How did Cardinal Wolsey die in Wolf Hall – and why is he in season 2?
Thomas Cromwell is still thinking of his late mentor.
What Wolf Hall's Cardinal Wolsey (Jonathan Pryce) may lack in screen time, he certainly makes up for in plot relevance, with the events of the first season largely revolving around his lonely demise.
The religious leader was a mentor of sorts to Thomas Cromwell (Mark Rylance) and a powerful figure while in favour with King Henry VIII (Damian Lewis), but that all changed as the monarch's marriage to Catherine of Aragon (Joanne Whalley) fell apart.
The king grew bitter towards his first wife as she had been unable to give him a son, and sought a divorce that would allow him to marry Anne Boleyn (Claire Foy) instead.
The chaos this course of action caused is what defined Cardinal Wolsey's final years, with the statesman facing treason charges at the very end.
Here's what you need to know before watching Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light.
How did Cardinal Wolsey die?
Cardinal Wolsey died of an illness on the way back to London to face treason charges.
In the first season of Wolf Hall, we see Wolsey flee London for Yorkshire in the hopes of escaping the wrath of the king, who was furious that he had not secured a deal with the Roman Catholic Church that would allow him to divorce.
Cromwell kept some hope that the king would eventually calm down and come to his senses, but alas, this moment never came. Instead, men were sent to bring Wolsey back to London accused of treason – likely to be executed.
The Cardinal's general health had been declining for some time – in his late 50s, he had surpassed the average life expectancy of the period – and at the time of his arrest, he had been suffering nasty symptoms.
Sheffield Tribune writes that, during the long journey from Yorkshire to London, Wolsey suffered severe diarrhoea which took on a black colour that modern doctors suggest was caused by internal bleeding of the stomach or small intestine.
Wolsey and his party made it almost halfway to London, with their final stop being Leicester, where the Cardinal succumbed to his illness and was buried in an unmarked grave.
The death of his mentor was devastating for Thomas Cromwell, who is imagined in Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall to have exacted terrible revenge on those who made light of it.
In season 1, a play for King Henry VIII and his new wife Anne Boleyn makes a mockery of Wolsey's death and implies that he would be dragged straight to hell – a farce that Cromwell finds deeply offensive.
Years later, when Henry's marriage to Anne was disintegrating, he is depicted in the show of fabricating adulterous claims between the queen and the men in the play for their disrespect towards the cardinal.
This part of the story is a fictionalised account of events from Mantel's rich imagination, but it is true that Cromwell was loyal to Wolsey when many others had turned their back on him.
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Why is Cardinal Wolsey in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light?
Despite his demise occurring in the first season of Wolf Hall, actor Jonathan Pryce does return as Cardinal Wolsey for the belated sequel The Mirror and the Light.
He appears as a figment of Thomas Cromwell's imagination, giving his opinion on events unfolding and offering sage advice – and warnings – to his former protege.
Pryce has certainly been busy since the first season of Wolf Hall, earning an Academy Award nomination for his performance in The Two Popes, and joining the cast of acclaimed dramas The Crown, Slow Horses and 3 Body Problem.
Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light premieres on BBC One and iPlayer on Sunday 10th November.
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Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
