Alessandro Farnese

Alessandro Farnese ranks among the top candidates to succeed Pope Clement VII as leader of the Roman Catholic Church. Cromwell weighs his chances, citing Farnese's children as a mark of his worldly status and the shifting alliances that boost his papal prospects. Farnese navigates the College of Cardinals with ties to Italian families and European courts, balancing reform demands from England against entrenched Curial power. His potential election shapes the church's response to Henry's schism.