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The Mirror and the Light

Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, died in 1545, lamented by his friend the king. His granddaughter was Lady Jane Grey, who laid claim to the throne after the death of Edward, and reigned as ‘the nine days queen’ before being displaced by Mary, and subsequently executed.

Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, was beheaded for treason on 19 January 1547. His father Norfolk was due to follow him on 28 January, but was reprieved by the death of the king himself some hours before. So Norfolk died in his bed, at the age of eighty.

Eustache Chapuys remained strenuously employed in Imperial service till 1545, and after his retirement the Emperor turned to him as a source of advice on English affairs. He lived in Leuven, where he founded a college for students from his native Savoy. He had an illegitimate son, who predeceased him, and having no heir he devoted some of his accrued wealth to setting up scholarships for students from England.

Marie de Guise, Madame de Longueville, who married the King of Scots despite being coveted by Henry, had only one surviving child, a daughter usually known as Mary, Queen of Scots. Mary’s second husband, Lord Darnley, was the son of Lady Margaret Douglas and the Earl of Lennox.

Christina of Denmark, Duchess of Milan, was one of the most fascinating people of her era. Her long career included a happy marriage. In 1555, during the reign of Mary, she paid her first visit to England, making an excursion to the Tower of London; no doubt she was aware that if she had married Henry, she could have visited it earlier.

Mary Tudor did eventually marry – her husband was Philip of Spain, the Emperor’s son. Philip spent as little time as possible in England, and Mary died, unhappy, childless and largely unlamented, in 1558. She was succeeded by Elizabeth, the daughter of Anne Boleyn. The dynasty which began its rule on the battlefield at Bosworth in 1485 ended in 1603; Elizabeth was the last of the Tudor line.

Acknowledgements

When I sat down to express my gratitude to the historians, curators, actors and academics who have given me time, encouragement and inspiration in the course of ten years, I found that the list was so long and included such distinguished names that it sounded like a vulgar exercise in name-dropping. So I would like to say simply that I am grateful to them all and forget none. I am also grateful to my publishers worldwide, and to the unseen army who dust the artefacts and guard the treasures, and ensure, as Tyndale puts it, that neither moths nor rust corrupt, and the passage of time does not destroy, what is left of the world of Thomas Cromwell.

Also by Hilary Mantel

Beyond Black

Every Day is Mother’s Day

Vacant Possession

Eight Months on Ghazzah Street

Fludd

A Place of Greater Safety

A Change of Climate

An Experiment in Love

The Giant, O’Brien

Learning to Talk

Wolf Hall

Bring Up the Bodies

The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher

NON-FICTION

Giving Up the Ghost

About the Author

HILARY MANTEL is the author of fifteen books, including A Place of Greater Safety, Beyond Black, the memoir Giving Up the Ghost, and the short-story collection The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher. Her two most recent novels, Wolf Hall and its sequel Bring Up the Bodies, have both been awarded the Man Booker Prize .

About the Publisher

Australia

HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Ltd.

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Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia

http://www.harpercollins.com.au

Canada

HarperCollins Canada

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22 Adelaide Street West, 41st Floor

Toronto, ON, M5H 4E3, Canada

http://www.harpercollins.ca