Mary shortly before, "as if she were God Almighty,"
as Anne said. In defiance of Henry's threats, "God save the Queen" rang
high and clear wherever she went, and the people, "wishing her joy,
comfort, and all manner of prosperity, and mishap to her enemies, begged
her with tears to let them serve her; for they were all ready to die for
her sake."[108] Anne's spite at such demonstrations was characteristic.
Katharine possessed a very rich and gorgeous length of stuff, which she
had brought from Spain to serve as a christening robe if she should have a
son and heir. Anne's time was drawing near, and she would not be content
until the King had demanded of his wife the Spanish material to serve as a
robe for the Prince of Wales, which he was confident would be born to
Anne. "God forbid," replied Katharine, "that I should ever give help or
countenance in a case so horrible and abominable as this!" and the
indignity of forcible searching of her chests for the stuff at least was
not insisted upon then.

Anne's own position was hardly a happy one; her one hope being that the
coming child would be a son, as the King was assured by astrologers that
it would be. For amorous Henry was already tiring somewhat of her, and
even Cromwell's tone was less confident than before. Early in August,
Henry left her at Greenwich to go to Windsor alone, for the first time
since they had been together. Sometime in July she had insisted upon a
very sumptuous bed, which had formed part of a French royal ransom, being
taken out of the treasure-room for the birth of the expected heir. It is
well, sneered Chapuys, in the first days of September, that she got it
betimes, "otherwise she would not have it now, for she has been for some
time past very jealous of the King; and, with good cause, spoke about it
in words that he did not like. He told her that she must wink at such
things, and put up with them, as her betters had done before her. He could
at any time cast her down as easily as he had raised her." Frequent
bickerings of this sort went on during the last weeks of Anne's pregnancy;
but on Sunday, 7th September, the day that was to heal all differences
came. Henry had defied the greatest power in the world, had acted basely
and brutally to his legal wife, and had incurred the reprobation of his
own people for the sake of having a son, and on the fateful day mentioned
a fair girl baby was born to Anne at Greenwich.

The official rejoicings were he