monarch

The day after the Winchester City Hall dinner, the court set off from the temporary palace where it was temporarily stationed, and returned to the city of London to prepare for the wedding three days later.

The date for the wedding was set for October [-]th, and according to the tradition of the Habsburg family, the wedding will be held at dusk, after which the newlyweds will return to Whitehall Palace, where there will be a grand dinner and ball, almost the country's bigwigs and The diplomatic corps were all invited.

During the preparations for the wedding, His Majesty the King was very generous, so the scale of the whole wedding was very grand, even worse than the wedding that King Henry VIII married Catherine of Aragon, the mother of Princess Mary.Naturally, this rare grand event in the entire European continent has also attracted a large number of spectators. According to the estimates of the Survey and Statistics Committee of the Ministry of the Interior, [-] tourists have flocked to London in the past two weeks, and many of them even came from the European continent. tourists.

For Sir Francis Walsingham, head of the king's secret police and chairman of the Home Office's inquiry committee, the past few weeks have been a complete nightmare - the wedding of the Spanish heir to the English princess undoubtedly has huge implications. Politically sensitive, the [-] tourists gathered in the city of London are likely to be mixed with extremists, spies and conspirators from all over Europe.The previous Scottish rebellion and the poisoning of the former king made security the top priority of the entire wedding. In the past few weeks, Sir Francis and his staff worked around the clock to ensure that the entire wedding was completed. Everything is still fine.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, the king's motorcade drove out of the gates of Whitehall Palace, and sailed through the sea of ​​cheering crowds to St. James's Palace.Princess Mary lives there upon her return from Winchester, from where she will depart with the King an hour later for Westminster Abbey, where her betrothed will be waiting for her.

After a 10-minute journey, the carriage drove into the gate of this Tudor-style red brick building, turned around in the courtyard, and stopped at the entrance.As always, when the King dismounted, Robert Dudley, who always rode behind him, was there waiting to help him out.

The king nodded to Robert, left him at the gate of the palace, and walked into the hall by himself.

To Edward's surprise, the whole palace seemed unusually quiet, the hall was empty, and only one servant stood there, bending over to face the king, like a statue without saying a word.

"Where is Your Highness the Princess?" the king asked as he walked up to the servant.

The servant finally straightened up, "His Royal Highness is waiting for Your Majesty upstairs." He had a bronze face of a Mediterranean man and spoke English with a very strange accent.

The king studied the servant's face carefully, "Are you a Spaniard?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. I was sent by His Majesty Philip to act as a Spanish interpreter for Princess Mary."

"Spanish translation?" the king asked curiously. "Why? She speaks Spanish very well."

"Yes, that's true. Her Royal Highness's Spanish is very authentic, which is amazing." The Spaniard bowed, "However, unfortunately, His Majesty King Philip does not speak English, so they have agreed Only Spanish was spoken in the common life, and it was my job to translate their Spanish orders into English and relay them to the servants and maids."

"Wouldn't it be very inconvenient?" The king's voice became obviously a little cold.

"This is just a stopgap measure, Your Majesty. His Majesty Philip has selected servants and maids for Princess Mary from Spain. They will replace the current servants and maids around Princess Mary. In fact, many of them have already followed Philip. His Majesty arrived in London together and is now upstairs with the Princess."

The expression on the king's face was extremely complicated. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something more, but in the end he just shook his head, ignored the Spaniard, and walked straight towards the stairs.

In the corridor on the second floor, stood a group of men and women in black clothes. They looked serious, and for a moment the king even felt that he was in a monastery.Like the man downstairs, they were all like sculptures, silent and motionless, only the occasional rolling of their eyes showed that they were still alive.

Edward suppressed the discomfort in his heart, walked to the gate of Princess Mary's bedroom, and looked at the middle-aged woman who was guarding the gate like a watchdog from hell.She was wearing a heavy palace dress and hood, which looked bulkier than the full armor of a knight in heavy armor.

The middle-aged woman saluted the king. She also had a Spanish face, and it was obvious that she was one of the Spanish maids who arrived in England with King Philip.

"Is Princess Mary ready?" King Wang nodded to her.

The woman had a puzzled look on her face. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but I don't speak English," she said in Spanish.

The king didn't seem to be surprised by anything happening in this room anymore, "Is Princess Mary ready?" He used Spanish as the Romans did.

"His Royal Highness is waiting for Your Majesty in the room." The woman replied, and opened the door at the same time.

The king nodded at her and walked into Princess Mary's bedroom.

Princess Mary sat alone in an armchair in the very center of the room, the setting sun casting her long shadow on the floor.Seeing the king come in, she lifted her skirt and stood up.She is wearing a long red dress today, embroidered with roses and pomegranates in gold thread.Her dress was hung with pearls and precious stones, and when she rose she looked so radiant in the light of the setting sun that came in through the window that the king could hardly open his eyes.

"Your Majesty, my brother." She bowed her knees, and the complicated skirt was folded, and the gold threads and jewels on it looked like the golden sea was sparkling.

The king hesitated for a moment, then strode up to Princess Mary and stretched out his hand to help her up.

"You are beautiful today, my sister," he said in Spanish, with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

Princess Mary looked a little surprised. She looked at the Spanish maid at the gate who was looking at the scene in the room. The woman was startled by Princess Mary's sudden attention. She quickly lowered her head and reached out to close the door.

"If you are dissatisfied because of those Spaniards here, there is no need." Princess Mary turned to the king and said, "They are just Philip's kindness, to make our future married life more convenient. After these few days I can responsibly say that they are fully qualified for their jobs, and the widespread prejudice against the Spaniards is completely unreasonable."

"I have no prejudice against the Spaniards," replied the king, "and I wouldn't mind Philip bringing some of his men to England, since he is the leading man in this marriage. But you don't think the Spaniards in this room are a little too much." Are there too many? I saw them all along the way, and I didn’t even see a single Englishman. I thought I was in the Spanish embassy.”

Princess Mary's face began to turn red, "I think what kind of person to use in my family is purely a matter between me and my husband, and has nothing to do with other people." Her tone became very blunt.

"I thought you've been in the political arena for so long, and you've already understood this simple truth - every move of a politician is not just his or her own business, he has to consider the public's perception, just like Actors on stage have to pay attention to the audience's reaction."

"My marriage with Philip is not just about politics!" Princess Mary raised her head proudly, "We are a destined couple, a lover made in heaven!" She said this with a firm tone.

The king looked into Princess Mary's eyes, as if to find out if it was her heart.After half a minute, he finally lowered his eyes and let out a long sigh, "I have always thought you are a smart person, my dear sister, and even one of the smartest people I have ever met. I think in your heart Deep down, you must have realized something, but maybe your high ego didn't allow it, or maybe you didn't want to face the disappointing reality, and the result is that you keep refusing to acknowledge the reality that almost everyone can see. secret."

The haughty expression on Princess Mary's face was gradually replaced by panic, and she scanned the empty room in bewilderment, like a drowning person struggling in the sea searching in vain for a handful of driftwood.She shook her head violently, not knowing whether she was shaking her head at the king or at herself.

"No, I don't understand..." She stammered, "I don't understand what you're talking about."

"Today is a good day for you," sighed the King. "I would not spoil you today, but in view of the situation, I think I must be the villain."

"I can see your affection, or rather, your infatuation, for Philip. I don't understand anything in him that you should be infatuated with. You seem to me far superior to him, but I have a great deal of respect for you. I respect your affection for him. Unfortunately, I do not see such affection for him in His Majesty the King of Naples."

Princess Mary's shoulders trembled slightly, her chest heaved, and she had a panic expression on her face, as if she wanted to refute something, but she really couldn't think of how to respond.

"Philip's performance today has clearly stated that he only regards your marriage with him as a political marriage, and it is nothing more than fulfilling his obligations as the Spanish crown prince. For Spain, marrying you is a big deal. It's a good move. But for your fiancé, this marriage is just a move. You want to marry Philip, I agree, and I bless you, but I think now is the time for you to face reality It's time."

"But what does this have to do with you?" Princess Mary was panting with excitement, she swayed and looked as if she was drunk, "I am willing to marry him, I am infatuated with him, even if he does not love Me, what does this have to do with you?" Her face turned pale, like a zombie whose blood had been sucked dry.

"First of all, you are my sister," the king put his hand on Princess Mary's arm, "I understand that the first half of your life was not happy because of a man, our father, and I don't want the rest of your life to be because of another man." A man is equally clouded. You are entitled to happiness and you deserve it."

"Happiness?" Princess Mary suddenly laughed hysterically. "When I was born as a girl, I will never be eligible for happiness! Do you understand? Surrounded by all around, my mother's identity is unshakable! She was always a princess of Spain and queen of England when she lived, and when she died, she will also be buried in Westminster Abbey with the pomp of a queen, by The nobles of the whole kingdom buried her, not in some unknown country chapel, and not even her own children were allowed to attend!"

"Well, maybe as you said, he doesn't love me, but so what? A man's love is more erratic than the fog on the lake in autumn, like a ghost ship on the sea, suddenly appearing, and then suddenly Our father loved my mother and your mother, and then lost interest in both... The only difference is that your mother gave birth to a son! As long as I have a son for Philip, He will be my husband forever! I will be Queen of Spain, Queen of Naples, Queen of the Netherlands and Jerusalem! One day, my son will rule from Italy to Peru, as long as I have a son... …if only I would bear him a son!" she yelled hysterically, in a voice that sounded more like a moan than words.

Princess Mary's face turned blue-gray, and the features on her face had become distorted.The king had to help her sit in an armchair behind her.He looked at Princess Mary who was slumped on the chair, hesitated for a moment, and said:

"If this is what you think, then I have nothing to say. But since you plan to stay in England after marriage, after saying what my brother should say, I must now say what the king wants to say to you gone."

"It seems to me that Philip has taken a dangerous hold on you, and you seem to obey everything he says. Maybe the flames of love dazzled your eyes, or maybe you went out of your way to please him. Make no mistake, but anyway, you're acting like his marionette these days. Given your enormous political influence, this kind of control is a threat to the country. If you and your cronies Unfortunately, you have become a pawn of the Spaniards, then I will not tolerate you continuing to retain such a huge political influence." When the king said this with a straight face, he looked more like a judge than a brother, "If you If you live in England after marriage, then you should play the role of princess of England, not queen of Naples."

Princess Mary didn't answer, she leaned back in her chair, looking as if she had lost consciousness.

The king continued: "From your point of view, those people under you are loyal to you, also because you are the eldest princess of England, the first heir to the throne. Although many of them are Catholics, they are still loyal to you." Cherish the independence of the country, if you become the spokesperson for the interests of Spain, your party will melt as quickly as an ice cube under the scorching sun, and by then, you may only have to leave this road.”

"So you are issuing an order to evict me?" Princess Mary raised her head and asked with a livid face.

"This is by no means an eviction order, nor is it an ultimatum." The king met Princess Mary's sharp gaze, "I just pointed out to you the reality you are facing. I don't intend to force you to do anything, but at a certain point, the situation will Development will require you to make choices.

"Let's wait until that day." Princess Mary replied dryly.

"Since this is the case, I have nothing to say. But anyway, as your younger brother, regardless of your political position, I want to wish you all the best in the future, and I hope that my judgment is wrong. You can really learn from this." happiness in a marriage."

Princess Mary seemed quite surprised by the king's blessing. She was stunned for a few seconds, and finally replied: "Thank you for your kindness, I will never forget it." Her tone softened a lot.

"If you are ready, we are going." The king held out his arms to Princess Mary.

Princess Mary stood up leaning on the arm of the chair, with a somewhat embarrassed smile on her face, she reached out and took the king's arm, and the two walked towards the gate together.

The Spanish men and women in the corridor straightened up quickly when they saw the two coming out, and looked straight ahead, looking like wallflowers adorning the walls.Princess Mary's long skirt dragged all the way to the ground, and two maids who had been waiting at the door quickly stepped forward to hold up the skirt, and followed behind the princess and the king.

When they came down the stairs, the carriage was waiting at the exit of the hall.The wedding car is a gorgeous open carriage, which is naturally chosen to show the royal family's closeness to the people.The six white horses pulling the cart neighed softly and kicked their hooves on the marble floor.There was not a mottled hair on the body of the six horses, and each horse had red rosettes hanging between its ears, which looked like a rose on its forehead. In the center hung a huge pearl, and anyone could see that this ornament was a symbol of the red and white Tudor rose.

When Princess Mary stepped on the carriage, the king held her arm, and then he also boarded the carriage and sat opposite Princess Mary.The two maids following behind them picked up the princess's skirt that was still drooping under the car, put it at their feet, and closed the car door.

The king nodded to Robert who was not far away, and then the whole convoy started to move forward.The great iron gate of St. James's Palace was opened, thunderous cheers poured through the opening into the courtyard, and the carriage drove towards the cheering crowd.

Guests were already arriving at Westminster Abbey, a few miles away, and outside the cathedral's gates, those lucky enough to snag good seats were eagerly anticipating the start of the wedding.As early as the night before, the Praetorian Guards had begun to set up roadblocks and checkpoints nearby, and only spectators who had been inspected were allowed to wait in front of the church.And today, before dawn, all the deacons of the church had already mobilized, and a long red carpet was spread at the entrance of the church until the carriage passengers got off.Opposite them, the audience consisting of farmers, small businessmen and clerks from all over the country were speculating with great interest on the astronomical figure that the wedding would cost.Throughout the countries, it is these people who are most interested in supporting the grand ceremonies of dignitaries.

The hall of the church was already full of voices, and many nobles who relied on their status also dropped their reserve today and came to the church early, wanting to occupy a good seat to have a good time.Under normal circumstances, these people are people who regard the phrase "pretend to be self-respecting and people will respect" as a motto in life, and they are late one after another on various occasions, so as to show their identities.Only those with real status are confident that there will always be someone who flatters them to make room for them, so they appear at the place where the guests enter the venue not long before the wedding.

Philip of Spain was standing in front of the altar expressionlessly at the moment. He looked more like a priest presiding over a wedding than a groom.He was looking boredly at the candles placed on the altar in front of the altar at the moment, the dim and dim light of the candles flickered, as if a breeze would blow them out.

When the Chief Minister arrived, there was a stir in the crowd.Like a bear in hibernation, Philip was awakened by the disturbance from the outside world. He raised his eyelids and looked at the other party who walked to his seat amidst the compliments from the crowd and sat down.When their eyes met, Philip saw a moment's hesitation flitting across the other's face, and then he nodded slightly towards him, then turned his eyes and looked around, as if suddenly becoming very impressed with the church decorations. interested.

Like any other occasion, acquaintances always like to get together in twos and threes. For most people, the purpose of participating in this wedding is undoubtedly to increase their conversations in the social field, and they have been impatient. Hold back the desire to pour out.They stretched out their fingers, pointing to the faces of big people, counting the dignitaries who came to the wedding.

"The Duke of Northumberland, the Marquess of Dorset, and his wife, the Duchess of Suffolk, sat together, presumably on account of the marriages of their children... the wedding of Guilford Dudley and Jane Gray two weeks later, Did you get an invitation? Our whole family got it."

"Here comes the French ambassador, and he looks like he's put on twenty pounds since last month...do you see that little bald old man with the mustache behind him, that guy's the ambassador of Venice, and those Polish Man, look how ridiculous they dress..."

"Look, it's the Marchioness, have you seen the beautiful maid next to her, who would put such a beautiful girl under the eyes of her husband... so you think about the relationship between them, it's really self-evident ..."

Those countless whispered conversations formed a great net of secrets and gossip, enveloping everyone in it.Everyone is a silk-spinning spider, and everyone is a prey struggling in vain.They are trapped in this vulgar quagmire called high society, from birth to death, all of them cannot climb out of it, but fortunately, most of them don't want to climb out either.And outside of this quagmire, there are many people queuing up to jump in.

There was a noise outside the door, like the waves of the sea beating against the rocks on the shore.The setting sun came in through the stained glass windows of this Gothic ceremony, dyeing everything a gorgeous golden yellow.

The sound of guards hitting the ground with a halberd came from outside the door, and the huge pipe organ began to roar, and the whole church woke up like a giant. Delicate stained-glass windows trembled above their frames.

As if they had received a signal, everyone turned to the gate in unison. The king appeared there with Princess Mary on his arm, and the setting sun cast long shadows behind them.

When they were about to step into the threshold of the church, Princess Mary paused for a moment. She raised her head and looked at the ceiling above, as if expecting the ceiling to crack suddenly, revealing the face of God, and guiding her what to do.

She finally made up her mind and stepped into the sacred hall of marriage. The guests noticed that the sound of the organ became louder.

Spectators on both sides of the corridor watched Princess Mary walk through the seemingly endless hall, and those who were closest noticed that she was shaking slightly.The ladies unfolded their fans and covered their mouths, whispering to their companions, while the men could only whisper in each other's ears.

Although the bride is the protagonist today, the king still attracts the most attention.From ancient times to the present, kingship has been like the sun, eclipsing all stars, even the moon.The king's pale face was dyed golden by the halo of the setting sun, and his graceful facial features did not look as friendly as before, but looked a little too serious.For many spectators, they will happily spend days trying to figure out the meaning of the expression on the king's face, and the most imaginative among them will become the darlings of the various salons these days, showing off on various occasions. their guesses.

Behind them, followed by four bridesmaids in pomegranate red dresses, who looked like four identical pomegranate seeds falling from the same pomegranate.They were the princess' four servants, one of the few people she could call friends, who stood by her side when she was abandoned by the whole world.Corresponding to the four bridesmaids are the four best men, all of whom are Spaniards. They are four favored young noblemen brought by Philip from Spain. They have the same black hair and handsome features, and they are olive-colored. skin, reminiscent of the four Andalusian horses that pulled King Philip's carriage.

Princess Elizabeth followed behind them. She held the arm of her escort, Robert Dudley, and looked quite calm. However, if you watched carefully, you would find that she glanced at the handsome young man beside her from time to time. A glance at her face brought a fleeting blush.She seemed to be thinking about something, so that she was a little dazed.

After them came Miss Jane Gray and her fiancé, Lord Guilford Dudley, a handsome young couple to be married in a fortnight's time, and Miss Jane Gray's sister They walked together - the Gray girls, with the exception of the two princesses, were the closest heirs to the throne.Of course not counting the former Queen of Scots Mary Stuart, who is now in exile in France, and will marry her cousin, the French Dauphin François, as soon as she turns 16.

The passionate music of the pipe organ never stopped, and the church choir also began to sing. The clear and crisp voice of children sounded like fairy music from heaven, which made this ceremony full of calculation and exchange of interests somewhat holy.

Bishop Gardner and Cardinal Eugenard Pearl, the special envoy of the Holy See, were already waiting in front of the altar. No matter what they were thinking at this moment, they all had kind and kind smiles on their faces, like two happy couples all day long. country priest.

Philip looked as if he had finally woken up from a long dream. He bowed to the king and Princess Mary, stretched out his arms, and took Princess Mary from the king. Their eyes met in the air. For a moment, however, these two gazes did not contain much kindness, but more suspicion and indifference.

The unmarried couple turned around and knelt before the altar, while the king stepped aside and sat down on the throne at the side of the altar.The crowd who had just stood up to greet His Majesty and the Princess also sat down one after another. For a while, the rustling of skirts and the creaking of seats almost overwhelmed the sound of the organ.

The door was slowly closed, and the setting sun and the noisy crowd were shut out together. Even though the lights were bright, the hall suddenly became much darker.

The two protagonists are wearing a full set of cassocks, bishop hats, and bishop's staff in their hands, as if they are really the spokesperson of the eternal Father in the world.

Bishop Gardiner, following the usual practice, posed the few well-known and clichéd questions to the newcomer.After getting an affirmative answer, he exchanged rings for the two.Princess Mary looked at the ring as if her entire life was condensed in it, and the expression on Philip's face when he put on the ring was no different from putting on and taking off his gloves.

Next, Bishop Gardiner delivered a very religious speech to the two newcomers and the audience in the hall.His mental journey while writing this speech was like walking a tightrope between the two towers of Westminster Abbey.His speech should not be too Catholic, so as not to offend the king who is already very sensitive to Spanish influence; however, there is no word about Catholicism at all, and it will dissatisfy his backer, the devout Princess Mary.Therefore, the whole speech of the bishop is full of empty moral preaching and repeated empty words, so that it is only the audience in the audience that suffers, not the bishop himself.

"Your Majesty King Philip of Naples," the bishop said with his resonant voice comparable to that of the organ just now. The sound was reflected off the walls of the hall, and even the guests in the last row could hear clearly, "You are a noble young man. , is the noblest and most respected member of the royal family in Europe. Your talent is outstanding, and your morals are comparable to a saint. God has given you a lofty mission, and your name will be praised forever by the world..."

Philip still looked unsmiling, but the softened curves of his face clearly showed that even a saint revels in the admiration of others.The king sitting on the throne beside him watched his brother-in-law's reaction with great interest, a mocking smile appeared on his face, and he let out a hum that no one could hear.

When Bishop Gardner's lengthy speech finally came to an end, almost everyone breathed a sigh of relief.As soon as the bishop finished speaking, the pipe organ sang again, unwilling to be lonely. The sound flowed out from the metal pipe, filled the entire hall, and flowed out from the door, window, and cracks in the bricks and tiles, causing the crowd waiting outside to panic. Wild cheers.

The choir sang again. The difference from before was that the lead singers were two famous actors from Italy. Although they were already adults, they had clear voices like children.They are the so-called eunuchs. When they were children, they were bought from their parents for a few silver coins by merchants who collected entertainment tools for the nobles. Into a crippled monster.Italy is known as the country of civilization, the cradle of the Renaissance, and the residence of the Pope, the shepherd of God. However, it is precisely this country that is rich in eunuchs. A scandal that every savage in their mouths would despise.

The heavenly singing voice lingered in the hall together with the aroma of burning spices, and the ceremony on the altar was over.Mary Tudor and Philip of Spain, or Philip von Habsburg, as the Germans called them, are now married in the witness of God and man.

Cardinal Eugenard Pearl walked up to Princess Mary holding a golden crown. This crown of the Queen of Naples was specially sent to England after being blessed by the Pope in Rome.Trembling, the old man placed the diadem on the head of Princess Marie, Queen of Naples now.

Princess Mary made a sign of the cross on her chest, her hands tightly held the rosary beads wrapped around her wrists, and she was chanting words, as if thanking God for the grace and glory that surrounded her today.

Philip stood up, offered his arm to his new wife, and they walked together towards the sacristy, where they were to be congratulated by the crowd.

The crowd formed a long line, and the one standing at the front was naturally His Majesty King Edward VI.The king walked up to the newlyweds, looked at Philip for a moment, took off his gloves, and held out his hand to Philip.

Philip hesitated for a moment, then stretched out his right hand, and the two shook hands gently. They both felt that the other's hand was as cold as a block of ice.

"I congratulate you, my sister." Edward said, looking at Princess Mary, and then he looked at Philip again. "And you, my brother, we are really a family now."

"It is a great honor for me," Philip said. "I look forward to a lasting and deep friendship with you, and to our two countries being brothers and sisters who depend on each other."

Edward nodded, "I hope so." He saluted the newlyweds and walked out through the other door of the sacristy.

A long line of people came over to greet the newlyweds one by one, and they said the same congratulations. Philip didn't have the patience for them as he did for the king, and just nodded in response, but Princess Mary was uncharacteristically, with a smile on her face. Muscles go stiff from smiling, and formulaic responses like "Thank you for your congratulations" are repeated over and over again.

When the flow of people as long as the Nile River finally passed in front of them, the number of people queuing behind finally became less and less.Those who had congratulated them returned to their seats, waiting to witness the couple leave the church.

When the last person returned to his seat, Philip took Princess Mary's arm again and returned to the hall.The door of the hall has been opened again, and the halo of the setting sun has returned to the room again, but at this time the sun has already set, and the remaining brilliance is just a little red of the sunset glow in the sky reflected on the earth.

The husband and wife walked through the corridor with the steady steps of the superiors, and walked towards the door. The choir sang hymns loudly again. Princess Mary was still trembling, even more trembling than when she entered the door. up.Philip turned his head and gave her a slight look, as if calculating the probability that she would pass out during the ceremony and become a laughing stock along with him.

When they came to the door, the black crowd gathered at the door cheered louder than before.These people are not all supporters of Princess Mary, nor are they pro-Spanish forces. They just love the excitement and are willing to let themselves be part of the excitement.

The couple walked towards the wedding carriage that was already waiting at the door, which was the same carriage that the king and Princess Mary took when they arrived.Princess Mary looked ten years younger when she stepped onto the step of the carriage.door closed again