Two stories dominate Henry VIII: the fall of Cardinal Wolsey, Henry’s powerful advisor, and Henry’s quest to divorce Queen Katherine, who has not borne him a male heir, and marry Anne Bullen (Boleyn). Buckingham is told, by the Duke of Norfolk, of the meeting between Henry VIII and Francis I (of France) at the Field of the Cloth of Gold, and he questions the taxes imposed by Cardinal Wolsey to fund the French war. Upon learning of this, Wolsey has Buckingham arrested for treason. Queen Katherine interrupts the trail to voice her objections over the tax. At a party held by the Cardinal, Henry meets Anne Bullen and is immediately smitten. Meanwhile, Buckingham is tried and testimony from a bribed witness leads to his execution. Dukes Norfolk and Suffolk try to turn the king against Wolsey, to no avail. Henry, eager to marry Anne, sets up a tribunal to question his marriage to Katherine, presided over by Wolsey and Cardinal Campeius. Anne becomes the Marchioness of Pembroke. Katherine refuses to be judged by these clergy, and demands the case be decided in Rome. Wolsey and Campeius attempt to convince Katherine to throw herself upon the king's mercy, but fail. In secret, Henry and Anne marry. The attempts of the Dukes Norfolk and Suffolk to lift the veil on Cardinal Wolsey's activities are finally successful and Wolsey is arrested. While imprisoned, he falls sick and dies. Meanwhile, Katherine is divorced and Anne is crowned queen. Upon hearing of Wolsey's death, Katherine also falls sick and dies. Anne gives birth to a girl, who will grow up to become Queen Elizabeth, and Archbishop Cranmer predicts a glorious and prosperous reign for the future queen.