The Tudors quotes

Do you want a confessor?

No. I have spoken to God so rarely, I do not think he would know who I was.

I have come here to die. I die a Queen, but I would rather die the wife of Culpeper. Life is very beautiful.

Tell me what is happening in Court. Is the King thinking of marrying again?

There is a new law enacted. It requires that any lady the king may marry must, on pain of death, disclose any charge of sexual misconduct that might be brought against her. Frankly, my lady, this lowers the field. The ladies at court are how you say... not exactly known for their virtue.

(about her first husband) It was not a happy marriage, Your Majesty.

King Henry VIII

Do you think such a thing exists?

Yes, I believe that with all my heart and soul.

King Henry VIII

Your Grace, I will appoint you commander of the armies if you have the will and the stomach for the fight.

Majesty, I can only thank God for the chance to win honor and glory in the field. What man would not prefer to die with a sword in his hand and a cry in his throat rather than in a bed in England.

The King does not just want France back but all his honor and his youth as well. In that, he is like me.

King Henry VIII

(angry at his physicians) These men are not sick from the phlox but from cowardice, and I will not send cowards home. They will either fight or I'll hang them by the wayside! You get them from their sickbeds back into that trench or you'll find yourself a head shorter!

What are you thinking?

That I was dead and am alive again.

King Henry VIII

My well-beloved commons, I come here today to speak with you to set forth my mind and the secrets of my heart. There should be perfect love and concord in this realm but instead there is discord and dissension in every place. What love and charity is there amongst the clergy when one calls the other heretic and anabaptist, and the other calls him papist and hypocrite? Are these tokens of charity amongst you? Are these the signs of fraternal love? The people look for light, and you bring them darkness. And as for the laity, you are not clean of malice and envy. For you slander and rebuke priests and bishops. You take it upon yourself to judge the clergy by the sole light of your fantastical opinions and vain expositions. Although you are permitted to read holy scripture, you must understand that it is under license, and only to inform your conscience, not to dispute and make scripture. I gave you the Bible in your own tongue, but I am sorry to see that that most precious jewel, the word of God, has been disputed, rhymed, sung, and jangled in every ale house and every tavern in this realm. I, whom God has appointed His vicar here, will see these divisions extinct and those enormities corrected, or God should account me an unprofitable servant. Therefore, be of charity with one another, like brother and brother. Love, dread, and serve God, to which I, as your supreme head and sovereign lord exhort and require you. And I doubt not but that love and affinity which I spoke of at the beginning shall never be dissolved or broken between us.

What we must first decide is how best to approach Windsor, and in what manner to overcome the guards who surround the Prince and so remove him... For be there no doubt, gentlemen, he who possesses the heir to the throne will very soon possess the throne itself.

I think your faction is engaged in a fight to the death with Bishop Gardiner and his.

[nods] I will not hide the truth from you, Your Grace. The King's infirmity, and the youth of my nephew, make the question of succession urgent. The stakes could not possibly be higher.

And you desire to know, I assume, on which side of the argument I belong?

Your Grace, whether you will it or not, you carry a great weight of confidence and influence with the King and everyone knows that. But fewer people know that your wife the Duchess and my wife Anne, together with the Queen are as close on matters of religion as it is possible to be, and this close affinity has emboldened me now to approach Your Grace.

[angrily] Surely, your wife has told you that the Duchess and I are estranged, thus her affinities are not necessarily my own, and you do me a great disservice to assume that they are! [Hertford looks taken aback by his anger]

Your Grace, forgive me-

I do forgive you...I forgive you even for hounding poor, proud Surrey to his death, for it was his fault. [Hertford again looks taken aback] But as to religion, I have never read the Gospels and never shall. I am sure they enlighten you, but I prefer them to remain mysterious. And as to the promise of a better world, I can only say that England was merry before, and all things considered, I'd put all things were as they used to be, in times past.

[disappointed] Your Grace, if I do not have your support, may I ask if you will act against me?

I'm not sure if this is any answer, my Lord Hertford, but I've always been drawn to a phrase used by the French peasants: "Praise the God of all, drink the wine, and let the world be the world".

King Henry VIII

In these last days Your Grace, I have been thinking a great deal about loss. What loss Your Grace, is to man most irrecoverable?

His virtue.

King Henry VIII

No, for by his actions, he may redeem his virtue.

Then his honor.

King Henry VIII

No, for again he may find the means to recover it. Even if some man recovers his fortune he is lost.

Then I cannot say, Your Majesty.

King Henry VIII

Time,Your Grace. Of all losses, time is the most irrecuperable, for it could never be redeemed.

King Henry VIII

What are you doing here?

I have come to see my daughter. Why should that surprise you, Henry? [Mary walks in and stands next to Katherine] You have not always been kind to her. I have wept so often to see her alone, abandoned by her father.

King Henry VIII

Is that why you have come back ,Katherine? To chide me, for all that I am not?

She ought to be a long time married by now, she ought to have her own children.

King Henry VIII

(weakly) Go away. Shade. Go away, Katherine.

You have sent me away before,though I loved you. But I was still your wife in God's eyes- and still am. (both Katherine of Aragon and Mary disappear)

King Henry VIII

Why are you here?

Anne Boleyn

To see my daughter. She was the only pure thing in my life and in my life I neglected her, since she was only a girl and I wanted so much to give you a son but now I am so proud of her. Fiercely proud! She is so clever and [Elizabeth appears next to Anne] though she is like me in so many ways, she is not intemperate as I was. You must be proud of her too, Henry?

King Henry VIII

I am. I am very proud of her and I know how clever she is. And I wish that I could love her more, but from time to time she reminds me of you and what you did to me.

Anne Boleyn

I did nothing to you .(walks towards him) I was innocent. All the accusations against me were false. I thought you knew. Poor Katherine Howard, she lies in the cold ground next to me. Poor child. It was not her fault either . But we were like two moths drawn to the flame- and burned. (Anne walks away; Henry is visibly resisting tears)

King Henry VIII

Anne, please, don't! (Anne and Elizabeth disappear)

How is my son?

King Henry VIII

Jane. (he walks towards Jane) He is well. I have taken all care of him, sweet Jane. And soon he will be King.

My poor boy. My poor child!

King Henry VIII

No! He is the most beloved! (Edward appears next to Jane, attempts to walk toward Henry, but is gently halted by Jane) He is my special boy!

He will die young.

King Henry VIII

No! No!

Poor child, you expected too much of him! He was only a boy, kings too are made of clay and God forbid you locked him away from the world like your father did with you!

King Henry VIII

No!

Don't you understand?! You have killed him!

King Henry VIII

No! (turns away and starts to cry while Jane and Edward walk away)