Anne Boleyn

There is some debate over the date of Anne Boleyn’s birth year; it could have been as early as 1501 or as late as 1507. What is known is that she was born to Sir Thomas Boleyn, a successful diplomat, and his wife, Lady Elizabeth Howard, in Norfolk.

Her early education was typical for women of her class: arithmetic, her family's genealogy, grammar, history, reading, spelling, and writing. She was also taught domestic skills, dancing, embroidery, good manners, household management, music, needlework, and singing. She also loved to play cards, chess, and dice and was taught archery, falconry, riding, and hunting. Due to her father’s charm and diplomacy, Anne was offered a place in the household of Margaret of Austria. She stayed at the Court of Savoy in Mechelen from the spring of 1513 until October 1514. Margaret once wrote to Sir Thomas about his daughter, telling him that she was "so presentable and so pleasant, considering her youthful age, that I am more beholden to you for sending her to me than you to me".

Anne accompanied Princess Mary Tudor on her journey to France to marry the French king. Anne was a maid of honour to Queen Mary and then to Mary's 15-year-old stepdaughter, Queen Claude, with whom she stayed nearly seven years. While at the French court, she continued studying French and developed interests in art, fashion, illuminated manuscripts, literature, music, poetry, and religious philosophy. She also acquired knowledge of French culture, dance, and etiquette and gained experience in flirtation and courtly love. Although opinions differed on her physical beauty, all agreed she had a charm and grace like no other.

Anne was recalled to England when discussions of marriage with her cousin James Butler began. The marriage was supposed to settle a dispute over the Earldom of Ormond, but the negotiations broke down and the plan was abandoned.

Anne made her debut at the English court in a pageant in honour of the imperial ambassadors in March 1522. She quickly established herself as one of the most stylish and accomplished women at the court, and soon a number of young men were competing for her attention.

Anne was courted by Henry Percy, son of the Earl of Northumberland, and she entered into a secret betrothal with him. The romance was broken off when Percy's father refused to support their engagement, and Anne was sent from court to her family's countryside estates. Upon her return to court, she entered the service of Catherine of Aragon.

In 1526, Henry VIII became enamoured of Anne and began his pursuit, but Anne was no fool and refused to become his mistress, for she knew all mistresses were cast away eventually. Egged on by her ambitious father and uncle, Anne held out for a more lucrative relationship with her new admirer. As the possibility of an annulment of Henry’s marriage to Queen Katherine seemed more possible, Anne was even more determined that she would not yield to him as anything other than his acknowledged queen. She began to take her place at his side in policy and in state, but not yet in his bed. Surviving letters between the couple show that for most of their courtship, their love was unconsummated.

During this premarital period, Anne was given leave to grant petitions, receive diplomats, and give patronage. She also played an important role in England's international diplomacy.

Henry bestowed titles and estates upon her, making her one of the richest women in England. Her family members were also elevated and given titles and lands.

Things needed to move swiftly when Anne became pregnant with what was thought to be the male heir Henry had longed for, and they secretly married. In May 1533, Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury, sat in judgement at a special court convened to rule on the validity of Henry's marriage to Katherine. He declared it null and void, and five days later, the marriage of Henry and Anne was deemed good and valid. Katherine was stripped of her title of queen. Anne was crowned queen consort in June 1533 in a magnificent ceremony at Westminster Abbey. Unlike any other queen consort, Anne was crowned with St Edward's Crown, which had previously been used to crown only monarchs.

Anne settled into a quiet routine at the king's favourite residence, Greenwich Palace, to prepare for the birth of her baby. The child was born slightly prematurely in September 1533; it was not the long-awaited for boy but a girl who was named Elizabeth, possibly after her two grandmothers. Despite the initial disappointment of the princess’ birth, she was given a splendid christening. The royal couple went through bouts of blissful happiness and affection interrupted by tantrums and discord. The very personality that had attracted Henry to Anne, her brilliant intelligence, political acumen, and forward manners, although desirable in a mistress, were unacceptable in a wife, and she and the king butted heads many times. After a stillbirth in 1534, Henry briefly discussed ways to rid himself of Anne without having to return to Katherine. But by the summer of 1535, the couple had reconciled, and Anne was pregnant again by October.

After Katherine of Aragon’s death, Henry began paying court to one of Anne’s ladies, Jane Seymour. Anne miscarried her baby on the day that Katherine of Aragon was buried; it is said the miscarriage was caused when she came upon the King and Jane Seymour sitting on his lap flirting intimately.

With their relationship dwindling and Henry no longer under threat of having to return to Katherine if he annulled his marriage to Anne, he sought to rid himself of his second queen.

Charges of witchcraft, adultery, treason, and incest were levied against Anne and some of her courtiers. They were charged and arrested, and all but two were sentenced to death. Henry commuted Anne’s punishment from burning to beheading; an expert swordsman was dispatched from Calais to do the job.

On the morning of Friday, May 19, Anne was taken to a scaffold erected on the north side of the White Tower, accompanied by two female attendants. Anne climbed the scaffold and made a short speech to the crowd. It is thought that Anne avoided criticising Henry to save Elizabeth and her family from further consequences, but at the same time, Anne did not confess guilt and indeed subtly implied her innocence.

It took a single stroke to end the queen’s life and was witnessed by Thomas Cromwell, Charles Brandon, the king's illegitimate son, Henry FitzRoy, and other members of the king’s Privy Council. She was then buried in an unmarked grave in the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula. Her skeleton was identified during renovations of the chapel in 1876, and her grave is now identified.

Anne's grave marker. Portrait of Anne Boleyn.

Sources:

The Lady in the Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn, Alison Weir

The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn, Eric Ives

The Rise and Fall of Anne Boleyn: Family Politics at the Court of Henry VIII, Retha M. Warnicke

The Age of Anne Boleyn, Gareth Russell