[Henry VIII] Tudor Crown

Cosimo I's letter has only two points.

One is to celebrate Catherine de Medici's becoming Queen of France, and the other is to remind her not to forget the family's support for her and her task of marrying into the French royal family.

Especially at the moment when two powerful monarchs in Europe are passing away one after another, if Charles V does not take the opportunity to do something, it is definitely something wrong with his brain, or the emperor of Spain will die too, so the future Philip Li II wants to prevent France and England from joining forces to do things against him.

"Your Majesty, I think you'd better not mention the Spanish Emperor in front of His Majesty the King." As Catherine de' Medici's maid, Daisy is only loyal to her mistress, not the Medici family: "His Majesty the King hates the Spanish Emperor far more than you, not to mention that Mrs. Poitiers has already lived in Château Chinon, so you have to pay more attention to your words and deeds."

"But the problem is not to cooperate with the Spanish emperor. Are you going to let that dead brain manipulated by the Guise family become a brother and brother with William III of England and join forces against Spain?" Catherine de Medici asked back: " He can't stand a book dealing with heretics, and wants him to put up with William III of England?"

Although Catherine de' Medici was also a staunch Catholic, she was far more flexible than her husband, so she was able to suppress the disgust that rose in her throat and reached a temporary reconciliation with the Huguenots.

But Henry II could not do this.

So the French court was caught in a dilemma.

"This is really an exciting situation." Henry II stared at the young Duke of Guise and the restored Duke of Montmorency with a cold face that others owed him millions of pounds. The residence sneered and said, "William the Pagan is to the west, and Charlie the Bastard is to the south. You really gave me two good choices."

The young Duke of Guise, who was forced to face the king's anger, looked at the Duke of Montmorency, and then hid his evil intentions tacitly, waiting for Henry II to pour out all the grievances in his stomach.

In this case, the one who speaks first will never end well.

It's just that the Duke of Montmorency, the old fox, was sure that Henry II would ask the Duke of Guise first. After all, compared to the old nobles who were two rounds older, the Duke of Guise, an upstart who grew up with the king, was easier to attack.

Sure enough, the cursing Henry II focused his eyes on the young Duke of Guise, then raised his chin at him, and said in a bad tone: "Francois, do you think I will choose to make peace with that bastard Charlie, or give it to him?" That heretic William looks good."

"Speaking of which, that pagan in England also has a hybrid ancestor with the same name. He really deserves to be Charlie's cousin."

The Duke of Guise felt very uncomfortable with Henry II's vulgar language.

Since the two sons of François I were sent to Spain as hostages, the former noble prince has been strangled completely in a place where they can't see.

Those who came back were cowards and lunatics who had been deeply influenced by the rude Spanish soldiers.

It was the feeling of the worst ale in an expensive crystal decanter that the young Duke of Guise could not swallow but could not spit out.

"Your Majesty, you are the monarch of France, so I dare not use my shallow thinking to influence your judgment." In all fairness, the Duke of Guise would of course choose to ally with Charles V.After all, he had never been a hostage in Spain, and his sister and niece were all held by William III.

If France can form an alliance with Spain, the Regency on the Scottish side will be shaken, and even the sister and niece of the Duke of Guise can take the opportunity to get back what belongs to them.

only……

Thinking of his father's instructions, the young Duke of Guise suppressed his selfishness and threw back Henry II's question.

Henry II was not angry at the young Duke of Guise's refusal to talk about it, but turned to look at the Duke of Montmorency.The latter has already suffered from Francois I in the matter of Scotland, so he will not continue to sink into this quagmire.

"Your Majesty, since Spain and England both intend to form an alliance with you, why don't you go and talk to them in person?" The Duke of Montmorency was more thoughtful than the Duke of Guise. cleared his position.

After all, France and the other two countries are connected by land.

It's just that the meeting arrangement with England must be faster than Spain.

Henry II was a little surprised by the change in the position of the Duke of Montmorency. After all, before that, the Duke of Montmorency had vented his anger with the Guise family.However, once the emperor and courtier, Henry II was also happy to see the Duke of Montmorency at odds with the Guise family. After all, his childhood playmate was the grandson of the Bourbon family, so the young Duke of Guise can also be regarded as Henry II's cousin .

Also a potential heir to the throne.

"meet?"

Hearing Henry II's question, the Duke of Montmorency knew that he was in front of the Guise family, so he explained: "Neither England nor Spain will be eternal friends of France, so you just need to talk to the Guise family personally. Only when they meet can they determine when and where they will make an alliance with the two, or go to war."

Of course, judging from the current situation, the Duke of Montmorency is more inclined to let Henry II and William III conduct peace talks.

After all, they are all new monarchs, so it will take a few years to take control of the country.

Once Henry II forms an alliance with Charles V, then in terms of dominance, it must be the side where Charles V occupies the power, not to mention that the Guise family still thinks about Scotland, and the Huguenots in the country are not. Do not communicate with Protestants in Germany or the Netherlands.

Therefore, from the perspective of overall interests, it is more guaranteed to conduct peace talks with William III.

After all, William III is not interested in launching a large-scale war in the near future, so the alliance between the two seems to be a deterrent.

"Then meet William of England first, and the location is Calais... in France. Remember to invite the Duke and Duchess of Lorraine as well." When Henry II thought that Calais was still in the hands of the English, he didn't expect so much to be with him. The meeting of William III.

But then he thought of the hated Spaniards and Turks, and he felt that he could bear William III.

"Leave the task of invitation to Francois. After all, the new Duke of Lorraine is your cousin." Henry II finally thought of the young Duke of Guise in the background, but the latter's face was not because of Henry II. The entrustment of the world has improved, but it has become even more terrifying.

……… I am the dividing line……………

After dismissing the two nobles with ulterior motives, Henry II rubbed his temples, then rang the bell to let Diane de Poitiers who had been hiding in the back room come out, and motioned for her to pour himself a drink. glass of wine.

"Did you hear what those two bastards said!" Henry II took two sips of wine from his lover's hand, and then gasped continuously: "During the time I was talking with them, I almost thought I would suffocate and die."

"If the king died so aggrievedly, then France would not last forever." Unlike the two trembling dukes, the communication between Diane de Poitiers and Henry II sounded very relaxed, which made people feel They mistakenly thought that they were an ordinary couple who could joke with each other, and even the originally depressive environment, as well as Henry II's frowning, eased a lot.

"Even if I die, I will drag that son of a bitch Charlie to hell." Henry II yelled again cursingly, then was knocked on the head by Diane de Poitiers, and shouted: "Henry , What are you talking about? The king can’t use such vulgar words, you should remember that you are the king of France, a descendant of the noble Alfred the Great and Charlemagne, how can you...can you..."

Diane de Poitiers turned around a few times at a loss, and finally sat decadently beside Henry II, and said bitterly: "You have to remember that a prince can easily become a commoner, but it is very difficult for a commoner to become a commoner again." Become a prince again."

Henry II did not know how to face Diane de Poitiers.

He could leave his wife in the palace for two years, but he couldn't refuse every word Diane de Poitiers said.

"Diane, I swear I won't talk like that again, I promise this to God." Henry II stuck to Diane de Poitiers chest, hoping to use her encouragement to calm his anxiety anger.

And at this moment, the door was knocked by an uninterested servant.

Hearing the regular knock on the door, Henry II said in a deep voice, "Come in.

A "sensible" servant entered the room with his head down, whispered something in Henry II's ear, and then quickly left the room.The whole time, he didn't look the king, or the royal mistress in the face.

Diane de Poitiers had already guessed what the servant said to Henry II, but still asked deliberately: "What's the matter."

"Italy has something for my queen. I don't think I should meet Catherine these days." Henry II said annoyedly, "Let her go see the child! You can accompany me to the meeting in Calais. "

"No, Henry, you must ask Catherine to accompany you to the meeting in Calais." Diane de Poitiers stubbornly said: "You still need money from an Italian banker, and I am just a royal mistress. If you let me Come to entertain Juana from Belgium, England will definitely think this is a humiliation to them, do you understand?"

Henry II nodded sullenly, and after a few days, he gave the title of Duchess Valentine to Diane de Poitiers.

………………… I am the dividing line……………

This was William III's first visit to a meeting after he ascended the throne, so everyone in the Whitehall Palace had been preparing for it for a long time.

Queen Juana was very nervous and temporarily handed over all the big and small affairs of her Whitehall Palace to Anne of Cleves.The widow of Henry VIII is very adaptable to her current status, so she is also happy to get along with Queen Juana.After all, with so many maids and servants in the palace, she can't get tired.

William III, on the other hand, signed the policy bill nearly a month in advance, and then handed over state affairs to the Royal Council.

"Keep an eye on Matthew Stuart, and don't let him do anything outrageous with the Percy family." William III summoned Sir Cecil in private and had an afternoon tea with him: "In our With William Parr and Richard Cromwell assisting you while you are away from England, nothing should go wrong."

"If it doesn't work, you can still go to your father-in-law and brother-in-law for help. In short, don't let those people intervene in large-scale decisions, and you can even pull John Dudley to suppress them." William III felt that John Dudley The possibility of causing trouble is not high, because his family background is far inferior to that of the Percy family and Stuart's offshoots, so he has to think carefully about everything he does.

Sir Cecil knew that this was William III's test.Because if he was under such circumstances, even the Keeper of the Seal and the weakened Percy family could not suppress him, then William III would not consider letting him succeed as the Keeper of the Seal.

"If you don't mind, I would like to let Miss Elizabeth and Anne of Cleves live separately in Whitehall Palace and St. James Palace after you leave." Sir Cecil knew that his next proposal would make William III Suspicious in his heart, but still resisted the pressure and said: "I'm not sure what the Lord Seal surnamed Stuart will do after you leave, so I have to make sure that another Stuart in England will stay in a place where is enough safe place."

William III did not give a direct answer, but stared into Sir Cecil's eyes for a while, and then slowly said: "You can make arrangements! Only when necessary, I will allow you to send troops into Scotland and execute them." All the heirs to the Scottish throne who stand in my way."

"Yes." Sir Cecil bowed to William III with peace of mind, and then went to inform the garrison in the north to prepare for war at any time.

…………… I am the dividing line……………

There was also a feeling of disbelief when Queen Juana boarded the boat to Calais.

Looking at the sea at different distances, she said in a deep voice, "My cousin is not a gentle and easy-talking character."

Because Queen Juana's mother was the sister of Francis I, Henry II and the Duke of Guise were both her cousins.

William III glanced at the nervous Queen Juana, and comforted him, "Even a talkative king doesn't live long, such as Edward the Confessor, or...Henry VI?"

"Henry VI is not easy to talk to." Queen Juana hadn't seen Henry II for several years, but during the time she was in the French court, she didn't speak much to her two cousins.

"He just listened to women." Queen Juana recalled Henry II's scandals, and put down harsh words in front of William III: "If Henry II dares to let his mistress come to entertain me, I will definitely treat Diane De Poitiers served as a maid."

"Don't worry, Henry II will not do this." William III was very sure: "Even if he wants Diane de Poitiers to entertain you, the latter will not rush to be humiliated."

After all, she was the last woman who survived among the mistresses of François I. William III felt that the Duchess Valentine of France was not so stupid.

Calais had already prepared everything needed for the meeting of the two kings.

After Queen Juana disembarked, she went directly to the nearest castle to change her clothes.

Although France hasn't taken off its mourning clothes yet, Queen Juana doesn't need to accommodate her French relatives, but she can't do too much on the bright side.

"I remember that I didn't have much pearl jewelry." Queen Juana searched all the jewelry she brought from England, but couldn't find a suitable set of jewelry.

"Where are my pair of cross earrings?" Queen Juana asked her maid to gather her waist, because in the French court, women with thick waists are not fit to walk in front of the throne.

Although Queen Juana recovered well after giving birth to the Duke of Richmond, she still subconsciously controlled her diet to prevent her figure from getting too out of shape to maintain the queen's appearance.

"I remember that you haven't worn it for a long time, so you keep it in the bedroom of Pembroke Castle." Johanna blamed herself a little: "How about I find it for you again? I remember Her Majesty the Queen (Angouleme) A pair of pearl earrings were given to you by Margaret, which would also be appropriate for today's occasion."

"But the style of this pair of earrings is too young." Queen Juana remembered that they were specially ordered by Marguerite of Angoulême when she was 16 years old, so the shape looked very lively, not suitable for solemnity occasion: "Is there anything else?"

Johanna, who was in charge of keeping the jewelry, looked embarrassed.

At this moment, William III's servant knocked on the door of Queen Juana's room, and then walked towards Queen Juana with a set of jewelry.

"This is specially made for you by His Majesty the King."

The servant opened the box to reveal a shell-carved necklace and a pair of matching shell-carved earrings.

"This is the same set as the shell-carved crown you gave at the coronation ceremony, but it was finished recently because of the construction schedule." The servant said respectfully: "If you don't bring the shell-carved crown, then this set of jewelry can also be used. Remove the shell carving pendant on it and replace it with another set of cross jewelry."

As the servant said, he opened the second layer of the box. Inside was a set of cross pendants made of pearls and colorless diamonds, which looked low-key and elegant, and looked radiant.

"Help me put it on!" Queen Juana didn't know what to say, but when Johanna put this set of jewelry on her, there was a faint smile on Queen Juana's eyebrows.

Catherine de Medici did not share a carriage with Henry II, so when Henry II met William III, Queen Juana had not yet waited for Catherine de Medici to go to the banquet, and was even present. Some ladies also made dissatisfied voices.

"As expected of a nouveau riche from Italy, he will be late even for such an important occasion."

"Do you really think that Catherine de' Medici was late on purpose?" A good lady raised her eyebrows and looked at Queen Juana, and said loudly: "The most distinguished guests are often the last to come, don't they? "

Princess Mary on the side clenched her wine glass tightly, trying not to get angry on this important occasion.

Queen Juana nodded at the good lady, and said something that made her smile froze on her face: "Thanks to the King of France for respecting our couple, and willing to wait for a long time in Caledon."

After all, William III and his wife had to cross the English Channel, so Henry II must be the first one.

The lady didn't know how to round up what she said wrong.

It wasn't until Catherine de' Medici who hurried over came here like Moses parting the Red Sea, that the noble lady avoided the embarrassing situation of being continuously scrutinized.

"Let's all spread out!" Catherine de' Medici glanced at the group of ladies who were just joining in the fun, and said upsetly: "Daisy, please invite these ladies to have a picnic nearby, I want to have a good time with the Queen of England chat."

"Yes." The entourage brought by Catherine de' Medici immediately cleared the place for the two queens.

Although those noble ladies who looked down on Catherine de Medici were dissatisfied, they did not have the courage to humiliate themselves on the occasion of the talks between the two countries.

So Catherine de' Medici really enjoyed the treatment of a queen, so that after she sat down, she laughed at Queen Juana: "It's the first time they behave like my subjects."

Facing the haggard Catherine de' Medici, Queen Juana felt a little pitiful, but said calmly: "The rules and regulations in the French court have long been destroyed by my uncle. Clean, so there is only a king in the French court, but no queen."

Although this was a slap in the face, Catherine de Medici didn't care.

Covering up the well-known facts will only make you appear more humble.

But this does not mean that Catherine de Medici will bow her head or let Queen Juana control the pace of the talks: "Maybe one day you will not behave as lightly as you are today, but dear Juana , are you sure we want to attack here and attack like ignorant sparrows?"

Catherine de' Medici was careful to hide her jealousy for Queen Juana, and said as calmly as possible: "You should know that I am from the Medici family, so I never do business at a loss."

"Whether it's your husband or mine, they were already ready to form an alliance as early as the moment they arrived in Calais, so everything today can be said to be a formality." Catherine de Medici Knowing that she doesn't have enough bargaining chips, her surname still has some appeal: "But you and I both know that the alliance between France and England will not exceed five years. After all, our respective father-in-laws once formed an alliance during their administration. No less than three or four times, so today's meeting can discuss other things."

"For example, your queen's position." Queen Juana was a king at the beginning, and she caught Catherine de' Medici by surprise: "Cosimo I wants you to persuade King Henry to form an alliance with the Spanish emperor, but you know , neither King Henry nor the Duke of Montmorency could do this, so dear Catherine, how do you plan to reply to Cosimo I?"

Unlike Queen Juana, whose status is as stable as a steel bar, everything owned by Catherine de Medici is like a dangerous building in the sky, which has made her shrink back a lot recently.

"How do you know that I must reply to Cosimo I?" Catherine de' Medici, who was not in a panic, tried to keep her voice calm and said with a calm face: "I know that your husband and Medici The family made many commercial agreements, but this was not enough to shake the relationship between the Medici and France."

"Cosimo I waited for so many years, but he did not wait for the title of Duke of Tuscany, and the Pope did not allow the Duke of Florence to incorporate Tuscany into the Medici family territory, so the Duke of Florence ruled Tuscany completely illegally. Scana." Queen Juana remembered what William III had said to her on the road, and said with confidence: "If Charles V invades Tuscany impatiently, do you think Cosimo I will still care about your life and death? ?”

"At that time, abandoning you is also a necessary sacrifice for the Medici family!"