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In some nonfiction works (usually where the author or the historian is especially sympathetic to COA), I’ve read the take that Henry’ VIII’s acknowledgement and ennoblement of his son was unconscionable and/or unconscionably cruel. 

Now…I don’t think this was particularly a considerate thing for him to do concerning his wife, obviously (although the adultery itself is…more so, I would think? the pregnancy and child was simply the result/proof of it).

And I’m wondering what, conversely, these writers think he should have done instead? Because usually it seems less like they’re implying “well, he just shouldn’t have committed adultery in the first place” (which tends to be…an argument not made often, because what is ‘shouldn’t’ to a king, esp. when it’s kind of de rigueur) and more like “it’s fine to commit adultery, but he should at least have to decency to conceal it/lie about it” and I don’t really think that makes it, like……better….

So, yeah, conversely he was supposed to…what? Be like “good luck with all that” to Bessie Blount? Pull an #IDon’tKnowHer ?

Because the ennoblement and acknowledgement certainly wasn’t, like I said, considerate to COA. But I don’t think it was “unconscionable”– what would’ve been more so would be, actually, to do the opposite of what he had done: not acknowledge him, not title him, not extend lands/incomes, not arrange a noble marriage for his former mistress, not grant her property, etc. 

I’ve also read that if she’d had a daughter, he never would have acknowledged her, and that he only acknowledged Henry Fiztroy to “rub salt in [COA’s] wounds for not having had a living son yet”.

While I’m sure they read his secret diary and thusly know all his motivations behind every decision, I don’t have this diary and so…don’t know.

But also? We don’t really know that, because that isn’t what happened. He may well have acknowledged an illegitimate daughter (although people say one of Mary Boleyn’s was his, and a few other women’s daughters were his, there’s no definitive proof), although I don’t think he would’ve titled a potential bastard daughter by Blount as “Duchess of Richmond”– hereditary titles/peerages weren’t typically given to even women of legitimate birth (besides the Countess of Salisbury in 1512, and later the Marquess of Pembroke for Anne), much less illegitimate ones. He was probably far too much of a traditionalist for that [which, you know, he was…….save for the whole Thousand Year Break With Anglican Tradition to Marry ‘The One’ (of Six) thing].