Henry prepares for war with France but receives cautious counsel from the powerful Cardinal Wolsey, who urges a peace treaty; the king learns that his queen's lady-in-waiting Elizabeth Blount is pregnant with his child.

Henry contemplates an alliance with Holy Roman Emperor Charles V of Spain despite his "Field of Cloth of Gold" ceremony celebrating allegiance to France, and executes a rival; Elizabeth gives birth to the king's illegitimate son.

A visit from Charles V forces Henry to conceal his growing disaffection from Queen Katherine, who is the influential Spanish monarch's aunt - even as Henry comes face-to-face with the seductive Anne Boleyn for the first time.

Despite being named "Defender of the Faith" by the Pope, Henry begins to scheme to replace his queen with the more desirable Anne Boleyn, as court intrigues involving Princess Margaret and plots against Cardinal Wolsey intensify.

Henry is stunned by a reversal in his alliance with Charles V and forced to look elsewhere for European support, while an insulted Anne Boleyn refuses his offer of permanent mistress status, inflaming his desire to marry her.

An increasingly confident Henry VIII grows dissatisfied with the Catholic Church's progress with his petition for an annulment of his marriage, making Cardinal Wolsey further vulnerable to conspirators.

The country is struck down with food shortages and an outbreak of plague, forcing the normally buoyant Henry to doubt his future and abilities - but a sudden change in fortunes is on the horizon.

A special envoy from the Pope arrives to hear Henry's petition regarding the legitimacy of his marriage, with the fate of Cardinal Wolsey's career, the king's romance with Anne Boleyn, and the nation's relationship with Rome in the balance.

The fall from grace and power of Cardinal Wolsey is fast and merciless, with the one-time Lord Chancellor stripped of authority and influence. His replacement is an unusual choice: the morally righteous Sir Thomas More.

A disgraced Cardinal Wolsey tries one last, desperate gambit to resurrect his career by allying himself with the similarly fallen Queen Katherine, but the king's new advisors learn of their plot.