Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, episode 2

Episode 2 of Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light makes two strong assertions as the historical BBC drama returns for season 2 – namely, that Cromwell is accused of conspiring to marry Lady Mary, which would have disastrous consequences without Henry’s permission, and that he proposed to Dorothy Wolsey. The episode presents the latter coming closely after the former, suggesting it is partly a move to combat any rumored intentions to marry Mary.

As the plot unfolds, historical fact dances with dramatic license. Sometimes this is done for visual effect, like juxtaposing Anne’s execution with Henry’s marriage to Jane Seymour. For the courtly political intrigue to work so well in the tense and brilliant series, the showrunners need to plant seeds for the downfall of Cromwell. They do this by introducing hints that there is a kernel of truth in accusations about his feelings for Lady Mary. However, the way they execute this is historically questionable.

Thomas Cromwell Commissioned A Medal For Mary In Real Life, Not A Ring

The Inscription About Obedience Would Have Been Too Long

In Wolf Hall season 2, episode 2, Thomas Cromwell is commissioning a ring as a gift for Lady Mary with an inscription praising obedience. The show uses deliberate ambiguity to push a romantic narrative between Thomas Cromwell and Lady Mary. Cromwell’s jeweler points out that a ring is considered a kind of promise and advises something else, reinforcing the romantic connotations of the gift. The message itself is far from romantic, instead having pious references.

This is the full Latin inscription Cromwell requested:

“Obedientia unitatem parit, Unitas animi quietem et constantiam; Constans vero animi quies thesaurus inestimabilis. Respexit humilitatem Qui in Filio nobis reliquit Perfectum humilitatis exemplar. Factus est obediens Patri, Et ipsa etiam natura parentibus Et patrie obediendum docuit.”

– via

British History

Translated into English, the inscription reads:

“Obedience gives birth to unity; unity of mind, quietness, and constancy. But constant peace of mind is an inestimable treasure. He looked at humility, who left us in the Son a perfect example of humility. He was made obedient to the Father, and nature itself also taught obedience to parents and country.”

It is simply improbable that this amount of inscription would fit on a ring and historians, such as Dermot McCullough in his biography Thomas Cromwell: A Revolutionary Life, have pointed this out. McCullough also claims the information regarding the commission was mistranslated, and the gift was more likely intended as a medallion. A medal would be much more fitting for the lengthy text. However, in Wolf Hall, Cromwell is shown to go ahead with a ring anyway, against his jeweler’s advice.

Thomas Cromwell’s Lady Mary Controversy Foreshadows His Downfall In Wolf Hall Season 2, Episode 2

Cromwell’s Downfall Is Still To Come, But Episode 2 Plants Seeds

So far in the new season, Lady Mary’s plight is a significant thread that runs through the story. Although the showrunners do not outright show Thomas Cromwell having a love affair with her, they seem to plant seeds to suggest feelings between them. In episode 1, this was Wolf Hall’s Cromwell persuading Mary to accept her illegitimacy to save her life and then comforting her tears with a hug. In real life, Cromwell bullied Mary into submission. According to Tudor Times, Cromwell told Mary:

“If you do not leave all sinister counsels […] I will never think you other than the most ungrateful, unnatural, and obstinate person living…”

This fundamental inaccuracy to make their connection more ambiguous and engaging continues in episode 2. The pair have a conversation around marriage and children that lingers in Cromwell’s mind afterward, remembering her saying how she would like to have a child of her own. However, this could be intended to speculate that Cromwell may have thought about Mary but never acted on it. Indeed, according to Tudor historian Kirsten Claiden-Yardley: “There is no evidence that Cromwell actually wanted to marry Mary – it would be a breathtaking piece of arrogance and stupidity…”

Cromwell is finally getting a taste of his own double-crossing medicine…

Aside from the fact that neither Henry VIII nor Lady Mary would likely have supported this match, however, the showrunners could be setting up the room for conjecture that would contribute to Thomas Cromwell’s downfall. Cromwell is finally getting a taste of his own double-crossing medicine – ultimately, his downfall was helped by the betrayal of an old friend, Thomas Wriothesley. He gave evidence to the council showing Cromwell’s apparent conspiracy to marry Mary.

It did not stop there. He also gave evidence that he made jokes about Henry’s inability to consummate his marriage with Anne of Cleves. One thing Henry VIII evidently could not stand was being embarrassed – a previous example of this was Anne Boleyn’s brother George. At his trial, he was given a list of accusations with a specific instruction from Cromwell not to read them aloud. However, he did, and they included a statement questioning the King’s virility. Some say this is what damned him (per On The Tudor Trail).

There Was No Real-Life Evidence For Thomas Cromwell’s Romantic Relationships Portrayed In Wolf Hall

The Mary Controversy Is Not The Only Possible Proposal Wolf Hall Explores

Mary is not the only potential match for Cromwell explored in season 2, episode 2 of Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light. Cardinal Wolsey’s daughter, Dorothy Wolsey, also makes an appearance. Once again, this part of Cromwell’s story is not verifiable. In the context of the episode, the showrunners seem to suggest that he proposed to her with a combination of desperation after first learning of the Mary controversy, and also a guilty conscience regarding Wolsey. However, there is no evidence he ever met Dorothy (per Kirsten Claiden-Yardley).

In addition, there is no historical evidence Thomas Cromwell had romantic feelings for Lady Mary, aside from some references in his records to her being his “valentine” which is more likely a part of the courtly love that was so central to decorum in the Tudor era. In this way, his arc could play out quite poetically. Exaggerated evidence stemming from courtly flirtation is what helped Cromwell take down Anne Boleyn, whose execution is shown in Wolf Hall season 2’s opening.

However, rumors that Cromwell seriously pursued Mary, as portrayed in Wolf Hall, were likely driven by jealousy about his rise to power. He married his son Gregory off to Elizabeth Seymour, so this connection to the King would likely have been enough for him, ever the tactician.

Sources: British History, Dermot McCullough, Thomas Cromwell: A Revolutionary Life, Kirsten Claiden-Yardley, On The Tudor Trail