‘But as the crowned Queen of England . . .’

‘I am married to the king, but not crowned queen,’ I say. ‘Instead of my coronation in February I had a formal welcome into London, and now I expect to be crowned after Easter. I have not yet been paid my allowance as queen. I have no money.’

He looks a little anxious. ‘I take it there is no difficulty? The coronation will go ahead?’

‘Well, you will have brought the papers that the king requires?’

‘What papers?’

I can feel my temper rising. ‘The papers that prove that my earlier betrothal was annulled. The king demanded them, Counts Overstein and Olisleger swore that they would send them. They swore on their honour. You must have them.’

His face is quite aghast. ‘I have nothing! Nobody said anything about these papers to me.’

I am stammering in my own language, I am so distraught. ‘But there could be nothing more important! My wedding was delayed because there was fear of a pre-contract. The emissaries from Cleves swore that they would send the evidence as soon as they got home. They had to offer themselves as hostages. They must have told you. You must have them! They offered themselves as security!’

‘They said nothing to me,’ he repeats. ‘And the duke your brother insisted that I delayed my journey to meet with them. Can they have forgotten such a thing?’

At the mention of my brother the fight goes out of me. ‘No,’ I say wearily. ‘My brother agreed to this marriage but does not assist me. He does not seem to care for my embarrassment. Sometimes I fear that he has sent me to this country just to humiliate me.’

He is shocked. ‘But why? How can such a thing be?’

I pull myself back from indiscretion. ‘Oh, who knows? Things occur between children in the nursery and are never forgotten or forgiven. You must write to him at once and tell him that I have to have the evidence that shows my earlier betrothal was annulled. You have to persuade him to send it. Tell him that without it, I can do nothing, I can have no influence on the king. Tell him that without it we appear guilty of double dealing. The king could suspect us, and he would be right to suspect us. Ask my brother if he wants my very marriage to be questioned? If he wants me sent home in disgrace? If he wants this marriage annulled? If he wants me crowned queen? Because every day that we delay we give the king grounds for suspicion.’

‘The king would never . . .’ he begins. ‘Everybody must know . . .’

‘The king will please himself,’ I say fiercely. ‘That is the first thing that you learn in this court. The king is king, and head of the church, he is a tyrant who answers to nobody. He rules men’s bodies and their souls. He speaks for God in this country. He himself believes that he knows God’s will, that God speaks directly through him, that he is God on earth. He will do exactly what he wishes and he will decide if it is right or wrong, and then he will say that God wills it. Tell my brother that he puts me in very real danger and discomfort if he fails me in this one small thing. He has to send the documents or I fear for myself.’