Following on from Eliza’s wonderful article giving voices to Henry VIII’s six wives, Anne Boleyn Files visitor Ashley Currier has written this excellent creative piece giving voices to the children of Henry VIII. Thanks Ashley!
Mary the Forgotten Princess
God, why are you letting me suffer like this? What have I done to deserve this? His majesty, the king, my father, has banished me! I am separated from him, but most of all I am separated from my mother, the rightful Queen of England. The witch, Anne Boleyn, has bewitched my father, and she has taken my mother’s place as his Queen.
My father wanted, needed sons and I the only child of his lawful union to my mother; I am not a boy but a girl. Because of this my father wants his marriage to my mother declared invalid and proclaim me a bastard. He wants to be rid of my mother so he can marry the witch who he hopes will give him sons.
But my mother will not yield to my father’s demands and neither will I ever do so. I am my mother’s daughter, I am King Henry’s true and only daughter, his only legitimate heiress and one day I will fulfill my destiny, for I am not a bastard but a princess and future Queen of England.
Elizabeth, Prisoner
I am a prisoner, a prisoner in the Tower of London. The Queen, my sister Mary, has locked me in the Tower as a traitor. She declares me a traitor who is plotting for her throne, her crown but I am not a traitor; I am innocent. I never plotted against her. I was never involved with Wyatt or his rebellion, but my sister will not listen to my, pleas and I know she wants me dead.
Her majesty hates me because I am Anne Boleyn’s daughter and she will never let me forget it. I know she hates my mother, and I know she hates me as well for being her daughter, but what can I do? What can I do to make my sister see that I am not at fault for what my mother did to her mother. God help me, what can I do? More than anything, I wish only to be free to prove my innocence to her majesty to show her that I am a true, loving and obedient sister and subject and to show that I never rebelled against her, nor would I ever rebel against her.
God, will I be forced to suffer the same fate as my mother? Will I go to the block as an innocent traitor? God, I only ask you, to give me strength to stand against my enemies to prove to my sister that I am innocent of all charges and if it will be your wish, to one day become Queen.
Edward the king
I am a prince, a prince of England the heir to the throne. I am more important than my elder sisters, the Lady Mary and the Lady Elizabeth. Not only am I a prince, but a motherless prince, for all I have left in the world is my father, the king. I am the eldest of his children, but the only son and as the only son when God calls for my father, then I will be king. Which I pray will not be for many years for I am only nine years of age. Even though I am many years younger than my sisters, I truly love them both, especially Elizabeth for she is only four years older than me; she and I both share the same religious views, but as for Mary, she is a Catholic. When I become king, England will become a Protestant country and I know that will upset her deeply.
Wait, my uncle Edward Seymour, just came in the room with my sister Elizabeth and has told us our father the king is dead. Dead! When I last saw him he was ill, but I didn’t know he was that sick; uncle told us that he died on the 28th of January. Now that our father is dead, my sister and I are orphans and I am king. After uncle told us about our father I fell into my sister’s arms and we both cried ours hearts out, but after a while she let me go and I made my way to the empty throne. As I turned the entire company including my sister and uncle, I found were kneeling before me and I was proclaimed as King Edward VI. This is my time, my reign and I will become a great king as my father. I, Edward Tudor son of King Henry VIII, and Jane Seymour, am now king and I am ready.
Advent Calendar
Don’t forget to click on today’s window on the advent calendar, see Anne Boleyn Advent Calendar
P.S. Eliza’s article on the six wives can be found at The Six Wives by Eliza Nastou
