Although Isabel had heard some old things from the Duke of Richmond, her curiosity was sparked by Anne. Pouting his lips, he looked at each other curiously: "Why did Your Majesty make such a plan when His Highness was 6 years old?" Anne, what happened in 1525? ”

Anne said a lot and felt a little thirsty, so she took two more sips of wine. Putting down his glass, he stood up and stared out the window at the garden, "1525 is the year in which His Majesty decided that Catherine of Aragon could not bear him a male heir; It was the year of an affair with the lady-in-waiting, Anne Boleyn, who would later become Queen Anne Boleyn; It was the year in which His Majesty resolved to divorce Catherine of Aragon. ”

"I see. His Highness was just 6 years old that year, and His Majesty hoped that His Highness could be appointed heir to the throne. However, His Highness's status ...... It's not legal. ”

His Majesty even suggested that His Highness marry his sister Mary Tudor to ensure that His Highness could inherit the throne. You know, Mary Tudor was the third queen of King Louis XII of France, and the wife of the later Duke I of Suffolk. ”

"What? My God, Your Highness and Mrs. Suffolk are close relatives! ”

"Yes, the marriage of close relatives happened during the time of His Highness's great-grandmother. So, nothing surprising. ”

Isabel stood up and came to Anne's side and said leisurely: "Everything His Majesty has done is to make His Highness the heir to the throne. Unfortunately, this has become the regret of His Majesty's life. ”

Anne Parr nodded softly, "Now, which do you think is more important than a Somerset territory or the whole of the North?" ”

"It seems that this is a kind of compensation from His Majesty the King to His Highness."

The two then turned the conversation to another aspect. At this time, Anne began to work on needlework again, and while doing embroidery, she casually asked the other party, "Isabel, you went to His Highness's new territory in Sussex this time just to accept the manor?" ”

Isabel glanced at the embroidery in the hands of Anne and the maid, and went to the vertical cabinet where the books were placed on one side of the room, and admired with great interest the various books neatly arranged in the vertical cabinet. ”

Anne didn't look up and just whispered, "Well, now you've found a painter you're happy with?" ”

"Not yet. I was thinking that if I found an ordinary painter to paint, I am afraid that I would not be able to satisfy His Highness. Isabel then pulled out a book written in French from the shelves in the stand-up cabinet, "So, this time I am going to the south to find a painter with a high level of painting to paint the manor." ”

"A painter with a high level of painting? Do you want to find a domestic or foreign one? If it were my own country, I would know one. ”

"You know? Well, where is this painter now? Isabel didn't raise her eyes either, just casually flipped through the French books in her hand.

"Do you know a painter from Augsburg in Bavaria, Hans Holbein, Jr., who lives in the city of London?"

As soon as she heard the name, Isabel immediately shifted her gaze from the book to the direction of the lady-in-waiting, "Uh, isn't it the painter who painted the portrait of Queen Anne of His Majesty the King's Cleves?" ”

"yes. Why, do you know him too? ”

"No, I've just heard about the painter painting a portrait of Queen Anne of Cleves."

Anne raised her head and smiled, "You didn't expect that the wise Majesty would be attracted by Little Hans's work, and immediately fell in love with Queen Anne in the portrait." ”

Hans Holbein, a famous exponent of Renaissance painting, devoted his life to portraiture and was full of originality. In 1526, before he moved to London via the Netherlands, he received a letter of recommendation from Erasmus, a prominent humanist thinker and theologian in the Netherlands, to Thomas More. Since then, the famous Bavarian artist has spent the last ten years of his life in London.

By this time, Hans had been living in England for a long time, painting portraits of the royal family and the court as well as becoming a court painter. He painted portraits of Henry VIII and several of his wives, ministers, nobles, and children of nobles, and was criticized by Henry VIII for his portraits of queens for glorifying them.

And because Anne Parr had been in the court for a long time, it was highly likely that she had become acquainted with the most famous portrait painter in the West. To this day, a preserved pencil portrait of Anne Parr is believed to be the work of Hans Holbein the Younger.

"Anne wouldn't want to introduce me to this famous painter, would she?" After a while, Isabel continued to bury her head and look at the French book in her hand, "Anne, don't you think that this little Hans's painting is too flattering to the characters?" ”

Anne glanced at her, "Although His Highness is the highest-ranking nobleman with the title of double duke, the work of little Hans, as a court painter, can satisfy His Highness. ”

Isabel closed the French book, and when she put it back on the shelf, she saw a book written in Latin next to it. Without thinking about it, she jumped over and pulled out an English book, "However, His Highness asks to paint manors and scenes, can this court painter paint them?" ”

"I don't think that's a problem. Did you know Isabel, that the famous Italian painter Titian Vecellio was invited by Pope Paul III and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V to paint many portraits in Rome and Charles's court? ”

Anne thought for a moment and then affirmed: "This is Italy's most talented painter who paints not only portraits, but also landscapes and religions. So, I think little Hans could probably paint landscapes or manors as well. ”

In fact, the Titian Vecellio mentioned by Anne, known as "the sun among the stars", was the most suitable painter Isabel was looking for. However, at the moment the painter may be somewhere in Venice or Rome. Could it be that in order to paint His Highness's new domain, it is necessary to go to Venice or Rome and invite the painter to England to paint?

After thinking to herself, Isabel decided to invite little Hans to paint the duke's new domain. After all, the famous painter was in the city of London and was also a court painter. After thinking about it, he asked, "Anne, did you know little Hans when you were serving in the court?" ”

A smug smile appeared on Anne's face, "Of course. ”