Becoming Elizabeth: Did Elizabeth and Thomas Seymour End Up Together? – Becoming Elizabeth is a new American-British TV series that follows Queen Elizabeth I during her formative years. The release date has been set for June 12, 2022, on Starz. The series chronicles the early years of Queen Elizabeth I, an orphaned adolescent who becomes entangled in the politics of the English court in her quest for the throne.
Anya Reiss, a playwright and TV writer, wrote Becoming Elizabeth. As a result, the series marks a significant artistic departure from showrunner Emma Frost’s previous Philippa Gregory adaptations. Early Season 1 episode of Becoming Elizabeth revolves around the abusive relationship between the underage Elizabeth (Alicia von Rittberg) and her older, charming guardian Thomas Seymour. In contrast, those earlier shows structured their complicated court dramas around central romances (Tom Cullen).
Elizabeth, who is stubborn and educated, may believe she is starting a mutually beneficial relationship, but she is still too young and sheltered to grasp the bigger picture. It’s a tense seduction to witness, not least because Thomas Seymour famously eloped with Elizabeth’s stepmother, Catherine Parr, Henry VIII’s last wife (Jessica Raine). Moreover, Thomas’ objectives appear dubious, to say the least, in the power vacuum created by Henry’s death.
We’re curious if Thomas Seymour was able to marry Elizabeth. Is it true that they ended up together? This is what we learned about it.
Did Thomas Seymour and Elizabeth End up Together?
In real life, Elizabeth and Thomas did NOT end up together. In reality, their connection nearly destroyed her and resulted in a gory death for him. In ‘Becoming Elizabeth,’ we learn that Elizabeth was smitten by Thomas and pondered marrying him before learning that he had married Catherine, her stepmother. It’s a huge letdown for Elizabeth, who still has feelings for Thomas. However, things were not as they seemed in real life.
Thomas Seymour had always aspired to marry a princess, whether Elizabeth or her half-sister, Mary. He first noticed Elizabeth when she moved in with Catherine at Chelsea Manor. He even offered marriage to her, but she declined because she was still thirteen and grieving the loss of her father. So Seymour married Catherine about a month later.
Now that Thomas was a Chelsea resident, he was close to Elizabeth, allowing him to make moves on her. He would try to break into her bedchambers at all hours of the day and night. He had a tendency to enter her room when she was still in bed in the morning. During the day, he would tease her, slap her on the back, and corner her in the halls. With time, the harassment became more severe, and Elizabeth attempted to get up as early as possible to avoid having to see him first thing in the morning.
Catherine was not fooled by his actions, which she dismissed as harmless fun. She even participated in some of it, most notably when she held Elizabeth captive in the garden while Seymour hacked her robe to shreds with his sword. As her husband’s treatment of Elizabeth deteriorated, she decided to put a stop to it and sent the small girl to Hertfordshire.
Catherine died in 1548 due to complications from childbirth, giving Thomas a second chance to pursue Elizabeth. He made it plain that he wanted to marry her, but she kept her distance. Thomas’ elder brother, Lord Protector Edward Seymour, was well aware of his actions with the young princess. Thomas’ other plans to get close to the monarch were also known to him.
All of Thomas’ acts eventually ended in his capture and death in 1549. The investigation into his behaviour raised suspicions about Elizabeth. They were thought to have plotted together to marry, overthrow Edward VI, and take the throne for themselves. Elizabeth was cautious in her responses and used her wit to deflect any questions about her dignity or devotion to the monarch.
While the TV drama downplays Thomas’s vicious acts, its depiction of Elizabeth’s fascination with him isn’t wholly fictitious. In fact, it was thought that the adolescent princess harbored affection for him. She blushed frequently in his sight, and Catherine once caught a glimpse of her and Thomas kissing. The circumstances surrounding these observations, however, are unclear.
Her blushing could be due to embarrassment in front of her harasser. On the other hand, Catherine’s observations may have been the catalyst for Elizabeth’s departure from Chelsea. She might have wished to keep the girl safe from her husband. Regardless of how these events are interpreted, the fact that Elizabeth and Thomas did not end up together remains true, regardless of whether or not their feelings were reciprocal.
It's almost time! Don't miss the premiere of #BecomingElizabeth TOMORROW on STARZ. pic.twitter.com/I0hhVFrM3s
— Becoming Elizabeth (@BecomingSTARZ) June 11, 2022
Stream ‘Becoming Elizabeth’ premiere episode on Starz.
