on earth, supreme head of the Church of England...

...so help you God.

And in return, His Majesty will grant you mercy.

-That one's moving. -Finish him.

That one.

Make way. You there, stop what you're doing.

Stop your labours, do you hear?

-In the name of the king, make way. -Cease your labours.

Get moving, you.

You are traitorous villains, all of you.

You are bound by law and by nature to obey the King's Majesty...

...and yet you followed the traitor Aske...

...and rose in unholy rebellion against him.

And you...

You betrayed us.

It is my purpose here...

...to show a fearful example to those who would disobey...

...his most gracious and sacred Majesty...

...who, after all, in his mercy, granted you a pardon...

...whereupon you continued your wilful disobedience...

...and traitorous hearts.

For these reasons, the king will not forgive you.

And neither will God.

Majesty.

Ladies.

Please, don't kill me.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done...

...on earth as it is in heaven.

Please, Lord, forgive thy poor servant his trespasses against your flock.

Mr. Aske, my name is Richard Curwen.

I'm an ordained priest, and I've come to hear your confession.

May I speak to you honestly, Mr. Curwen?

Please, do not betray my trust.

Never, Mr. Aske.

Tomorrow, I must beg the forgiveness not only of His Sacred Majesty...

...but also of Cromwell and the other heretics.

It sticks in my craw.

Cromwell has openly said that all of us Northerners were traitors.

It offended me so much.

And then, several times, he offered me a pardon...

...for confessing the truth.

Cromwell is the devil's messenger, Mr. Curwen.

And yet I must beg his pardon.

Or else they will hurt my family.

And that I cannot allow.

Bad enough that my wife and children will see me hanged...

...and left to rot in these chains.

Mr. Aske, is there anything you need?

Anything I can get you for solace?

There can be no solace, Mr. Curwen.

I will sit here a while and weep.

And thereafter deliver myself into God's hands...

...and into his loving mercy.

Amen.

Wait.

There is something.

Sewn into my collar there.

I was given that by the Lady Mary.

As you love our cause, Mr. Curwen, please hand it to my wife.

It will ease her burden greatly.

Her Majesty, the queen.

Sir Francis Bryan.

-Majesty. -Sir Francis.

Reginald Pole has shown us his true heart.

I want you to go to Paris...

...protest to the French king on our behalf...

...for the solemn and pompous reception granted him.

Majesty.

Ask him to deliver the traitor into your hands...

...or face the consequences and our perpetual enmity.

What if the king refuses?

Were you not a spy once, Sir Francis?

I was, Your Majesty. Indeed.

And a breaker of codes.

Well, perhaps you could revisit some of your old skills.

I would like nothing better than to have Pole trussed up and taken to Calais.

And I'd rather alive than dead.

Excuse me.

What is the Lord Privy Seal doing?

I imagine those nobles want to buy...

...the leases of some of the suppressed abbeys.

What are they giving Mr. Cromwell?

Bribes.

Mr. Cromwell is already a rich man.

-Some say the richest in the kingdom. -Does the king know of this practice?

He asks no questions.

As long as the crown receives its 10-percent share.

Is it not terrible that our sacred building be used like this as profit?

-If you say so. -Then you have--?

You have to understand how clever it is.

By allowing these new men to buy a stake in the kingdom...

...Mr. Cromwell makes sure of their loyalty to the king...

...and to himself.

-Stop. -I have to go away.

-So? -So I can't go until I've had you.

This is madness.

I like madness.

No, it's too dangerous.

My husband might see us. What if I were to conceive your child?

So what? Lots of women lie about the fathers of their children.

What does it matter to you, huh?

Let Edward raise my brat.

Admit it, lady, this is your game too.

Just do it.

Father.

-Out. Out. -Father!

For the love of God, take them out.

Oh, my poor husband. My poor husband. Why?

Why have they done this to you?

Pray for me.

I deserve this.

No. No.

You do not deserve this.

Stop it.

You are a good man, Robert Aske.

I ask you to pray for me, for I have greatly offended God...

...the king, and the world.

God I have offended by breaking his commandments in many ways.

And the king I have offended by breaking his laws...

...to which every true subject is bound by the commandment of God.

And the world I have offended since, for my actions...

...so many have lost their lives, their lands and their goods.

I ask forgiveness of His Gracious Majesty.

Also my Lord Privy Seal, my Lord Chancellor.

And my lord of Suffolk...

...whose trespasses against me I also forgive with a free heart.

And of all the world.

This realm goes from good peace and quiet daily...

...to better and better.

The traitors have been executed.

The Lord Darcy at Tower Hill.

Aske, hanged above the dungeon of the castle at York.

The rest were executed at Tyburn.

So that, as far as we can perceive...

...all the cankered hearts...

...are weeded away.

Like this. Exactly.

Sir Francis Bryan.

Let me present myself. I am Count Talleyrand.

His Majesty King François has sent me to meet you.

Count, allow me to present my companion...

...Mr. Thomas Seymour, brother of the queen of England.

So if the king has sent you, you know why we have come to France?

I know.

And that we expect your government, under its treaty obligations...

...to apprehend the rebel Reginald Pole and deliver him into our custody.

Unfortunately...

...His Majesty already granted safe passage to this Reginald Pole.

So it would have been dishonourable for him to hand him over.

Nevertheless, he promised your king by letter, 10 days ago...

...that he would expel this Pole.

-And so he did. -Then where is Pole now?

All I know is that he was allowed to travel to Caserta...

...under the emperor jurisdiction.

It seems to me that your manner of proceeding has been very strange.

I fear it may lose your master the friendship of mine.

Now, I'm hungry.

Good evening, count.

Good evening, Sir Francis.

Oh, and bonne vacance.

Gentlemen, your meal, if you please.

Yes, very pretty.

So where's Caserta? Forgive my ignorance.

In Italy. North of Naples.

It's a nice old town.

I tell you this, Tom, if we find Pole, I will not truss him up.

I'm gonna kill him with my own hands.

Your Majesty.

His Excellency, Ambassador Eustace Chapuys.

Excellency.

Your Majesties.

The emperor sends you his love.

And he has charged me with the grave responsibility...

...of negotiating with Your Majesty...

...a suitable marriage for your daughter, the Lady Mary.

Who does the king propose?

His Highness Don Luis, the heir to the throne of Portugal...

...and the brother of the emperor's wife, Isabella.

What type of man is he, this Don Luis?

He is in every way a paragon.

A man of great integrity and virtue.

A man who has fought military campaigns and won.

A man with a profound knowledge of the world.

My daughter has no knowledge of the world.

She's an ingénue, an innocent.

And she is a very spiritual person.

How will this Don Luis treat her?

Like a nun.

In which case, alas, it may be difficult for them to produce children.

Excellency.

The emperor has suggested a splendid offer for your hand.

His Highness Don Luis is 24 years old...

...from a very rich and distinguished family.

Go on.

I am told he is a great favourite at the imperial court.

With women?

With everyone.

Because he is so honourable and gallant and good-natured.

Is he good-looking?

Yes.

I have seen him myself.

He is tall, with very dark hair, but piercing blue eyes.

I am sure that your mother-- God rest her soul.

--Would have approved.

And everyone at court is talking about you.

They say the queen has persuaded His Majesty...

...to reinstate you to the succession.

Poor Robert Aske.

I was told his body is still hanging, trimmed in chains, for all to see.

I should not be thinking of my own happiness.

Sweet madam, you have every right to think of it.

Your Graces.

As head of the Church, I am vexed by your inability to agree...

...on the fundamental issues of doctrine and practice.

I listen to your sermons.

And sometimes I find them full of evangelical excesses...

...which have never been agreed upon...

...and have no place in the Church of England.

Your Graces, I want unity and agreement in our Church.

I want diversity of opinion ended...

...and uniformity imposed.

Therefore, I command you to establish a commission amongst yourselves...

...to determine the basic articles of our faith.

It's Her Majesty.

Majesty.

-What is it? -Majesty.

-Sweetheart, what is it? -Majesty.

Everything's all right.

Come.

Can you feel it?

It's moving.

It's kicking.

I can feel it.

Oh, he feels strong.

Edward, my son.

Be strong.

Crown I catch the next one.

What is it, Father?

Can't you see him?

See who?

Over there.

Can't you see him?

Well, look.

Tell me you can see him.

That man.

He's there.

You can see him, can't you?

Oh, for God's sake, do you see him?

In a while, the queen will come to full term.

I want you to organise the celebrations for the birth of my son.

-I would be honoured. -I want them to be truly spectacular.

Te Deums and bonfires throughout the kingdom...

...and free wine for everyone. And a tournament.

I had planned a tournament for the birth of the prince with my last queen...

...but it had to be cancelled.

Well, this time, Your Majesty will have no reason to cancel it.

May I ask Your Majesty's opinion on another matter?

In the recent rebellion...

...which, thank God, Your Majesty has now suppressed...

...and the worst rascals properly put to death...

...a great cause was made by some against the Lord Privy Seal...

...who, in some quarters, was blamed for it.

Frankly, we thought him in danger, whilst trusting he was not.

It was the rebels who demanded Mr. Cromwell's head.

And by doing so, they saved it.

Beautiful.

-Yes, Lady Rochford? -Majesty.

Lady Lisle has written to me asking if Your Majesty...

...might find a place in your household for one of her two daughters.

-I told her I'd mention it to you. -Have you warned the Lady Lisle...

...that life at court is full of pride, envy, scorn, and derision?

If you have, then have her send them to me, and I'll choose one of them.

And remember, they must bring two sets of clothes...

-...one of satin, the other of damask. -Madam.

Lady Misseldon.

Help me unlace my gown. It seems to grow tighter by the hour.

If anything should happen to me, be a comfort to His Majesty.

Majesty.

My little--

Do not be alarmed, ladies, but I think my time has come.

-Lady Mary. -Majesty.

Please swear that you will stay with me now and not forsake me.

I do promise.

Then all will be well.

Go fetch the midwife.

Come to the bed.

Majesty?

-Well? Is it time? -Yes, Your Majesty.

-Send my physician to watch over her. -Yes.

And fetch my Lord Beauchamp.

-And Bishop Gardiner. -Majesty.

And send some heralds into the city to tell them the news.

And Cromwell.

Tell Mr. Cromwell. Tell him...

Tell him that whole worlds hang in the balance.

It's happening. It's happening.

I pray Jesu, if he wills, to send us a prince.

Take my hand.

Let me have a look now.

Breathe deep, Your Majesty. Good. Good.

-Lady Mary. -Yes, madam?

The box.

It used to belong to your mother.

I think she is here with us.

I believe with all my heart she will help you.

Almighty and everlasting God...

...mercifully look upon our infirmities...

...and in all our dangers and necessities...

...stretch forth thy right hand to help us and defend us.

Through Christ our Lord.

You've got to help push. Have faith in yourself.

Good, Your Majesty.

Tomorrow, there will be a solemn procession through the city...

...all to pray for the queen if she is still in labour with child.

If she is still in labour with child, God help us.

I think to lose them both.

I am reconciled with God.

I've done nothing against my conscience.

To serve the king is to serve God.

I am with child.

She is no better.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou amongst women...

...and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners...

...now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Please, my lady, don't give up.

Please, for the love of Jesus, don't give up.

Your Majesty, I talked to the physicians.

In their opinion, there is not a great deal of time left.

The baby is likely to die...

...unless they cut open the queen's belly to release it.

In which case, it is almost certain that she herself will die.

Your Majesty may thus have to decide soon between the life of the mother...

...or of the child.

Let me pass.

Your Majesty.

Her Majesty is delivered of a healthy son.

I have a son?

I have a son.

Yes, Your Majesty, you have a son.

The future king of England.

Blessed sweet child.

Edward, our son.

Bless you, child, in the name of God...

...the Virgin Mary and Saint George.

He's a sweet prince.

Yes, he is.

And he's our brother.

The king has waited a long time for a son.

But he still loves us.

A boy is more important, Elizabeth.

I don't think so.

In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost...

...I baptise thee, Edward.

May God bless and keep you all the days of your life...

...and give you abundantly his grace. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.

Amen.

God, of his almighty and infinite grace...

...give and grant good life and long to the right high...

...right excellent and noble Prince Edward...

...duke of Cornwall and earl of Chester...

...most dear and entirely beloved son...

...to our most dread and gracious lord, King Henry VIII.

The queen's health has rapidly deteriorated. Yesterday evening...

...she had a loosening of the bowels, and we felt sure we could save her.

But during the night, her fever grew worse again.

We have tried everything we know.

But Her Majesty continues to weaken.

Majesty.

It's childbed fever.

I know because my mother died of it.

Get out.

Leave.

Majesty.

Majesty.

Don't go.

Please, don't go.

Just because you have done everything that you've promised...

...please don't leave me.

You are the milk of human kindness.

The light in my dark, dark world.

Without you, life is a desert.

A howling wilderness.

Please, God, in your mercy...

...don't take her away from me.

My son needs his mother.

And I need my queen.