Chapter summaries Boleyn Traitor Philippa Gregory

Chapter 9: Greenwich Palace, January 1536

Warning: This summary contains spoilers for Chapter 9 of Boleyn Traitor.

Summary

Jane Boleyn opens the chapter mourning Katherine of Aragon’s lonely death at Kimbolton Castle, feeling guilt for her own disloyalty. Anne and Henry burst in celebrating the news as a victory that ends the threat of war with Spain. The court stages a masque of joy, but many quietly grieve. Anne summons her estranged sister Mary Boleyn to witness her triumph. A grand joust is held to celebrate; however, during the ring-tilt, Henry’s lance catches and his armoured horse falls on him, crushing him. The king is carried out unconscious on a board, and the Howard faction—Anne and her uncle Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk—immediately plots a regency should he die, even discussing the removal of Lady Mary. Henry miraculously recovers but is left with a reopened leg wound and a new terror of death. While picking over Katherine’s belongings at Baynard’s Castle, Anne suddenly suffers a miscarriage. The king visits her bedchamber, refuses comfort, and publicly declares that God does not grant him male children. He limps away, surrounded by her enemies, leaving Anne shattered and her position gravely weakened.

Key Events

  • Katherine of Aragon dies, prompting Anne and Henry to celebrate, though many at court mourn secretly.
  • Anne orders Mary Boleyn to return to court to witness her triumph.
  • During a celebratory joust, the king’s horse falls on him; he is carried off unconscious, and his life is feared lost.
  • Anne and Norfolk conspire to seize power as regents if Henry dies, planning to eliminate Lady Mary as a threat.
  • The king recovers but is haunted by his mortality, and his leg wound reopens.
  • Anne rummages through Katherine’s possessions at Baynard’s Castle and is struck by sudden pain.
  • Anne miscarries; Jane Seymour broadcasts her condition, and the king visits only to reproach her, declaring God denies him sons.

Character Development

  • Anne Boleyn: Begins triumphant but reveals deep insecurity. Her political instincts surface during the regency plot, yet her miscarriage leaves her vulnerable, and she fails to re-engage the king’s affection.
  • King Henry VIII: Shaken by his near-death experience, he becomes morbidly aware of mortality. He turns petulant and self-absorbed, interpreting Anne’s miscarriage as divine judgment rather than a shared loss.
  • Jane Boleyn: Acts as a conflicted observer, grieving for Katherine while performing loyalty to Anne. She notes the shifting power dynamics and the court’s hypocrisy.
  • Thomas Howard (Norfolk): Emerges as a ruthless plotter, ready to install Anne as regent and dispose of rivals the instant Henry seems dead.
  • Mary Boleyn: Returns to court resentfully, showing that even her choice of love hasn’t freed her from family coercion.
  • Jane Seymour: Capitalizes on the miscarriage by fleeing the queen’s chamber and emphasizing her virtuous innocence, positioning herself as Anne’s foil.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • Mortality and Divine Judgment: Henry’s fall forces him to confront death; his later declaration that God denies him sons frames the miscarriage as a curse, echoing his earlier marital scruples.
  • Performance vs. Reality: The court stages a joyous masque for Katherine’s death, the joust is a performance of Henry’s youth, and Anne’s bedchamber is dressed theatrically for his visit—all masks that crack under genuine disaster.
  • The King’s Body: The armoured king crushed under his horse becomes a symbol of fragile power. His limp and bruise later mark his diminished authority.
  • Loyalty and Betrayal: Jane’s private prayer for Katherine and Mary reveals hidden loyalties; the rush to plot a regency exposes how quickly allegiance shifts when the king is down.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 9 is a decisive turning point. Katherine’s death removes the external threat of war but also strips away Anne’s greatest foil, forcing the court’s discontent inward. The jousting accident shatters Henry’s illusion of invincibility and accelerates his psychological decline. Anne’s miscarriage—immediately after her triumph—repeats the tragedy of the first queen and provides ammunition to the Spanish faction. Most critically, Henry’s public pronouncement that God withholds male children plants the seed of annulment and foreshadows Anne’s downfall. The chapter transforms a moment of apparent victory into a cascade of vulnerabilities.

Study Questions and Answers

  1. How does the king’s accident change the balance of power at court?
    The accident exposes Henry’s mortality, prompting an immediate scramble for succession. Anne and Norfolk conspire to seize a regency, but their plotting—had he died—would have triggered open conflict with Lady Mary’s supporters. Even after his recovery, the episode reveals how fragile Anne’s position is without the king’s physical presence, and it emboldens her enemies to gather around a weakened monarch.

  2. Why is Anne’s miscarriage more damaging than her previous losses?
    This miscarriage occurs after Katherine’s death, when Anne is the undisputed queen and should be secure. It also follows the king’s own brush with death, making him superstitious. Henry’s reaction—framing it as God’s disfavor rather than a shared tragedy—openly questions the marriage’s legitimacy, mimicking the rhetoric used against Katherine. Additionally, Jane Seymour’s public flight amplifies the scandal, eroding Anne’s dignity.

  3. What role does disguise and performance play in this chapter?
    Every major event involves a performance. The court feigns joy over Katherine’s death, the joust is a choreographed display of Henry’s vitality, and Anne’s bedchamber is dressed like a romantic stage set for the king’s visit. When reality breaks through—the fall, the miscarriage—these performances fail, revealing the terror, grief, and political calculation underneath.

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