WOMEN IN HISTORY

Anne Boleyn was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of King Henry VIII. Their marriage and her execution by beheading, made her a key feature in the political and religious upheaval that was the start of the English Reformation.

Born: Blickling Estate, Blickling.

Died: 19th May 1536, Tower of London

Buried: 19th May 1536, Church of St.Peter and Vincula, London

House: Boleyn family

Children: Elizabeth I / Henry Tudor (stillborn)

Parents: Thomas Boleyn and Elizabeth Boleyn

The events surrounding the annulment of Henry’s marriage to his first wife, (Catherine of Aragon) and his marriage to Anne, led him to break with the Roman Catholic Church and brought about the English Reformation.

After spending part of her childhood in France, Anne returned to England in 1522 and lived at Henry’s court and drew many admirers. A desired marriage with Lord Henry Percy was prevented on Henry’s orders by Cardinal Wolsey, and at some point the King fell in love with Anne. In 1527, Henry initiated secret proceedings to obtain an annulment from his first marriage. King Henry VIII’s ultimate aim was to father a legitimate male heir to the throne. The pope refused but this only strengthened his passion for Anne and his determination to be rid of Catherine of Aragon. In 1533, Henry and Anne were secretly married. The union was made public in Easter of the same year and in May, Henry had the Archbishop of Canterbury (Thomas Cranmer) pronounce the first marriage null and void. In September, Anne gave birth to a daughter, the future Queen Elizabeth I.

Anne’s arrogant behaviour soon made her unpopular at court. Although Henry lost interest in Anne and began liaisons with other women, the birth of a son might have saved the marriage. Anne had a miscarriage in 1534, and in 1536, gave birth to a stillborn male child. On May 2nd, 1536, the King had Anne committed to the Tower of London on the charge of adultery and even incest. Anne was tried by a court of peers, unanimously convicted, and beheaded on May 19th, 1536.

“The King has been very good to me. He promoted me from a simple maid to be a marchioness. The he raise me to be a Queen. Now he will raise me to be a martyr.” Anne Boleyn.

Anne’s childhood was idyllic. Her father was a favourite of King Henry VIII, and the Boleyns were widely considered one of Britain’s top families at the time. Anne and her siblings were given all the luxuries of their station, and grew up comfortably in the quaint Hever Castle in Kent.

Anne was slim and dark, with long black hair and brown eyes. Men thought she was captivating. Her friends knew her as a lively, quick-witted and charming girl who loved a game of cards. Anne also had a dark side though. She was moody, sharp-tongued and very quick to anger, but she cleverly hid this beneath her jovial attitude.

The Boleyns were not always so ‘well-to-do’ and Anne was not from Royalty from birth. Her early relatives were hard-working and successful peasants, even Anne’s great-grandfather was a humble hatter. Yet, he was well-respected and ‘smart’ with his money, growing his wealth and establishing the Boleyn family.

An interesting fact about Anne is that while travelling in the Netherlands with her father, Anne caught the eye of the powerful and wealthy Princess Margaret of Austria. The ruler was so impressed with her “little Boleyn” that she made Anne a ward of her own personal household, and started teaching Anne courtly manners. In 1514, when Anne was barely a teen, she became maid to the new French Queen Mary, and then to Mary’s step-daughter Claude. Anne stayed in France for roughly seven years, soaking up all the customs from the French court. All of this during the formative stages of Anne’s life, emerging as a full-blown woman.

When Anne made her debut at the English court, she ‘vibrated with magnetic new girl energy.’ Anne shone in an elaborate choreographed dance with the other ladies of the court, looking resplendent in a white gown with exquisite gold embroidery. After this, the name “Anne Boleyn” became synonymous with class, style and jealousy. People went wild for Anne’s very exotic “French” way of moving and dressing, and her continental style inspired several fashions at court.

Whilst at court, Anne fell in love with Henry Percy (heir to the Earl of Northumberland) and the couple became secretly engaged. King Henry VIII put a stop to the romance, as now Anne had caught the King’s eye. Anne was heart-broken. The King now started to pursue Anne in earnest (1526). His interest in Anne was controversial because he was married to Catherine of Aragon but also was having an affair with Anne’s older sister, Mary. Henry promised Anne many things (such as making her his ‘Chief Mistress). Anne refused him at every turn. Not only was Anne heart-broken but she also may have had a ‘higher title’ in mind. After almost a year of trying to seduce Anne, Henry finally gave in and asked her to be his bride. Anne and Henry thought the first marriage could easily be annulled. Now Anne gave in to the King but only after the seven long years of Henry breaking with the Catholic Church and getting his annulment.

In 1528, Anne nearly died of the ‘sweating sickness’ (a type of influenza). The disease was notable because of how quickly it could kill the young and healthy. Henry was terrified of the disease (he was a known germaphobe), and when it killed one of Anne’s ladies, he sent Anne home to Kent. Anne was infected and the King sent one of his best doctor’s to treat Anne. When Anne survived, King Henry VIII became even more determined to make Anne his queen.

The people were not on Anne and Henry’s side. They adored Catherine of Aragon and blamed Anne for splitting the first marriage up. They called her the “King’s Whore” and accused Anne of witchcraft.

Whilst waiting to become queen, Anne started to take control of matters of state, and became one of the King’s most trusted influential advisors. Henry named Anne “Marquess of Pembroke”, a title which placed her above all other men and women at court. In 1533, Anne finally became Queen Consort. The couple had already married in secret before Anne’s extravagant coronation.

Anne was now pregnant and settled down ready to give Henry a son. A daughter was born, the now famous Queen Elizabeth I.

Now that Anne was Queen, her temper became legendary. One time, Anne was so disgusted and angry with her uncle she yelled at him with words that “shouldn’t be used to a dog.” The King began to resent Anne’s sharp intelligence and her sharp tongue, demanding that she submit to him as his “wife” and not as his equal. Henry and Anne’s relationship was volatile, some characterized it as “storm followed sunshine, sunshine followed storm.” Henry’s eye soon wandered again and he turned his attentions to Jane Seymour, who eventually became his third wife and who gave Henry the son he so wanted. Jane was Anne’s second cousin.

Anne was now on “thin ice” with Henry. She had suffered a miscarriage after the birth of her daughter, but was pregnant again and hoping to give Henry a son. Anne lost her baby which was a boy. This was the beginning of the end for Anne Boleyn. In May 1536, Henry claimed he had been “seduced” and “enchanted” into marriage and had Anne locked up in the Tower of London. Anne was accused of adultery, even incest with her brother, and charged with plotting to kill the King. These ‘charges’ were probably false, with Henry wanting to get rid of this disastrous second marriage. He wanted his son and male heir! Henry had Anne beheaded by an expert swordsman.

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