Most of you will remember me
For my necklace with a pearly "B"
The first of Henry VIII's wives
to have her head lobbed off
by a talented executioner from Calais.
But let's begin my story... well...
at the beginning, a young courtier
trained in the arts at England's rival kingdom.
Striving as newly made men, looking for courtly advancement.
Father ambassador to France
Married a Howard woman
In hopes of adding to his wealthy
Merchant stock, noble children
to breed in hopes of alliances
And wealth, and of course
The highest positions one could hold at court.
My sister, Mary, the King's fairheaded mistress,
with her head bowed offering her obedience
to crown and family,
although married to one of the King's men
She bore two children with the last name Carey,
but Tudors by blood, they be.
A joyful time full of games while I flit
about these courtly English men,
flirting with my eyes and wit
It was time to catch my own husband
Since the family's been caught up
in Mary's adulterous royal affair which
set my father and brother ahead.
So my dark doe eyes light on the heir to Northumberland,
Lord Henry Percy, we plighted our troth, witnessed by God only.
However, quickly resolved, Cardinal Wolsey, dissolved my marriage
declaring it a fraud, sending my Percy home to wed
another instead. That's when I knew I would be the end
of Henry VIII's most trusted church advisor.
God and fate were on my side
Catching the roving eye of his Majesty
Tired of the fair and dull Mary
Finding reasons to visit his queen's chambers
Only to watch her chivalrous knight giving eyes to me, dancing with me
Oh what a rush, knowing I had this handsome king enthralled.
Deep down I knew she couldn't fight
For her womb was clenched tight
Her monthly courses subsiding
Only a frail mousey daughter
Had God seen to give her, no matter the rough skin of piety upon her knees.
At first, I rebuffed my King's generous wooing. A maid I would
stay until in my wedding bed. He always did enjoy the hunt,
but this mare would not be put to pasture
when the stallion was ready to move on to the next conquest.
So I thought... a love that would never end, at least
Not end with my lovely head struck from my body, and
The nasty lies I must swallow, his ears closed tight to my every denial.
Yes, guilty of jealousy, being vain, and a little hot-headed,
but never adulterous, especially not with my beloved brother.
My Uncle a peer of the realm
Happy for my new vaulted position
paid quite a bit to keep me there
As well as giving the verdict against me.
the people branded me The Whore
Throwing stale bread and bishops
Preaching about Ahab and Jezebel.
People called for their Queen to be recognized
and for the Whore to be put away. Setbacks
and failures abound for Charles, the Holy Roman
Emperor sacked Rome and held the Pope.
No annulment could be brokered, but Wolsey found
himself pushed from the glory of the King.
For a buzz of new religion was making way
for our English King to become complete master of his land
And new grants were given, again,
my father and brother seeing new elevations.
While I became a Marquess of Pembroke in my own right,
not many women can say that
and on to Calais to meet with the King of France
Wedded we were, small and a quite event
But feted and dressed in the most beautiful fabrics,
fashion trendy, my lady maids tried to copy. Taking
to wearing a French hood showing more of their face.
My apartments overflowing with music, chatter,
dancing, and religious matters.
The Bible laid out for my ladies to keep them modest
and humble. Although most were never that...
even that mule-faced Jane Seymour.. or my brother's
dramatic wife another Jane I must suffer...
as they must suffer me now, in death...
I did my duty as Queen of England
Leaving behind my red head beauty
To lead England into a Golden Age
I held my tongue on that splendid English day,
wishing I could declare my innocence
of all trumped up charges
But we showed this roaring king his claws
So I say not a word against my sovereign prince.
