Jean Plaidy - To Hold the Crown: The Story of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York

On that day four mastiffs were set against him. Never had the dogs beaten Rex, but they did that day. Young Henry loved the dogs and they put up a magnificent fight against old Rex. They were battered and wounded . . . but the dogs won in the end and it was Rex who lay dying in the center of the arena.

Young Henry’s impulse had been to shout with excitement but he had caught the stern looks of his father, and his mother, who sat beside the King, was watching Henry and her look begged him to restrain his high spirits. Then he realized that the King saw something significant in this episode. The King had been set on and killed. Poor Rex was king of the animals no more.

It was a symbol. These mere dogs had set on the king of the beasts and killed him. Rex was the King. Henry saw it clearly when John Skelton pointed it out to him.

The King had left the arena in silence. People had thought it was because he had loved his lion. But it was more than that. Before sunset those four victorious mastiffs were brought out from the kennels and hanged on gibbets in the arena. Their bodies dangled there for two days so that all might see them.

It was a symbol and a warning to all would-be traitors. The mastiffs had killed the king of the beasts. Therefore they were traitors.

Henry was a little bewildered. He talked over it with Skelton.

“But it wasn’t the fault of the dogs. They were put in the arena to fight Rex,” he pointed out.

Skelton said: “One does not have to be at fault to be hanged as a traitor.”

“Then how can they help it?”

“They cannot. Young Warwick couldn’t help it, could he? He was born to what he was . . . so he was a potential traitor if another should take over the throne.”

“Warwick wanted to take my father’s place,” said Henry.

Skelton bowed low. “Ah, the noble Tudors. Bless me, I had forgot. They have a right to the throne. The rank of Lancaster! Of course. Of course. York must stand aside for the Tudors.”

Henry laughed as he often did at Skelton. But he would not repeat quite a lot of what Skelton said because he knew that if he did he would his lose his tutor and who knew—his tutor might lose his head. But he did know, through Skelton’s innuendos, that his father was very much afraid that someone would rise up and take the throne from him.

There was another occasion when the King had one of his best falcons killed. This amazed young Henry. He loved his own falcons and he could not understand why the very best one of all should be destroyed.

The falcon had matched itself with an eagle, he was told. And it had bettered the eagle. All knew that the eagle was the king of the birds as the lion was the king of the beasts.

The King had said: “It is not meet for any subject to offer such wrong to his lord and superior.”

Henry was bewildered. He came to Skelton for explanation.

“It’s a parable, my lord. Your noble father is fond of parables. That is because he sees himself as our god. He wishes it to be remembered that he will brook no traitors. Any who threaten his throne will go the way of the mastiffs and the falcon. Poor innocent creatures who must be so sadly used in order that the King’s human subjects be provided with a lesson.”

“I would never destroy my best falcon,” said Henry.

“Let us hope, dear lord, that if you should attain the throne you would never find it necessary to teach us all such a lesson.”

“I should just wait until I had real traitors and then cut off their heads.”

“Ah, if my Prince ever came to the throne then the heads would begin to roll, would they?”

“Traitors’ heads would.”

“And traitors would be any who opposed my lord’s will. Ah, but such talk is treason . . . to our lord the King and to the Prince of Wales. I must take care or I shall find myself hanging beside the mastiffs.”

“I would prevent that, good Skelton,” said Henry.

Skelton laughed and coming close to Henry whispered in his ear: “Ah, but my lord Prince, you are not the King . . . yet.”

“You say yet . . . good Skelton as though . . . as though . . .”

Skelton laughed. “Life is full of chances,” he said. “You are at the moment second in line. . . .”

“Skelton, have you been seeing the soothsayers and wise men?”

Skelton shook his head. “The wisdom comes from inside this head, my lord. And it tells me that . . . there is a chance . . . Of course when our Prince of Wales has sons . . . then, my lord of York, your chances fade with the birth of each one.”

“Arthur is not very strong. Do you think he will be able to do that which is necessary to get children.”

Skelton looked slyly at his pupil. “There is only one, my lord, who can answer that question.”

“Who? Where is he? Find him . . .”

“I do not have to. He is here with us now.”

“Whisper his name.”

Skelton put his lips to the ear of the Prince and said: “Father Time.”

Henry was irritated and slunk away in a temper, cross even with Skelton.

Now he looked from the windows—a dull and misty October day. He liked the spring—the lovely season when the world refreshed from the winter started to burgeon again. The spring, the hot summer . . . journeys into the country to be cheered by the people, to let them see what a fine son their King had got for them. “Alas,” he imagined them saying. “He should have been the firstborn.”

He ran an impatient finger along the ledge of the window seat. It was decorated with roses. Tudor roses they called them. It was roses everywhere. Red roses the most prominent of course because the red rose of Lancaster was slightly superior to the white rose of York. They were entwined now; and he liked to remember the white rose. His glorious grandfather had proudly worn it. He was the one who impressed Henry—not the obscure Tudors. In the gardens some of the roses lingered on as though loath to go. In the summer they made a colorful display. He liked to run across the grass past the statues to the end of the garden where that building, which was called The Houses of Pleasure, was situated.

There it was possible to play games at which he was beginning to excel. He had real mastery at tennis and he loved the game. Arthur would never play with him. But he played with others and he almost invariably won. Sometimes he wondered whether they allowed him to because he could be rather angry if they didn’t. He never said so but he tried not to play with the winner again. Skelton noticed—Skelton noticed everything.

“It is all very well to hate to be beaten. Natural, right and proper but to show you hate it . . . now that is quite another matter.”

There were times when he wished Skelton were not so perceptive. Sometimes they played chess together.

“Now, my lord Duke,” Skelton had once said, “how is your mood this day? May I beat you? Or would your temper not stand it?”

“Skelton you rogue,” he said, “the better man will win.”

“Oh that is how you wish it, is it? Very well. I just wished to know whether I was to consider my lord Duke’s skill or his temper.”

He saw too much, knew too much. There were times when he felt he would have rid himself of the man if he could. But he knew he never would. Skelton was too clever, too entertaining.

He would like to play a game of tennis and he was in no mood to be beaten, so he selected one of his squires who had not the skill to beat him even if he did not know it was impolitic to do so.

“Come,” he said. “I would to the tennis court. We can get a game before it is dark.”

So they went and while they were playing a barge drew up at the river bank. Henry dropped his racquet and ran to see what this meant.

“What news?” he cried. “What news?”

“I must see the King,” said the messenger.

“I am the Duke of York,” said Henry.

“My lord.” The man bowed. “I must see the King with all speed.”

Henry was sullen. His squire was watching. He had thought the messenger would be so impressed by meeting the son of the King that he would immediately tell his business. But it was not so.

One of the King’s attendants had seen the messenger approaching and came hurrying out.

“I have news for the King,” said the messenger.

“Come this way.”

Henry followed. The King, aware of the arrival of the messenger, was already in the hall. The man approached him and fell on to his knees.

“Your Grace. The Infanta of Spain is in England. She has arrived at Plymouth.”

“Good news! Good news!” said the King. “We must thank God for her safe arrival.”

He noticed his son standing there but gave him no greeting.

Then he said: “I will go to tell the Queen this good news.” And to the messenger: “Go to the kitchens where you will be refreshed.”

Henry looked after his father as he left the hall.

He felt angry and frustrated. Arthur would be summoned. This was his bride.

Oh why did I have to be the second son? he thought, with more bitterness than usual. He wanted a bride. He wanted a marriage. It was true he was only ten—but he was so advanced for his age.

It was maddening, frustrating. He would have suited the occasion so much better than pallid Arthur.

He was excited when a short while after he was summoned to his father’s apartment.

When he arrived his mother was already there.

He went forward and bowed as he had been taught to do. He noticed his mother’s eyes on him with a certain pride and satisfaction which pleased him.

“Henry,” said the King, “there are going to be some splendid celebrations. This marriage with Spain is very dear to my heart and to that of your mother.”

The Queen nodded in agreement. She would always agree with her husband.

“Your brother Arthur is a very fortunate young man,” said the King.

Henry smiled almost imperceptibly. Arthur was in Wales and Henry wondered how he would receive the news of his good fortune. He was now fifteen, pale and more like his father than his mother; he was gentle, hated great ceremonies in which he had to play a part, and he would be very apprehensive about those which would inevitably be the result of his “good fortune.”

“The Infanta is on our shores. There can be no hitch now. The marriage will most certainly take place and when it does we shall have a powerful ally. This is a happy time for us all.”

“Henry will have his part to play,” said the Queen, smiling at him.

The color rose to Henry’s cheeks touching the normal healthy pink to rosy red—the color of a Lancaster rose. His eyes sparkled. He was going to enjoy these celebrations if he could forget that they were for Arthur’s wedding, for Arthur’s bride, and that Arthur would be at the center of them.

“And,” went on the Queen, still smiling, “I am sure he will play it well.”

“What must I do?” asked Henry eagerly.

“I have decided that you shall bring the Infanta into London. You shall be her escort companion when she enters the capital.”

“Oh thank you, my lord.”

“You are pleased?” said the King.

“Oh yes, indeed I am. I would I could do more.”

“That will be enough,” said his father. He was trying not to compare the boy with Arthur. Henry was tall for his age and he had bulk too. His skin was glowing with health; he was vigorous and excelled at games, archery, horsemanship; and Skelton said he was good with his books too. He should have been the firstborn, of course. But they had Arthur. The King was fond of his eldest son in a way which he had not believed he could be fond of anyone. Arthur was so vulnerable. In Arthur he saw something of himself. Long ago Henry had dreamed of kingship. In his Welsh stronghold his uncle Jasper had primed him, and the thought had been constantly with him in exile: “One day you will be King.” It had seemed the ultimate goal, the end of the road. Now it was here he was tortured by anxieties, not knowing from one day to the next when some Pretender would arise to claim the crown on which he seemed to have such a light hold. Arthur was uneasy too. Prince of Wales . . . accepted successor . . . and the longer Henry remained on the throne the more firm his seat would be. But he could see that Arthur was afraid of the future, even as he was. Arthur did not want this grand marriage; he did not want the crown.

Had it been young Henry, how different it would have been.

“Very well my son,” said the King, “you must prepare yourself for this duty. You will have to ride through the streets of London with the Infanta. I know you can manage your horse as well as our best knights. But it will be more than that. You will have to treat her with the utmost courtesy. Remember she is a Princess of Spain and she will be one day Queen of England. Now you will show her the utmost respect. I do not know yet how you conduct yourself with the ladies.”

“I am very gallant with them, my lord.”

The Queen’s lips curved in a smile but the King regarded his son sternly.

“You have a good opinion of yourself, Henry.”

“One must have, my lord, for if one has not a good opinion of oneself who else would have one?”

That was pure Skelton. It amused the Queen but the King showed no sign of mirth.

“A little more than gallantry will be required,” said the King. “I will have you taught what you should do. The Infanta has to come from Plymouth. That is a long way off so you will have plenty of time to learn how to conduct yourself. Now you may go. We have matters to discuss which do not require your presence.”

He left a little dispirited in spite of the prospect ahead.

He went to the nurseries. His sisters Margaret and Mary were there. Margaret was drawing and Mary, watching her, was saying it was beautiful and Margaret was very clever.

Mary was so young and naively admired her brother and sister so much because they could do things which she could not.

Margaret said: “Have you seen the messenger?”

“I have been with our father,” replied Henry grandly.

“Oh Henry . . . have you really!” cried Mary. “What did you talk about?”

“This coming marriage,” said Henry importantly. “The Infanta is at Plymouth. She will have to be met and brought to London. I suppose I shall have to lead her into the city.”

“A little boy of ten!” cried Margaret.

“I tell you I am going to do it. I have just told our father that I will.”

“She is grown up. She is sixteen . . . even older than Arthur. You will look such a baby beside her.”

There were times when he would have liked to strike Margaret. There would be terrible trouble if he did. It would be quite against the rules of chivalry. They might even prevent him from taking part in the wedding celebrations, so he kept his temper, which was not easy.

“I shall look what I am—a Prince of England,” he said.

“Well I think you will look very silly,” said Margaret.

“I think you will look nice,” murmured Mary who always took his side when she was there.

“I shall look just as a Prince should look and the Infanta will wish that I was the one she is to marry.”

That made Margaret laugh still louder. “You marry. . . . That won’t be for years. I am to be married soon.”