Ive’s, in TLDAB, pgs 81-82, states that Anne Zouche (nee, Gainsford) told George Wyatt the story of how Thomas took from Anne a jewel hanging from a lace out of her pocket. He kept the jewel and would not return it to Anne. Wyatt wore it around his neck promising either to have it with her favor or as an occasion to talk with her. Anne did not make a fuss over it, either because it wasn’t worth that much, or it wasn’t worth ‘striving for.’

After this happened Zouche tells G. Wyatt the story of the game of bowls. Ive’s says ‘Henry claimed that his wood held shot, which it clearly did not.’ (whatever that means!) Henry pointed to a ring on his finger that belonged to Anne and supposedly said, “Wyatt, I tell thee it is mine.” ‘Finding the king bent for pleasure,’ Wyatt pulled out the ribbon with the jewel attached saying, “If it may like your majesty to give me leave to measure it, I hope it will be mine.” Henry’s good mood vanished and he stalked off the field to see Anne. She explained how Thomas had taken the jewel, and here Ives says, ‘Sunshine was restored.’

Ive’s doesn’t know how exact this story is. When Zouche told the story to Wyatt, she was in her eighties. When Wyatt wrote about this, it was ten or twenty years later. ( around 1590)

I’ve heard several variations on the jewel and bowls story but I’ve never been totally sure how much credence to give it. It’s certainly popular with historical novelists; I think the first time I read it in a novel was in a Jean Plaidy book.