The Tudors - Episode Guide

Henry's uncle, Ambassador to Urbino, is assassinated by the French and Henry seizes upon this event to plan a war with France to establish his immortal reputation and seize back the title of King of France. More interested in his own ambitions, the Lord Chancellor, Cardinal Wolsey, manipulates the young king to propose a "Treaty of Universal Peace" with France instead. Thomas More, Henry's teacher and a humanist, is in favour of the treaty which further convinces a reluctant Henry to abandon his war plans. A summit is to take place in France, and—against Katherine's express wishes—their daughter Mary is to be betrothed to the Dauphin of France, also still a child. Meanwhile, Henry has a rival to the throne in the Duke of Buckingham, a blood relative to earlier Kings. Buckingham plots to murder Henry and thus grab the throne for himself, letting Thomas Boleyn and the Duke of Norfolk in on his plan. Boleyn's beautiful daughters Mary and Anne prepare to meet King Henry; meanwhile, Henry discovers that Lady Elizabeth Blount, his mistress and one of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting, is pregnant with his child.

With Thomas More's encouragement, King Henry prepares to meet King Francis of France and sign Cardinal Wolsey's peace treaty. Henry had promised the hand of his daughter, Princess Mary, to the Dauphin of France, which caused strife between Henry and his queen, Katherine of Aragon. In France, Thomas Boleyn maneuvers his elder daughter Mary into Henry's bed in an effort to secure favor for the family. The Duke of Buckingham plots against the King, claiming a better right to the throne than Henry Tudor; but his purpose is betrayed by Thomas Boleyn and the Duke is executed. Katherine of Aragon continues to pray for Henry to give her a live, healthy son, but Henry wrestles with the theological problem of having married his brother's wife, and questions whether his lack of sons could be God's punishment. There is much celebration as Lady Elizabeth Blount gives birth to Henry's illegitimate son, to Katherine's pain. When Henry loses interest in Mary Boleyn after a short time, Thomas Boleyn turns to his younger daughter, Anne, to replace her.

As Cardinal Wolsey has lost his chance to be Pope with King Henry's decision to go to war against France, a new accord with Spain and Queen Katherine's nephew Charles, Holy Roman Emperor, offers him fresh hope. Thomas More is knighted by Henry, and charged with destroying any copies of the Lutheran "heresy" he can seize, obviously paining More (although he, too, considers it heretical). Princess Mary's engagement to the Dauphin of France is broken off in favour of a marriage to Charles of Spain; and Henry's elder sister, Princess Margaret, is to marry the King of Portugal. Charles Brandon, Henry's friend, is made Duke of Suffolk in order to be able to escort her to Portugal. Meanwhile, Anne Boleyn encounters Henry face-to-face for the first time at a masquerade, leaving a distinct impression on him.

As a reward for his denunciation of Martin Luther in his book, the Defence of the Seven Sacraments, the Pope christens Henry "Defender of the Faith", but a brush with death causes the King to seek a solution to his lack of an heir. Princess Margaret reluctantly marries the decrepit King of Portugal, but the union is short-lived; Henry's desire for Anne Boleyn intensifies. Having arrested the King's secretary as a supposed French spy, Wolsey replaces him with his protege, a shrewd commoner named Thomas Cromwell.

King Henry is stunned by a reversal in his alliance with Emperor Charles and forced to look elsewhere for European support, while Anne Boleyn refuses his offer of mistress status, inflaming his desire to marry her. Katherine of Aragon's alliance with Charles and her hatred for Cardinal Wolsey intensify. Charles Brandon and the newly-widowed Margaret Tudor marry secretly, which infuriates the King, and he banishes both of them from court. Henry bestows a Dukedom on his bastard son Henry FitzRoy, but is heartbroken when FitzRoy dies only weeks later.

As King Henry gains in confidence, his displeasure with the way the Catholic church handles his request for an annulment of his marriage to Katherine of Aragon grows. As a result, Cardinal Wolsey's position is weakening, leaving him vulnerable to his enemies. Having restored Henry's former alliance with the French King Francis, Wolsey attempts to convene a conclave of the Cardinals in France, beyond the reach of Emperor Charles' influence, to decide on the matter. But the Cardinals refuse to come- on orders from the Pope, who remains the Emperor's captive. In return for securing his return to court and reconciliation with the King, Charles Brandon makes a reluctant alliance with the Duke of Norfolk and the Boleyn family.

William Compton dies of the "sweating sickness" at Compton Wynates, his house in Warwickshire. As King Henry VIII receives positive news of his war against Emperor Charles, the sickness spreads like a wildfire. Henry flees the palace and London, and starts having doubts about the future and his ability to rule the country. Both Anne Boleyn and Cardinal Wolsey are stricken with the disease, but recover. Wolsey sends agents to the exiled Pope asking for him to make a favorable decision on Henry's 'Great Matter' but Clement instead sends his legate, Cardinal Campeggio, to make a final decision in England.

The Pope's legate Cardinal Lorenzo Campeggio arrives to hear the case for King Henry VIII's divorce from Katherine of Aragon. Cardinal Wolsey intimidates Campeggio: "Let me make certain things plain to you. If you do not grant the King his divorce, papal authority in England will be annihilated!" Wolsey has assured Henry that the divorce will be granted, but the Pope and Campeggio are not so easily swayed. A desperate Wolsey begs Queen Katherine to abdicate the marriage, but she ultimately refuses. Wolsey's enemies circle; Anne Boleyn plants more doubt in Henry's mind about Wolsey, who soon threatens Campeggio both physically and politically. A Legatine Court convenes at Blackfriar's Church, and both Henry and Katherine plead their cases.

The legatine trial on the legitimacy of King Henry's marriage to Katherine continues despite the queen's refusal to attend, but the papal envoy receives notice to return to Rome and place the evidence to the judgement of the Curia. The Pope procrastinates and Henry, goaded by the conspirators Thomas Boleyn, the Duke of Norfolk and Charles Brandon, strips Wolsey of his temporal power and properties, bans him from court and instructs him to resume his now sole role as Archbishop of York. Thomas More reluctantly succeeds Wolsey as Chancellor of the realm. Anne Boleyn, encouraged by her ally Thomas Cromwell (the King's secretary), subtly and opportunely asks the king to reacquaint himself with the subject of Lutheranism. Margaret Tudor dies of tuberculosis, and her widower Charles Brandon shows repentance for his infidelity at her deathbed.

Wolsey, now acting solely as the Archbishop of York and living in relative poverty, is repudiated by Anne Boleyn and writes to Queen Katherine instead, trying to gain her support. Thomas More uses his new powers as Chancellor and starts actively persecuting prominent Lutherans- including burning six of them at the stake, to the anger of Thomas Cromwell. King Henry finds his new Privy Counsellors less proficient than Wolsey was in running the country; he threatens to reinstate the Cardinal, spurring Norfolk and Suffolk to find a way to 'end' Wolsey. Henry has also found elements much to his liking in the teachings of Luther, and dispatches Cromwell to canvass various faculties of theology, hopefully to obtain favourable opinions regarding his intended divorce. Wolsey's secret communication with the Queen is uncovered by Cromwell, and he is arrested by Charles Brandon and charged with high treason. His fall from grace now complete, Wolsey laments his decadent lifestyle and commits suicide in a jail cell en route to London. Anne Boleyn engages Henry in a sexual encounter, but forces him to perform coitus interruptus after which a furious Henry storms off.

As he seeks the annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, King Henry VIII seeks to appoint himself the head of the Church of England. Anne Boleyn insists that Henry remove Queen Catherine from the picture – and Court. The new Pope Paul III, not wanting to displease either the king or the Emperor, practically suggests that Anne Boleyn be assassinated instead. Lutheran clergyman Thomas Cranmer, newly arrived at Court, receives a promotion as the king's chaplain at the behest of Cromwell and the Boleyns. Thomas and George Boleyn bribe a cook to poison the food of Catherine's strongest supporter, Bishop of Rochester John Fisher; however, the bishop survives and the cook is boiled alive. King Henry banishes the Queen from court. At the end of this episode the Spanish ambassador, Eustace Chapuys, is seen discussing the assassination of Anne with an unknown, hooded man.

As the Catholic Church struggles in vain to control Henry VIII's demands for an annulment, the King appoints himself head of the Church of England; initial protests are stifled when Archbishop of Canterbury William Warham officially submits the Clergy to Henry. When Anne Boleyn insists Henry break all contacts with Catherine, the Queen is banished from court. The Reformation has begun; depressed by his failure to prevent it, Sir Thomas More resigns as Henry's Chancellor. Charles Brandon's growing hatred for the Boleyns – and his mistrust of Cromwell – causes him to abandon his alliance with them, losing him the King's favor again. Anne is created Marquess of Pembroke before she and Henry visit France to present Anne as the future Queen of England and Henry's future wife. After talks between both Henry and Anne with the French King to secure his support, in their chamber, Anne finally submits sexually to Henry, asking him to help her conceive the son and heir they both want, narrowly avoiding another encounter with the Imperial-hired assassin.

Henry destroys all ties with authority and the past. After many failed attempts to have his marriage to Catherine annulled by the Catholic Church, Henry runs out of patience and marries a pregnant Anne Boleyn in secret. He appoints the young Lutheran Thomas Cranmer to succeed the deceased William Warham as Archbishop of Canterbury and strips Queen Catherine of her title and status, along with Princess Mary; they are hence to be known as the Princess Dowager of Wales and the Lady Mary, respectively. As Sir Thomas More has resigned as Chancellor, Henry hands the position to the pro-Lutheran Thomas Cromwell. Anne Boleyn is crowned Queen of England to a small and uneager crowd and escapes an assassination attempt. Pope Paul III threatens to excommunicate the king and the church of England from the Roman Catholic Church if Henry does not return to Catherine, but Henry tears the papal edict in half. Henry is also disappointed when Anne Boleyn gives birth to a daughter, Elizabeth, instead of his desired son, and soon resumes his philandering with ladies of the court despite assuring Anne they will still have a son.

Questions of faith dominate the court. As the infant Princess Elizabeth is baptised, Thomas Cromwell unveils the 'Act of Succession', declaring that only children of Henry and Anne are legitimate successors to the English throne. A law is passed where every royal subject must take an oath, on pain of death, recognising the validity of the King's new marriage and the supremacy of Henry VIII in all matters. Although Charles Brandon reluctantly does so – thus restoring him to the King's favor again – Bishop Fisher and Sir Thomas More refuse and are imprisoned in the Tower. Catherine of Aragon lives now in total seclusion, and Lady Mary is sent to be a maid to the baby Princess Elizabeth, her half-sister. Anne soon discovers the identity of the King's new mistress and secretly has her brother George banish her. Pregnant again to Henry's delight, Anne, at her father's prompting, tacitly approves of the king's infidelity while she is with child, albeit those of her own choosing and posing no political threat to her.

Attempts to legitimise the King's marriage and increase his power hit firm obstacles as Sir Thomas More and Cardinal Fisher insist that only Christ can be the head of the church, but both of them are now arrested. Meanwhile Henry's wandering eye continues to roam. Queen Anne Boleyn unexpectedly miscarries her child and fears that the king has lost his love for her. Anne also fears the Lady Mary and Catherine of Aragon for she feels that Henry may still designate Mary as Heir over her own beloved daughter, Elizabeth. Also, Anne's relationship with her older sister, Mary Boleyn, deteriorates when Mary marries a commoner in secret and becomes pregnant with his child without asking her permission; Anne has the pair banished from court when pressured by her father Thomas Boleyn. Imprisoned in the Tower, Cardinal Fisher and Sir Thomas More face likely execution unless they take the Oath of Allegiance, which Cromwell encourages them to do. Both still refuse, even after More received pleas from his family, and both are found guilty of high treason, and are beheaded despite Henry's indecisiveness on Thomas More. Meanwhile, Catherine of Aragon's health begins to fail.

As the Reformation gathers pace, Sir Thomas Cromwell becomes ever more powerful as propagandist-in-chief of a new moral order. Royal confidence has given way to doubt. Henry is haunted by the memory of the executed Thomas More, while Queen Anne Boleyn's insecurities border on paranoia. Her husband's affairs continue and an effort to have her daughter Elizabeth betrothed to a French prince fails when the French King refuses to recognize the infant Princess's legitimacy; Anne's interference with policies both foreign and domestic also anger the King, as he expected her to play a more submissive role after receiving her crown. As a result of this debacle, deep fractures begin to appear in Henry and Anne's marriage. Meanwhile Charles Brandon feels remorse for being unfaithful to his wife, but resumes his friendship with the King.

As Thomas Cromwell's increasingly ruthless 'reforms' spread terror through an ever more vulnerable Catholic Church, Anne Boleyn has nightmares that her position at the King's side is under threat from the continued existence of former Queen Catherine and her daughter Mary. Catherine's death removes much of the perceived illegitimacy of Anne's position, and a passionate sexual encounter with Henry seems to heal the rift with her husband. However, she is still far from secure, and her quarrels with her former ally Cromwell alarm her father and brother. Meanwhile Henry is occupied by the sad news of Catherine's death and later has a happy encounter with Lady Jane Seymour. Anne Boleyn announces to her father that she is pregnant with a son.

At Henry's command Jane Seymour is made a lady-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn, much to the discomfort and suspicion of the Queen. Emperor Charles indicates through Chapuys his interest in renewing relations with England. However Charles insists on legitimizing Lady Mary as Henry's heir as his condition, something Cromwell knows Anne will oppose. When Henry is seriously injured in a jousting match all thoughts turn to who might succeed him. After he recovers, Anne finds Henry kissing with Jane, and her shock, anger and grief leads to another miscarriage- of a son. Infuriated by yet another failed pregnancy, the episode closes with Henry declaring to Cromwell that his marriage with Anne is null and void, saying he was 'bewitched' into marrying her.

Anne has lost her son, and with him her last chance at a lasting marriage with Henry. The King's affections are shifting anyway: the Seymour family are awarded new and more luxurious rooms at court and soon replace the Boleyns as the new royal favourites. Anne's behavior becomes more erratic as she is browbeaten by her family to help regain favor at any cost. Several members of the court, including Charles Brandon, begin to move against her, accusing her of adultery and witchcraft. Arrests are made of suspected lovers, and eventually of Anne herself. Cromwell leads the interrogations, torturing some of the scapegoats to force a false confession. All of the accused (apart from Thomas Wyatt), including the Queen, are sentenced to death. Four of Anne's supposed lovers, including her trusted friend Mark Smeaton and her beloved brother George are executed at the Tower while a grief-stricken Anne awaits her own fate.

As Anne Boleyn awaits her death, which is painfully delayed by the executioner's late arrival, Henry visits Jane Seymour and asks for her hand in marriage. Declaring his marriage to Anne null and void means that their daughter Elizabeth becomes illegitimate and is no longer in line to the throne, clearing the way for a legitimate heir to come from his marriage with Jane; meanwhile, Lady Mary, delighted at Anne's fall, hopes she will soon be reconciled with her father. George Boleyn and the other men that are supposedly Anne's lovers have been put to death, while Earl Thomas Boleyn is expelled from court in permanent disgrace. Archbishop Thomas Cranmer is still Anne's loyal ally, but he can do nothing for her except protect her daughter and take her final confession, in which she firmly maintains that she was never unfaithful to Henry. Despite the roles they played in bringing Anne and her family down, both Charles Brandon and Cromwell show some remorse, feeling that death is too harsh a punishment for her. The season ends as Anne loses her head, going to her death with great dignity and surprising sympathy from the onlookers and the executioner. Henry, on the other hand, breakfasts in splendor on a swan and looks forward to his oncoming third marriage, completely indifferent to the death of his second queen.

Days after Anne Boleyn's execution, Henry VIII weds a third time, to shy, demure noblewoman Jane Seymour – a union that he and his advisers pray will result in a male heir; Henry appears to an apparently pleased court, but secretly Thomas Cromwell and Lord Rich worry for their plans for a reformation. Lady Ursula Misseldon arrives at court to wait upon the new queen, and is soon mistress to Sir Francis Bryan. Lady Mary is threatened with death unless she submits to her father's authority and, under guidance from the Spanish ambassador, reluctantly complies. A number of Catholics, once-loyal subjects, rebel in objection to Henry's crusade against Catholicism and the dissolution of the monasteries, shaking Cromwell's new-found confidence, and enraging Henry.

The rebellion now known as the "Pilgrimage of Grace" begins in earnest, with Henry dispatching Brandon to deal with the uprising; bedridden due to the recurrence of his jousting injury, Henry takes a new mistress: Lady Ursula Misseldon.

Queen Jane and Lady Mary bring the toddler Lady Elizabeth to court, and Henry reconciles with her at the Christmas holiday. He also makes promises of pardons and redress of grievances to the leaders of the Pilgrimage of Grace, while making plans to bring them to heel for their insurrection, then using a further uprising as an excuse to have Charles Brandon put the leaders to death.

The leaders of the Pilgrimage of Grace uprising are put to death, but Brandon is haunted by the cruelty and mercilessness of the suppression and his part in it; Henry celebrates the birth of a son but his joy is short-lived as Queen Jane dies within days.

Henry remains in seclusion while mourning the queen's death, an opportunity that enemies of the crown seize to murder several friends of the court; Cromwell is disturbed when Henry does not resist his new church's similarities to Catholicism. Meanwhile Henry ends his depression by having sex with Ursula one more time before she returns to her hometown.

Matchmaking begins in earnest as Cromwell schemes to secure the Reformation by marrying Henry to a Protestant wife – but the king's marital reputation precedes him; the condition of Henry's wounded leg turns life-threatening.

War looms with France and Spain aligning against England with backing from Rome, so Henry agrees to a politically fortuitous marriage with Anne of Cleves, a plain and unsophisticated German aristocrat he has never met.

Henry moves swiftly to annul his loveless marriage to Anne of Cleves, and beds a new mistress, 17-year-old Princess Mary falls in love with Duke Philip of Bavaria in spite of their religions, only to be heartbroken when he is sent away from court; Cromwell's fall from favour is sudden and dramatic. The season ends with Cromwell's beheading.

King Henry VIII marries his fifth queen, a lusty teenager whose beauty and checkered past inflame the passions of a trusted courtier, Thomas Culpepper.

Henry's age catches up to him during Christmas celebrations, but his youthful and randy court continues the party without him; the arrogant Lord Surrey takes aim at the powerful Seymour clan.

A noticeably more benevolent and tolerant Henry VIII forgives the citizens of the North for their rebellion against him, but the youthful wife he dotes upon launches a passionate affair with Culpepper.

The king's warm welcome in the North reinvigorates him but his queen's past catches up to her when a former lover appears with threats of blackmail, and an anonymous letter exposes her infidelities to Henry.

The king is devastated to learn of his beloved queen's ribald past and present affairs, and banishes her from court, even as the investigation rounds up and tortures suspects.

The newly single Henry surprises his countrymen by restoring his daughters to the royal succession, forging an unexpected political alliance, and manipulating events to marry an attractive, mature, and recent widow.

War looms with France as Henry marries Catherine Parr, who proves to be an able and respected queen and stepmother, finally giving England's king the stable, happy household he has long desired.

The war with France is nearly lost when one of Henry's officers cleverly engineers a sudden victory, but the triumphant king's health has been weakened by the costly adventure; Brandon returns from France with a mistress.

Powerful accusations of heresy are made against the queen but the ailing Henry has little interest; a chastened Lord Surrey faces the ultimate penalty for losing 600 men in an ill-advised action that nearly reignites war with France.

Henry defeats one final political foe but faces his mortality after the deaths of both his best friend Charles Brandon and King Francis of France, and the ghosts of his former queens appear for a final confrontation.