Today was the day in 1537 when three day-old Prince Edward, the future Edward VI, was christened in the Chapel Royal of Hampton Court Palace.
Edward’s eldest half-sister Mary stood as his godmother and his godfathers were Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk, Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, and Archbishop Thomas Cranmer.
You can read a primary source account of the event in my article from last year – click here to read it now.
Beautiful pageant, real sense of tradition and grand ceremonial. The great and the good, well you can imagine. And of course Thomas Boleyn buying his way into favour by being present, commanded, or invited, he was not going to pass up this chance to prove his loyalty. Maybe this was a quiet reminder from the King that Jane had done what his daughter had failed to do, present Henry with a son and heir. I guess the thought may have been there in the back of his mind.
The day must have been wonderful. The Queen of course would watch or listen to the service from her huge state bed, screened, in her finest clothes, as she was recovering from the birth and as she was not yet churched.
Long life and health be to Edward, High and Mighty Prince of England.
Yes, Jean wondered on our Facebook page yesterday whether Thomas was actually ordered to attend and whether it was a way of rubbing his nose in it, i.e. Henry saying “look what your daughter failed to provide me with”, which is an interesting idea. But, yes, as an important man he could not have stayed away from this ceremony, he had to be there to show his loyalty. Of course, it was a big day for Henry, a moment of triumph.
I think Thomas Boleyn was unfairly forced to distance himself from the deaths and fall of his innocent son and daughter and I am pleased for him for making his way back into public life. Like Cromwell, he was an incredibly talented man, but the gentry ran the local show in any case, so he could only have been seen at the most important event of the era.
What a beautiful ceremony. What a lovely scene and description in the sources and what rich gifts. What a time to be had afterwards and in the kingdom, free wine for all.