Страница 110 из 110
On the question of the document at the heart of the tale, it is clear that King Henry VIII became increasingly concerned about his prospects for the afterlife as he grew older. His break with the Church of Rome had left England isolated from the heart of Europe and late in his reign he was keen to rebuild relations with the Catholic powers. The sticking point was the Pope’s demand that the possessions the Catholic Church had lost during the Reformation should be returned. Any attempt to strip the assets from those who had profited from the confiscation of Church property would have split the English ruling class right down the middle and the threat of civil war would have been unavoidable. Hence the desperate attempt by Sir Robert Cecil and Sir Francis Walsingham to secure the will that I have depicted in this novel.