The Concubine III

Emma supports Anne when she goes back to court, and then realises that Anne is actually planning to become the kings wife, not his mistress. SHe is pleased because it may well mean that the Church in England will become Protestant and the foreign Catholic queen will be put aside. She continues to encourage Anne to support the Protestant cause. Anne becomes depressed that the divorce from Katherine is taking so long and that Henry seems unwilling to take the step of breaking with the Catholic church. She almost leaves him. Emma persuades her to stay. Eventually Henry gives Anne a title, Marquise of Pembroke, and takes her to France to meet the French King. They become lovers and Henry is disappointed. After all the years of waiting and expecting ecstasy, he finds that Anne is just another woman who shares his bed. He is frightened by his disillusioned feeling. Then a short while afterwards Anne tells him she is pregnant. His disappointment vanishes. She is going to provide him with a son as he has hoped. He decides to go through a marriage ceremony with her, and they are married. He knows that this will end in a separation from the Roman church but he is willing to accept this and his more Protestant advisers are pleased that the monasteries can be closed and the land will come to the Crown.