Chapter 631 Public Events
By 6 a.m., dozens of richly dressed nobles, ministers and their wives had gathered in the arc of Knotta in front of the main entrance of Hampton Court Palace, as well as Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, and his two chaplains. When the Duke of Richmond and his valet greeted the archbishop, the rest of the nobles, ministers, and their wives greeted him with smiles and began to talk warmly.
Isabelle Walton stood with Lady of Surrey, Frances Howard, and struck up a conversation with several of Her Majesty's female relatives and several noblewomen. Sometimes dignified and reserved, sometimes talking to each other or whispering. The occasional burst of eye-catching female laughter from among these ladies and ladies attracted a burst of admiration or affection from some nobles not far from them.
While the aristocratic women were still talking, Isabel subconsciously felt that someone seemed to be watching her not far away. Turning her head quietly, she realized that the person who was looking at her was none other than William Parr, Earl of Essex, and his wife, who had invited her to the wedding ceremony of Her Majesty the Queen.
As the younger brother of Her Majesty the new Queen, Catherine Parr, William Parr, a high-ranking nobleman, undoubtedly became the focus of attention in the eyes of the nobles and ministers present. Of course, there are reasons related to property and politics that the nobles and ministers are willing to take the initiative to make friends with him and establish certain contacts.
As the power and wealth of Henry VIII and his Tudor royal family continued to increase under the monarchy, the nobles and knights in the upper class had to insist on seeking more land, positions and expenses from the king and the royal family if they wanted to maintain their local status and improve their social and political status.
In order to obtain the king's rewards and the benefits of royal office, ordinary court ministers also have to spend considerable time, money and manpower to maintain contact with the king and the intermediaries who have the power in the court, and actively participate in state celebrations and royal family life ceremonies. Therefore, direct contact with the king and those around him was the key to success, and being allowed to enter the court and participate in public events was a sign of social and political prestige.
Driven by these demands, William Parr and his recognized illegitimate son, the Duke of Richmond, gathered around a number of nobles and court ministers. When Isabel noticed William's gaze towards her, William was anxious to get rid of the compliments they had on him, his family, the queen's sister, and his wife.
At this moment, a procession of nobles appeared on the passage northwest of the main entrance of the palace, and the light cavalry spears in the hands of the two flag guards in front of the team were respectively hung with swallowtail spear flags embroidered with two different coat of arms. One coat of arms is the noble coat of arms of the Duke III of Norfolk, and the other is the noble coat of arms of the Duke of Richmond and Somerset I.
The sound of horses' hooves getting closer and closer attracted the attention of many nobles, knights, and ministers. The ladies who had spoken to Isabel and Lady Surrey also turned their heads to the approaching procession. Mrs. Surrey craned her neck to look at it, then turned to Isabel and said, "Mary Fitzroy, wife of the Duke of Richmond, has arrived." ”
Isabel glanced curiously in the direction of the carriage and whispered in Lady Surrey's ear, "The Duchess has come from the domain of her father, the Duke of Norfolk?" ”
"Yes, today is the day of His Majesty's marriage ceremony with Catherine Parr, and she must be present as the wife of the Duke of Richmond."
"I think for the Duchess, this wedding is the last thing she wants to attend is a royal family event."
"Good day, Isabel." As soon as Isabel finished speaking, she heard the words of the Earl of Essex reach her ears. When she looked back, she saw the young Count standing in front of her, looking at her with a smile.
Isabel politely bowed and returned the salute reservedly, "Good day, Lord Essex." ”
The conversation between the two immediately attracted the attention of the other ladies present, and when all the ladies saluted William, Lady Surrey looked at Isabelle's expression, and then at William's expression. Smiling lightly, he looked at William politely, "Your Excellency, I think you should come with your wife." ”
William Parr did not agree or refuse, but only nodded slightly to Mrs. Surrey, "Madame's words are wise. However, I am speaking to Miss Isabel as an old colleague. ”
William's words revealed that he did not want his wife to have contact with Isabel, or even let her know that she had spent some time with Isabel in the past. In this regard, Isabel saw it very clearly, and only smiled faintly, "Your Excellency, today is the day of Your Majesty's wedding, and it is not suitable to talk about what happened in the north before. ”
"yes, I know."
"Your Excellency, Your Majesty's wedding ceremony is about to begin. Therefore, I think we should still be ready to welcome His Majesty and Her Majesty the Queen in the palace. ”
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Towards 7 o'clock, Henry VIII and his last queen arrived outside Hampton Court Palace in a lavish royal carriage led by a large number of royal attendants on horseback.
When Henry VIII and Her Majesty Queen Catherine, dressed in crimson velvet tunics, leggings and socks embroidered with brocade gold, pearls and precious stones, and Tudor hoods adorned with eight large rubies and set with gold, diamonds and pearls, entered the "Whitehall" in the third courtyard of Hampton Court Palace, they were immediately greeted by the nobles, ladies and court ministers on both sides of the passage
The "Whitehall" of Hampton Court Palace was completed in 1529. At that time, Henry VIII wanted to expand Hampton Court Palace, so he ordered the construction of a hall that could accommodate more than 1,000 nobles and servants to dine in one place, Whitehall. The hall is considered to be the most beautiful in England for its size, intricate oak relief ceiling and extensive ornamentation, surpassing even Westminster Hall and Oxfordshire Jesus Christ Cathedral.
At 8 o'clock, under the auspices of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the aged Henry VIII finally married Catherine Parr, who served in the court, as his sixth wife. This was followed by the coronation of Catherine Parr. At this point, Catherine Parr became the queen of England and Ireland.
After the ceremony, the nobles, ladies and court ministers attending the wedding of Henry VIII were allowed to stay in the "White Hall" to have lunch with His Majesty the King and the new Queen. And the program after the lunch banquet is naturally the most grand and gorgeous court ball.