We reach the penultimate episode of Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, and there was only one way for the episode to go. After all, we know that Thomas Cromwell meets for an unsavory end.
Caution: This post contains SPOILERS for Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light episode 5.
After the death of Jane Seymour, Henry VIII knew he had to marry again. With France and Spain joining together, England had to work with the German princes, leading to Thomas Cromwell to push Henry VIII to marry Anne of Cleves.
Of course, we know that the marriage lasted just six months before it was annulled. This latest episode shows just why it was doomed to fail from the very beginning.
Thomas Cromwell reminds everyone why this marriage is needed in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light
This episode didn’t involve a lot of scheming and manipulation. It involved cold hard facts, and people don’t like cold hard facts. However, Cromwell also saw that he was losing power, and he needed to find a way to help the king to get back into the man’s good graces.
So, as the Duke of Norfolk continued to find another match for Henry VIII — in another of his nieces, the young Kathryn Howard — Cromwell continued to push the need for Henry to marry Anne of Cleves. At first, Henry was more than happy to do this. He liked the painting that Han Holbein had done of her, and he was excited to meet her.
His excitement led to him acting like a lovesick puppy, which eventually hurt his ego. Henry decided that he was going to meet Anne in disguise to surprise her, and Cromwell could immediately see how it was all going to go. It sucks to be the smartest person in the room at times, and Cromwell didn’t have the time to get a warning to Anne about Henry’s plans.
So, when Henry surprised Anne, she had no idea who he was and she ignored him. Then Cromwell’s son, Gregory, explained that when Anne did realize he was Henry, she made a face of disgust. You can probably guess what that did to the king’s ego in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light.
Henry VIII tries to find a way out of the marriage
After that, Henry made it clear that he didn’t want to marry Anne. Other members of the privy council attempted to find a way out of it, with Norfolk still pushing for one of his nieces to marry him instead. However, Cromwell pointed out that with France and Space creating a truce, England was at risk of war. England has no allies, because Scotland and Ireland are both against the country. That means a German alliance is necessary.
So, Henry has no choice. Just as he marries Anne, though, there is word from Thomas Wyatt that the truce between Spain and France is over. Spain’s Holy Roman Emperor wrote about how as an Emperor he is above the position of prince as an insult to Henry. That also insulted France, and so France and Spain are back at war.
Now Henry needs to find a way out of the marriage, and Cromwell shares that he may have a way to do it. They need a settlement for Anne of Cleves that will be good for her brother so that he doesn’t want to go to war.
With that, there is a promise of Cromwell getting a promotion to earl. This will mean other people at Court are lifted up, but it’s not what many on the council want. Plus, you can’t always trust the king, and some of his wording makes it clear to Cromwell that he is on thin ice.
It doesn’t help that Mary still isn’t married, and everyone says that Cromwell keeps stopping Lady Mary’s marriages because he wants her for himself. That’s no the case, but that sort of rumor is dangerous, and it’s not surprising when Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light ends the way it does.
What happens to Thomas Cromwell in Wolf Hall season 2, episode 5?
At the end of the episode, Cromwell walks into the privy council meeting and sits down. Nobody else is sitting, with one of them pointing out that they don’t sit with traitors. Then multiple men grab Cromwell and remove the chains from his neck.
Yes, Henry is displeased with Cromwell, and you know what that means. He certainly should know what it means considering what he’s done to other people. The fall from grace is hard, and Cromwell finds himself being stripped of his titles — Stephen Gardiner takes pleasure from telling Cromwell that he no longer has the title “Lord” — and escorted to the Tower of London.
Not everyone is happy about this, but they don’t really have a choice. When Henry VIII decides someone is a traitor, they are a traitor, and so we see the beginning of Cromwell’s last days.
Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light airs on Sundays at 9/8c on PBS.
Stay up to date with the latest historical fiction news with Claire and Jamie.