Woking Palace, Autumn: 1540
⚠️ Spoiler notice: This analysis covers events from Chapter 40 of Boleyn Traitor. If you haven’t read this far, beware of spoilers.
Summary
The court arrives at Woking Palace as the drought breaks and persistent rain traps everyone indoors. A restless Katheryn Howard repeatedly asks Jane Boleyn when she will be proclaimed queen. Jane speaks with her uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, who dismisses the idea of a coronation until Katheryn bears a child, but confirms the king will announce the marriage publicly at Hampton Court before Christmas. Norfolk then turns to his larger ambition: arranging a marriage between his widowed daughter, Mary Howard, and Thomas Seymour, the king’s brother-in-law. He will bribe Seymour and force Mary into the match. The union is intended to place the Howards at the heart of the regency when the ailing king dies. Jane privately reflects on the glaring mismatch between the charming Seymour and her icy cousin, while the rain continues to confine the restless future queen.
Key Events
- The court moves from Windsor to Oatlands and finally to Woking Palace as autumn rains begin.
- Rain confines everyone indoors; Kitty Howard paces her rooms, repeatedly demanding to know when she will be proclaimed queen.
- The Duke of Norfolk tells Jane that Kitty will receive no coronation until she proves fertile and bears a child.
- Norfolk confirms the king plans to announce the marriage at Hampton Court before the Christmas feast.
- He orders that his daughter Mary Howard must be prominently displayed in all court masques and dances.
- Norfolk reveals his plan to marry Mary Howard to Thomas Seymour to secure a political alliance with the Seymour family.
- He openly says he will bribe Thomas Seymour and force his own daughter to comply.
- Jane notes the mismatch between the darkly handsome Seymour and Mary’s “glacial beauty.”
Character Development
- Jane Boleyn serves as the shrewd observer. She asks probing questions yet remains a compliant Howard pawn, absorbing her uncle’s schemes without protest. Her detached curiosity underscores her role as a survivor who values information above loyalty.
- Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk reveals his ruthlessness and strategic mind. He treats his daughter as a bargaining chip and admits bribery and coercion are acceptable tools. His preoccupation with the impending regency shows a man who thinks only of dynasty.
- Katheryn “Kitty” Howard appears offstage but her restless, repetitive questioning highlights her immaturity and powerlessness. She longs for public recognition yet has no concept of the political hurdles ahead.
- Mary Howard is portrayed as a frosty, unwilling pawn—beautiful but emotionally distant. Norfolk’s determination to force her into marriage with Thomas Seymour paints her as a victim of family ambition.
- Thomas Seymour is mentioned as the king’s uncle-by-marriage, a desirable alliance for any faction eyeing young Prince Edward’s future regency. He is described as “darkly handsome,” hinting at his charisma.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Succession and the struggle for power. Every conversation circles back to the king’s mortality and who will control the boy prince. The Howard-Seymour marriage plot is a naked grab for regency influence.
- Women as political currency. Kitty’s worth depends entirely on her womb; Mary is ordered to wed a man she does not want. Both are pieces on a chessboard, their personal desires irrelevant.
- Manipulation and bribery. Norfolk’s casual mention of bribing Seymour and forcing Mary demonstrates a court where moral boundaries have dissolved.
- Confinement and stagnation. The relentless rain traps Kitty indoors, mirroring her inability to advance her own status. The drought breaking into weeks of rain mirrors the shift from hopeful anticipation to gloomy waiting.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 40 shifts the narrative focus from Kitty’s immediate anxieties to the larger political chess game. Norfolk’s scheme to wed Mary to Thomas Seymour lays the groundwork for a Howard-Seymour alliance that will ripple through the rest of the novel. The chapter also emphasizes Kitty’s precarious position: she is a queen in name only, her public proclamation still weeks away, her future contingent on pregnancy. Jane’s calm observation of these machinations reinforces her role as the book’s moral barometer—she reports the maneuvering without judgment, leaving the reader to recognize the cold brutality of the Tudor court.
Study Questions and Answers
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Why does Norfolk insist on a Howard-Seymour marriage?
He explains that when the king dies, the Seymour brothers will naturally lead a regency for Prince Edward. By wedding Mary to Thomas Seymour, the Howards would have a seat at that table, protecting their influence and potentially placing a Howard woman in a position of power. -
What does Kitty’s repeated questioning reveal about her understanding of her role?
Kitty sees queenship through a girlish lens of public admiration and ceremony. She does not grasp that her value to the king and the court hinges on bearing a son, nor that political announcements follow careful calculation rather than personal eagerness. -
How does the weather at Woking reinforce the chapter’s mood?
The drought-breaking rain that strands everyone indoors physically mirrors Kitty’s stifled ambition. Just as the grey skies prevent hunts and hawking, political delays trap her in a state of restless waiting with no power to force events.