Westminster Palace, Autumn: 1536 – Summary & Analysis
Spoiler Warning: This page reveals key events from Chapter 17 of Boleyn Traitor. Proceed only if you have read the chapter or don’t mind spoilers.
Summary
The chapter opens with the kingdom in turmoil: the Pilgrimage of Grace swells as commoners and gentry rebel against the dissolution of monasteries, the king’s excommunication, and the influence of Thomas Cromwell. Within Westminster Palace, the court takes defensive measures. Lady Mary is re-established at court with careful protocol, and her young half-sister Elizabeth, though only three, displays a calculating self-possession that reminds the narrator of Anne Boleyn.
The Duke of Norfolk is dispatched to Yorkshire to crush the rebellion, but his army is hopelessly outnumbered. To save himself, Norfolk promises the rebels everything they demand—reopening abbeys, restoration of Catholic rites, and a free pardon—while secretly blaming all England’s troubles on Cromwell. News of his empty promises reaches the terrified court.
In the privy chamber, Jane Seymour spontaneously kneels before Henry and begs him to pardon the rebels. The king publicly humiliates her, cuttingly remarking that she would do better to produce an heir than to advise him to abandon his throne. The fool Will Somers then mimics Jane’s plea, suggesting with cynical wit that the king should promise a pardon, lure the rebel leaders to London, and execute them. Henry and Cromwell laugh at the jest and immediately adopt the treacherous plan, planning to offer safe passage to the rebel captain Robert Aske while preparing betrayal.
Key Events
- Widespread rebellion forces the court to fortify Westminster Palace and gather supplies for a siege.
- Lady Mary returns to prominence at court, flanked by Margaret Pole, signalling a resurgence of the Spanish/Catholic faction.
- Lady Elizabeth, though a toddler, reveals the same sharp-eyed control as her mother Anne Boleyn.
- Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk, rides north and finds himself surrounded by fifty thousand rebels; he buys time with false pledges of religious restoration and pardons.
- Jane Seymour’s heartfelt appeal for mercy is savagely rebuffed by Henry VIII in front of the court.
- Will Somers mockingly re-enacts her plea, suggesting a false pardon as a trap; the king and Cromwell approve the plan.
Character Development
- Jane Seymour: Tries to act as a merciful queen but learns that royal intercession is dangerous when it contradicts the king’s will. Her humiliation underscores her powerlessness and the shallow affection behind her marriage.
- Henry VIII: Reveals his contempt for anyone who challenges his authority, even his new wife. His mockery of Jane and his swift embrace of the fool’s cynical strategy expose a ruler who values control over mercy.
- Will Somers (the fool): Emerges as the sharpest political mind in the room. His parody of Jane contains a deadly strategic proposal that the king instantly adopts.
- Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk: Demonstrates ruthless adaptability. He betrays the rebels with false promises and simultaneously undercuts Cromwell by blaming him, all to survive and regain favour.
- Lady Mary: Moves cautiously, maintaining perfect protocol amid the crisis; her return to court is a political victory for the old faith.
- Lady Elizabeth: Even at three years old, she masks her fear with imperious demands, revealing a Boleyn-like ability to calculate and control her image.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Mercy vs. Tyranny: Jane’s genuine plea for mercy is rejected, while the fool’s proposal of fake mercy (as a trap) is celebrated. The chapter questions whether true mercy can exist in a Tudor court.
- Appearance and Deception: Norfolk’s false pledges, Henry’s laughable “pardon,” and the fool’s mimicry all foreground the gap between public performance and hidden intentions.
- Religious Identity and Rebellion: The pilgrims’ banners of the five wounds of Christ symbolise a holy cause, but the court sees only treason. The conflict is framed as a war for the soul of England, with personal faith weaponised for political ends.
- The Role of the Fool: Will Somers speaks truth through satire. His mock plea is the chapter’s pivot, transforming a moment of vulnerability into a ruthless political tactic.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 17 brings the Pilgrimage of Grace crisis directly into the intimate spaces of the court. It shows how a massive popular revolt forces the monarchy into defensive posture and exposes the duplicity at the heart of Tudor power. Jane Seymour’s failed intercession marks the end of any naïve hope that she might soften Henry’s tyranny; instead, the king’s cruelty is sharpened. The chapter also highlights the rise of the fool as an unlikely political advisor, whose cynical intelligence outmanoeuvres both the queen and the courtiers. Through Norfolk’s lies and the king’s laughter, the stage is set for a betrayal that will define the rebellion’s fate.
Study Questions & Answers
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Why does Jane Seymour’s plea for the rebels fail so spectacularly? Jane misunderstands the public performance required of a Tudor queen. She believes her role is to embody mercy, but Henry is not interested in clemency; he sees the pilgrimage as a mortal threat. By kneeling publicly and begging, she forces a direct confrontation that undermines his authority. His brutal reply—mocking her voice and questioning her fertility—shows that he will not tolerate even a hint of opposition, especially from a wife whose only function is to secure the succession.
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What does Will Somers’s mimicry reveal about the attitudes of Henry and Cromwell towards the rebellion? Will’s parody of Jane immediately transforms a sacred plea into a cynical joke. By suggesting a false pardon to lure the rebel leaders to their deaths, he voices the unspoken strategy that Henry and Cromwell have likely already considered. Their laughter and instant adoption of the plan show that they see the pilgrims not as faithful subjects but as fools to be tricked. The scene underlines that the king’s mercy is a weapon, not a virtue.
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How does the Duke of Norfolk’s behaviour in this chapter demonstrate his political survival instinct? Norfolk, facing certain destruction, immediately adopts a mask of sympathy for the rebels, blaming Cromwell and promising full restitution. He uses the pilgrimage to wound his political rival while buying time for the king. His empty honour and rapid pledges show a man who will say anything to escape a battlefield and then shift the consequences onto others. This ability to be everything to everyone—traitor to the rebels, loyal servant to the king—keeps him indispensable to Henry.