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14 | <Metadata name="Title">Anne Boleyn: Biography, Portraits, Primary Sources</Metadata>
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36 | </Description>
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37 | <Content>
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38 | <table border="0" cellpadding="3" height="667" width="100%">
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39 | <tbody>
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40 | <tr>
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41 | <td height="29" width="25%"><br>
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42 | </td>
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43 | <td height="29" valign="top" width="50%">
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44 | <p align="center"><font size="4"><br>'[A] woman who is the scandal of
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45 | Christendom.'<br>
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46 | </font><i><font size="-1">Katharine of Aragon describes her
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47 | rival, 1531</font></i></p>
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48 | </td>
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49 | </tr>
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50 | <tr>
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51 | <td height="610" width="25%"><br>
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52 | </td>
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53 | <td height="610" valign="top" width="50%">
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54 | <p align="center">
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55 | &nbsp;</p>
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56 | <p align="center">
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57 | <img src="_httpdocimg_/boleyncardinalbig.gif" alt="Anne Boleyn" border="0" height="90" width="352"></p>
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58 | <p align="center"> <b>
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59 | <img src="_httpdocimg_/boleynmainjpg.jpg" alt="the most famous portrait of Anne Boleyn; at the NPG, London" border="2" height="357" width="275"></b></p>
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60 | <p align="center"> <i><font size="2">portrait of Anne Boleyn by an unknown
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61 | artist, late 16th century</font></i></p>
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62 | <p> <b> <br>Anne Boleyn is one of the most famous queens
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63 | in English history, though she ruled for just three years.&nbsp; The
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64 | daughter of an ambitious knight and niece of the duke of Norfolk, Anne
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65 | spent her adolescence in France.&nbsp; When she returned to England,
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66 | her wit and style were her greatest charms.&nbsp; She had a circle of
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67 | admirers and became secretly engaged to Henry Percy.&nbsp; She also
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68 | entered the service of Katharine of Aragon.&nbsp; But she soon caught
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69 | the eye of Henry VIII.&nbsp; He ordered Percy from court and tried to
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70 | make Anne his mistress.&nbsp; She refused.&nbsp; Her sister, Mary, had
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71 | been the king's mistress and gained little from it but scandal.&nbsp;
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72 | Her hopes with Percy dashed, Anne demanded that the king marry
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73 | her.&nbsp; She waited nearly seven years for Henry to obtain an
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74 | annulment.&nbsp; It finally took an irrevocable breach with the Holy
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75 | See before they wed in 1533.&nbsp; But she was unable to give Henry the
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76 | son he desperately needed and their marriage ended tragically for
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77 | Anne.&nbsp; She was executed on patently false charges of witchcraft,
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78 | incest and adultery on 19 May 1536.&nbsp; Her daughter, Elizabeth,
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79 | would become England's greatest queen.</b></p>
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80 | <blockquote>
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81 | <p><a href="_httpsamepagelink_#Biography"><br>
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82 | <font size="4">Read the biography of Anne Boleyn</font></a><font size="4">.</font></p>
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83 | <p><b><br>
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84 | Primary Sources</b> <br>
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85 | Read <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fletters.html">letters
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86 | written by Anne</a>.&nbsp; <br>
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87 | <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fab-percy.html">The
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88 | romance between Anne &amp; Henry Percy,</a> c1523&nbsp; <br>
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89 | Eyewitness accounts of <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fprianne1.html">her coronation in
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90 | 1533</a> &amp; <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fprianne2.html">her
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91 | execution in 1536</a>.&nbsp; <br>
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92 | <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fab-lastdays.html">An
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93 | account of Anne's last days</a> <br>
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94 | <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fprianne3.html">Anne's
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95 | last words</a>, 19 May 1536&nbsp; <br>
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96 | <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fexanne.html">Another
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97 | account of her execution</a></p>
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98 | <p>
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99 | <b>Secondary Sources<br></b>Read JA Froude's 1891 work <i>
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100 | <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fsecondary.html">The Divorce
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101 | of Catherine of Aragon</a></i>.&nbsp; <font size="2">Understandably, it also
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102 | discusses Anne Boleyn as well as Henry VIII's rumored affair with her
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103 | sister Mary.</font></p>
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104 | </blockquote>
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105 | <blockquote>
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106 | <p><a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fannedesc.html">Contemporary
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107 | descriptions of Anne</a> <br>
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108 | <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2flovelett.html">Henry
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109 | VIII's love letters to Anne</a> <br>
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110 | <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fboleyn-poems.html">Poetry
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111 | about Anne Boleyn</a> </p>
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112 | <p>Visit <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.marileecody.com%2fimages.html">Tudor
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113 | England: Images</a> to view portraits of Anne.&nbsp; <br>
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114 | Visit the <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2feliz.html">Queen
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115 | Elizabeth I site</a> to learn more about Anne's daughter.&nbsp; <br>
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116 | Read about Anne's sister, <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fcitizens%2fboleyn.html">Mary Boleyn</a>.<a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2ffiveanne.html"><br>The
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117 | Boleyn-Howard connection</a> <br>
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118 | <font size="-1">Anne's relationship to Henry VIII's fifth wife</font>
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119 | </p>
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120 | <p>Test your knowledge of Anne Boleyn's life at <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2ftudor1.html">Tudor Quizzes</a>.</p>
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121 | <p><font size="2"><b><br>Links<br></b>
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122 | <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.geocities.com%2fboleynfamily">The Boleyns</a>: A
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123 | website dedicated to the entire Boleyn family, with particular emphasis
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124 | upon Anne.<br><a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fjack-of-all-trades.ca%2fmeandmine">Me and Mine</a>:
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125 | Biography and images of Anne Boleyn.</font></p>
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126 | <p><font size="2"><b><br>
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127 | Interact<br>
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128 | </b> Meet other Anne Boleyn enthusiasts at <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.fine-eyes.net%2fanneboleyn%2findextwo.html">Mistress
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129 | Anne: The Official Anne Boleyn Fanlisting</a>.<br>
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130 | Meet other Six Wives enthusiasts at <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fladiesallfanlist.cjb.net">Ladies All: A Fanlisting for
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131 | the Six Wives of Henry VIII</a>.<a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fgroups.yahoo.com%2fsearch%3fquery%3dAnne%2bBoleyn"><br>
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132 | Anne Boleyn at Yahoo! Groups</a>&nbsp; There are numerous groups
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133 | dedicated to Anne.&nbsp; I think you need a Yahoo! ID to join.<br>
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134 | <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2ftudorhistory.org%2flists%2flist.html"> Tudor Talk </a>&nbsp;This
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135 | email discussion list is sponsored by Tudorhistory.org.&nbsp; It does
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136 | not focus exclusively on Anne.<br>
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137 | <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fgroups.yahoo.com%2fgroup%2fReign%5fof%5fthe%5fTudors%5frpg">Reign
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138 | of the Tudors</a>&nbsp; This is a role-playing game set in 16th century
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139 | England.&nbsp; If you would like to 'play' Jane Grey or Anne Boleyn or
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140 | other Tudors, click the link to join.</font></p>
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141 | <p><br>
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142 | <b>NEWS&nbsp;&nbsp; September 2004<br>The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn:
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143 | The Most Happy</b> by Eric Ives has just been published
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144 | <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.amazon.co.uk%2fexec%2fobidos%2fASIN%2f0631234799%2fqid%3d1096393233%2fref%3dsr%5f8%5fxs%5fap%5fi1%5fxgl%2f026-3687195-0558069">
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145 | in the UK</a> and
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146 | <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.amazon.com%2fexec%2fobidos%2ftg%2fdetail%2f-%2f0631234799%2fqid%3d1096393461%2fsr%3d8-1%2fref%3dsr%5f8%5fxs%5fap%5fi1%5fxgl14%2f002-7093489-7046463%3fv%3dglance%26amp;s%3dbooks%26amp;n%3d507846">
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147 | US</a>.&nbsp; I will be posting a lengthy review soon.&nbsp;
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148 | <font size="2">Professor Ives had previously written the definitive
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149 | biography of Anne in 1986; this work incorporates new research.</font></p>
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150 | <p>
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151 | <b><br>
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152 | Anne
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153 | Boleyn: A New Life of England's Tragic Queen</b> by Joanna Denny
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154 | was published
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155 | <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.amazon.co.uk%2fexec%2fobidos%2fASIN%2f074995017X%2fqid%3d1076882496%2fsr%3d2-2%2fref%3dsr%5f2%5f11%5f2%2f026-9295844-3953254">in the UK</a>
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156 | in April 2004.</p>
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157 | <hr>
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158 | <p><font size="2">The above portrait of Anne Boleyn is a late
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159 | 16th copy of a lost original.&nbsp; It can be viewed at the National Portrait
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160 | Gallery, London.</font></p>
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161 | <hr> </blockquote>
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162 | </td>
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163 | <td height="610" width="25%"><br>
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164 | </td>
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165 | </tr>
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166 | </tbody>
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167 | </table>
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168 | <blockquote>
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169 | <blockquote>
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170 | <blockquote>
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171 | <p align="left"><font size="4"><br>
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172 | <br>
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173 | </font><a name="Biography"><br>
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174 | </a><font size="4">'She is of middling stature, with a swarthy
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175 | complexion, long neck, wide mouth, bosom not much raised, and in fact
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176 | has nothing but the King's great appetite, and her eyes, which are
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177 | black and beautiful - and take great effect on those who served the
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178 | Queen when she was on the throne.&nbsp; She lives like a queen, and the
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179 | King accompanies her to Mass - and everywhere.'&nbsp;&nbsp; </font><i><font size="-1">the Venetian ambassador describes Anne, 1532</font></i> </p>
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180 | </blockquote>
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181 | <p align="left">&nbsp;</p>
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182 | </blockquote>
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183 | <p> <b>Biography</b><br>
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184 | Anne Boleyn's birthdate is unknown; even the year is widely
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185 | debated.&nbsp; General opinion now favors 1501 or 1502, though some
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186 | historians persuasively argue for 1507.&nbsp; She was probably born at
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187 | Blickling Hall in Norfolk.&nbsp; Her father was Sir Thomas Boleyn, a
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188 | minor courtier with a talent for foreign languages; he was of London
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189 | merchant stock and eager to advance in the world.&nbsp; Like most men,
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190 | he chose to marry well.&nbsp; His bride was Elizabeth Howard, daughter
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191 | of the second duke of Norfolk and sister of the third duke.</p>
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192 | <p>Anne had two surviving siblings, <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fcitizens%2fboleyn.html">Mary</a>
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193 | and George.&nbsp; Their birthdates are also unknown, as is the order of their
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194 | births.&nbsp; We only know that all three Boleyn siblings were close in age.</p>
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195 | <p>In 1514, Henry VIII married his youngest sister, Mary, to the aged king of France.&nbsp; Anne
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196 | accompanied the Tudor princess as a very<img alt="miniature portrait of Anne Boleyn" src="_httpdocimg_/boleynsmall.jpg" align="right" border="0" height="232" width="175"> young lady-in-waiting; she remained in France after the French king died and
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197 | <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fcitizens%2fbrandon.html">Mary Tudor</a>
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198 | returned home.&nbsp; Anne gained the subsequent honor of being educated
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199 | under the watchful eye of the new French queen Claude.&nbsp; This
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200 | education had a uniquely French emphasis upon fashion and flirtation,
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201 | though more intellectual skills were not neglected.&nbsp; Anne became
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202 | an accomplished musician, singer and dancer.&nbsp; </p>
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203 | <p>In 1521 or early 1522, with war between England and France
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204 | imminent, Anne returned home.&nbsp; When she first caught Henry VIII's
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205 | eye is unknown.&nbsp; He was originally attracted to her sister, Mary
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206 | who came to court before Anne.&nbsp; She was the king's mistress in the
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207 | early 1520s and, as a mark of favor, her father was elevated to the
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208 | peerage as viscount Rochfort/Rochford in 1525.&nbsp; Mary herself would leave
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209 | court with only a dull marriage, and possibly the king's illegitimate son, as
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210 | her reward.&nbsp; Anne learned much from her sister's example.</p>
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211 | <p>Her first years at court were spent in service to Henry VIII's
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212 | first wife, <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fhtml%5ffiles%2faragon.html">Katharine of Aragon</a>.&nbsp; She became quite popular among
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213 | the younger men.&nbsp; She was not considered a great beauty; her
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214 | sister occupied that position in the family, but even Mary was merely
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215 | deemed 'pretty'.&nbsp; Hostile chroniclers <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fannedesc.html">described Anne</a>
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216 | as plain, sallow, and possessing two distinct flaws - a large mole on
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217 | the side of her neck and an extra finger on her left hand.&nbsp; Such
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218 | praise as she received focused on her style, her wit and charm; she was
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219 | quick-tempered and spirited.&nbsp; Her most remarkable physical
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220 | attributes were her large dark eyes and long black hair.&nbsp; </p>
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221 | <p>The king's attraction was focused upon her sharp and teasing
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222 | manner, and her oft-stated unavailability.&nbsp; What he couldn't have,
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223 | he pined for all the more.&nbsp; This was especially difficult for a
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224 | king used to having his own way in everything.&nbsp; Anne was also
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225 | seriously involved with <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fab-percy.html">Henry Percy</a>,
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226 | the son and heir of the earl of Northumberland; there were rumors of an
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227 | engagement and declarations of true love.&nbsp; The king ordered his
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228 | great minister, <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fcitizens%2fwolsey.html">Cardinal
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229 | Thomas Wolsey</a>, to end the match.&nbsp; Wolsey did so, thus ensuring
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230 | Percy's unhappy marriage to the earl of Shrewsbury's daughter and
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231 | Anne's great enmity.&nbsp; It was safer to blame the Cardinal than his
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232 | king.&nbsp; Also, Henry's jealousy revealed the depth of his feelings,
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233 | and Anne quite naturally thought - if she could not be an earl's wife,
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234 | why not try for the crown of England? </p>
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235 | <p>When Anne avoided Henry's company, was sullen and evasive to him,
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236 | he sent her from court; he hoped that a few months in the country would
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237 | persuade her of his charms.&nbsp; It did not work.&nbsp; Anne was
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238 | already playing a far more serious game than the king.&nbsp; Later,
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239 | after she had been arrested, Henry would claim he had been 'bewitched'
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240 | and the term wasn't used lightly in the 16th century.&nbsp; But perhaps
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241 | it was simply the contrast between her vivacity and Katharine's
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242 | solemnity; or perhaps the king mistook the inexplicable ardor of true
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243 | love for something more ominous, long after that love had faded.&nbsp; </p>
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244 | <p>It is impossible to fully explain the mystery of attraction
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245 | between two people.&nbsp; How Anne was able to capture and maintain the
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246 | king's attention for such a long while, despite great obstacles and the
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247 | constant presence of malicious gossip, cannot be explained.&nbsp; Henry
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248 | was headstrong and querulous.&nbsp; But for several years, he remained
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249 | faithful to his feelings for Anne - and his attendant desire for a
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250 | legitimate male heir.&nbsp; </p>
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251 | <p> <img src="_httpdocimg_/aragon-min.jpg" alt="miniature portrait of Katharine of Aragon" align="left" border="0" height="168" width="166">One cannot separate the king's desire for a
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252 | son, indeed its very necessity, from his personal desire for
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253 | Anne.&nbsp; The two interests merged perfectly in 1527.&nbsp; Henry had
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254 | discovered the <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fhtml%5ffiles%2faragon.html">invalidity
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255 | of his marriage</a> to Katharine.&nbsp; Now it was possible to annul
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256 | his marriage and secure his two fondest hopes - Anne's hand in marriage
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257 | and the long-desired heir.&nbsp; </p>
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258 | <p> Cardinal Wolsey had long advocated an Anglo-French
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259 | alliance.&nbsp; For that reason, he disliked the Spanish
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260 | <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fhtml%5ffiles%2faragon.html">Katharine
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261 | of Aragon</a>.&nbsp; He now set about securing his monarch's annulment
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262 | with the intention of marrying Henry to a French princess.&nbsp; And if
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263 | not a French princess, perhaps a great lady of the English court.&nbsp;
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264 | Wolsey did not like Anne, and she despised him.&nbsp; It was Wolsey who
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265 | had delivered the king's orders to Henry Percy, driving her suitor from
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266 | court.&nbsp; She never forgot that injury to her heart.&nbsp; And while
|
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267 | she could not revenge herself upon the king, <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fletter8.html">she could work
|
---|
268 | against</a> his Lord Chancellor.&nbsp; His protégé and successor <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fcitizens%2fcromwell.html">Thomas
|
---|
269 | Cromwell</a> became a close ally. </p>
|
---|
270 | <p>But Anne alone did not cause Wolsey's fall from grace, though she
|
---|
271 | took the blame for it.&nbsp; Indeed, 'Nan Bullen', as the common people
|
---|
272 | derisively called her, became the scapegoat for all the king's
|
---|
273 | unpopular decisions.&nbsp; But it is important to remember that no one
|
---|
274 | - not Wolsey, not Cromwell, and certainly not Anne Boleyn - ever
|
---|
275 | controlled Henry VIII, or made him do other than exactly what he
|
---|
276 | wanted.&nbsp; He was a king who thoroughly knew and enjoyed his
|
---|
277 | position.&nbsp; <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fcitizens%2fmore.html">Sir Thomas
|
---|
278 | More</a> would aptly point this out to his son-in-law, William Roper -
|
---|
279 | 'If a lion knew his strength, it were hard for any man to hold
|
---|
280 | him.'&nbsp; And later, when Roper commented upon the king's affection
|
---|
281 | for More, the philosopher replied that if his head would win the king a
|
---|
282 | castle in France, then Henry would not hesitate to chop it off.&nbsp; </p>
|
---|
283 | <p>But most people found it easier to hate Anne than to hate their
|
---|
284 | monarch.&nbsp; As the king's desire for an annulment became the gossip
|
---|
285 | of all Europe, she was roundly criticized and condemned.&nbsp; And she
|
---|
286 | was not popular at the English court either.&nbsp; Both her unique
|
---|
287 | situation and her oft times abrasive personality offended many.&nbsp;
|
---|
288 | And Katharine's solemn piety had impressed the English court for three
|
---|
289 | decades; her supporters were numerous, though not inclined to face the
|
---|
290 | king's formidable wrath.&nbsp; In truth, Anne was sustained only by the
|
---|
291 | king's affection and she knew his mercurial temper.&nbsp; It is
|
---|
292 | possible that she was as surprised by his faithfulness as everyone
|
---|
293 | else.&nbsp; </p>
|
---|
294 | <p>As the struggle for an annulment proceeded and the pope
|
---|
295 | prevaricated between Henry and Katharine's nephew, the Holy Roman
|
---|
296 | Emperor Charles V, Anne's position at the English court became steadily
|
---|
297 | more prominent.&nbsp; There were at first little signs.&nbsp; The king
|
---|
298 | would eat alone with her; she received expensive gifts; she began to
|
---|
299 | dress in the most fashionable and expensive gowns; the king paid her
|
---|
300 | gambling debts since Anne, like most courtiers, enjoyed cards and dice.
|
---|
301 | </p>
|
---|
302 | <p>The king was not too outlandish at first; he had no desire to
|
---|
303 | prejudice the pope against his case by flaunting a new love.&nbsp; But
|
---|
304 | as the delays mounted, and rumors of his new love spread, Henry
|
---|
305 | realized there was no purpose in hiding the truth.&nbsp; By 1530, Anne
|
---|
306 | was openly honored by the king at court.&nbsp; She was accorded
|
---|
307 | precedence over all other ladies, and she sat with the king at
|
---|
308 | banquets and hunts while Katharine was virtually ignored.&nbsp; The
|
---|
309 | pretense of his first marriage was allowed to continue; Katharine
|
---|
310 | continued to personally mend his shirts and send him gifts and
|
---|
311 | notes.&nbsp; But it was an untenable situation.&nbsp; It grated on both
|
---|
312 | women.&nbsp; Anne perhaps taxed the king with it.&nbsp; To placate her,
|
---|
313 | she was titled marquess of Pembroke on 4 September 1532 at Windsor
|
---|
314 | Castle; she wore a beautiful crimson gown and her hair hung
|
---|
315 | loose.&nbsp; Now elevated to the peerage in her own right, she had
|
---|
316 | wealth and lands of her own.&nbsp; But when she accompanied him to
|
---|
317 | France on a state visit a short while later, the ladies of the French
|
---|
318 | court refused to meet with her.&nbsp; </p>
|
---|
319 | <p>It is believed that her elevation to the peerage marked the
|
---|
320 | physical consummation of Anne and Henry's relationship.&nbsp; She would
|
---|
321 | give birth to <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2feliz.html">Elizabeth</a>
|
---|
322 | just a year later, and there were rumors of a secret marriage in late
|
---|
323 | 1532.&nbsp; It is possible that she became pregnant after just a few
|
---|
324 | months and a second, legitimate wedding became a necessity.&nbsp; </p>
|
---|
325 | <p>
|
---|
326 | <img src="_httpdocimg_/boleyn3sepiatinged.jpg" alt="sepia-tinged sketch of Anne Boleyn by Hans Holbein the Younger" align="left" border="0" height="344" width="216">The king had his fondest wish within his
|
---|
327 | grasp.&nbsp; Anne was pregnant with his long-awaited son, or so he
|
---|
328 | thought, and this son must be legitimate.&nbsp; He could no longer wait
|
---|
329 | upon the pope.&nbsp; Henry rejected the authority of the Holy See and
|
---|
330 | Thomas Cranmer, archbishop of Canterbury, annulled his marriage to
|
---|
331 | Katharine.&nbsp; Henry and Anne married again in January 1533 in a
|
---|
332 | small ceremony.&nbsp; But though they were now husband and wife, few
|
---|
333 | recognized the fact.&nbsp; </p>
|
---|
334 | <p><a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fprianne1.html">Her
|
---|
335 | coronation</a> was a lavish affair; the king spared no expense.&nbsp;
|
---|
336 | But the people of London were noticeably unimpressed.&nbsp; They cried
|
---|
337 | out 'HA! HA!' mockingly as tapestries decorated with Henry and Anne's
|
---|
338 | entwined initials passed by.&nbsp; Henry asked, 'How liked you the look
|
---|
339 | of the City?'&nbsp; Anne replied, 'Sir, I liked the City well enough -
|
---|
340 | but I saw a great many caps on heads, and heard but few tongues.'&nbsp;
|
---|
341 | </p>
|
---|
342 | <p>And so her coronation was yet another reminder of her complete
|
---|
343 | dependency upon the king.</p>
|
---|
344 | <p>Anne enjoyed her triumph as much as she could.&nbsp; She ordered
|
---|
345 | new blue and purple livery for her servants and set about replacing
|
---|
346 | Katharine's badge of pomegranates with her own falcon symbol.&nbsp; She
|
---|
347 | chose as her motto, 'The Most Happy', in stark contrast to her
|
---|
348 | predecessor.&nbsp; Katharine had been 'Humble and Loyal'; Henry's
|
---|
349 | mother, Elizabeth of York had chosen 'Humble and Reverent'.&nbsp; But
|
---|
350 | humility was not a marked characteristic of Anne Boleyn.&nbsp; </p>
|
---|
351 | <p>She was pious, though not as rigid and inflexible as Katharine of
|
---|
352 | Aragon.&nbsp; Anne's sympathies naturally lay with the progressive
|
---|
353 | thought now challenging Catholic orthodoxy; with Henry's rejection of the papacy and his
|
---|
354 | creation of a new Church of England, <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2ffaq.html#Eleven-b">the
|
---|
355 | Reformation</a> had come to England.&nbsp; It was not as revolutionary
|
---|
356 | as Luther's movement in Germany.&nbsp; Henry actually remained a devout
|
---|
357 | Catholic, only denying what he now regarded as the illegitimate
|
---|
358 | authority of the papacy.&nbsp; Anne knew that her marriage and future
|
---|
359 | children would never be recognized as legitimate by Catholic
|
---|
360 | Europe.&nbsp; She had to support the new church, otherwise she was no more than
|
---|
361 | the king's mistress.</p>
|
---|
362 | <p>And this new emphasis upon debating even the most esoteric bits of
|
---|
363 | theology appealed to her nature.&nbsp; She was always curious and open
|
---|
364 | to new ideas; she never blindly accepted<img alt="The above portrait is of Anne Boleyn, painted by Lucas Horenbout; dated 1525-27. Sir Roy Strong identified the portrait. Anne wears a necklace with her falcon badge." src="_httpdocimg_/boleynstrong.jpg" align="right" height="175" width="175"> anything.&nbsp; But this is not to deny her
|
---|
365 | deep faith.&nbsp; As queen, she was close friends with Thomas Cranmer
|
---|
366 | and she also sponsored various religious books.&nbsp; She had none of
|
---|
367 | the hard-fought pragmatism of her daughter,
|
---|
368 | <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2feliz.html">Elizabeth</a>.&nbsp; Religious faith was a
|
---|
369 | vital part of Anne's life, as it was for every person in the 16th
|
---|
370 | century.&nbsp; </p>
|
---|
371 | <p>She entered confinement for the birth of her first child on 26
|
---|
372 | August 1533.&nbsp; The child was born on 7 September 1533.&nbsp; The
|
---|
373 | physicians and astrologers had been mistaken; it was not a
|
---|
374 | prince.&nbsp; But the healthy baby girl called Elizabeth was not the
|
---|
375 | disappointment most assumed, nor did she immediately cause her mother's
|
---|
376 | downfall.&nbsp; The birth had been very easy and quick.&nbsp; 'There
|
---|
377 | was good speed in the deliverance and bringing forth,' Anne wrote to
|
---|
378 | Lord Cobham that very day.&nbsp; The queen recovered quickly.&nbsp;
|
---|
379 | Henry had every reason to believe that strong princes would
|
---|
380 | follow.&nbsp; It was only when Anne miscarried two sons that he began
|
---|
381 | to question the validity of his second marriage.&nbsp; </p>
|
---|
382 | <p>Elizabeth's christening was a grand affair, though the king did
|
---|
383 | not attend.&nbsp; This fact was much remarked-upon, but Henry
|
---|
384 | confounded all by his continuing affection for Anne.&nbsp; He also
|
---|
385 | promptly declared Elizabeth his heir, thus according her precedence
|
---|
386 | over her 17 year old half-sister,
|
---|
387 | <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fmary1.html">Princess Mary</a>.&nbsp; Anne could
|
---|
388 | breathe a sigh of relief, recover, and become pregnant again.&nbsp; </p>
|
---|
389 | <p>Immediately after Elizabeth's christening, Henry wrote to Mary and
|
---|
390 | demanded that she relinquish her title of Princess of Wales.&nbsp; The
|
---|
391 | title belonged to his heiress.&nbsp; He also demanded that she
|
---|
392 | acknowledge the validity of his new marriage and legitimacy of her
|
---|
393 | half-sister.&nbsp; But Mary could be as obstinate as her mother; she refused.&nbsp; Enraged, Henry evicted Mary from her
|
---|
394 | home, the manor Beaulieu, so he could give it to Anne's brother, George.&nbsp; In December,
|
---|
395 | she was moved into Elizabeth's household
|
---|
396 | under the care of Lady Anne Shelton, a sister of Anne's father.&nbsp;
|
---|
397 | It was an understandably miserable time for Mary.&nbsp; When told to pay her
|
---|
398 | respects to the baby Princess, she said that she knew of no Princess of
|
---|
399 | England but herself and burst into tears.&nbsp; </p>
|
---|
400 | <p>Henry was infuriated and Anne encouraged the estrangement.&nbsp;
|
---|
401 | Her daughter's status depended upon Mary remaining out of favor.&nbsp;
|
---|
402 | In the two and a half years she lived after Elizabeth's birth, Anne
|
---|
403 | proved herself a devoted mother.&nbsp; Soon after the birth, Elizabeth
|
---|
404 | had to be moved from London, for purposes of health; London was rife
|
---|
405 | with a variety of illnesses - sweating sickness, smallpox, and
|
---|
406 | plague.&nbsp; Elizabeth and Mary were sent to Hatfield.&nbsp; Both
|
---|
407 | Henry and Anne visited their daughter often, occasionally taking her
|
---|
408 | back with them to Greenwich or the palace at Eltham.&nbsp; During these
|
---|
409 | visits, Mary was kept alone in her room.&nbsp; </p>
|
---|
410 | <p> <img alt="portrait of Henry VIII" src="_httpdocimg_/henry8boleyn.jpg" align="left" border="2" height="186" width="150">There are account books and
|
---|
411 | letters which reveal certain facts about Elizabeth's early
|
---|
412 | childhood:&nbsp; bills for an orange satin gown and russet velvet
|
---|
413 | kirtle, for the king's heir had to be fashionably dressed; a letter in
|
---|
414 | late 1535, after her second birthday, from the wet nurse asking
|
---|
415 | permission to wean her; a plan of study in classical languages, for
|
---|
416 | Anne was determined her daughter would be as educated as Mary.&nbsp; </p>
|
---|
417 | <p>The conflict with Mary dominated a great deal of Henry and Anne's
|
---|
418 | thoughts.&nbsp; In January 1534, the king's new chief minister, Thomas
|
---|
419 | Cromwell, went to visit Mary at Hatfield.&nbsp; He urged her to
|
---|
420 | renounce her title and warned her that her behavior would lead to her
|
---|
421 | ruin.&nbsp; Mary replied that she simply wanted her father's blessing
|
---|
422 | and the honor of kissing his hand.&nbsp; When Cromwell chastised her,
|
---|
423 | she left the room.&nbsp; Mary, and indeed most of England, believed
|
---|
424 | Anne to be the cause of Henry's disgust with his eldest child.&nbsp; In
|
---|
425 | truth, Henry had far more to do with it than Anne; this was proven
|
---|
426 | after Anne's execution.&nbsp; Mary believed that she would regain her
|
---|
427 | favor with the wicked stepmother out of the way but she was proven
|
---|
428 | terribly wrong.&nbsp; Eventually, under threat of her life, she <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fprimary.html">wrote the letter</a>
|
---|
429 | her father had long desired.&nbsp; </p>
|
---|
430 | <p>He and Anne also tried a gentler course with Mary; their goal was
|
---|
431 | to show that she had brought Henry's displeasure upon herself and that
|
---|
432 | he and Anne were quite willing - under reasonable conditions - to
|
---|
433 | receive her.&nbsp; At their next visit to Hatfield, Anne arranged to
|
---|
434 | see her stepdaughter.&nbsp; She invited Mary to come to court and
|
---|
435 | 'visit me as Queen.'&nbsp; Mary responded with a cruel insult - 'I know
|
---|
436 | no Queen in England but my mother.&nbsp; But if you, Madam, as my
|
---|
437 | father's mistress, will intercede for me with him, I should be
|
---|
438 | grateful.'&nbsp; Anne did not lose her temper; she pointed out the
|
---|
439 | absurdity of the request and repeated her offer.&nbsp; Mary then
|
---|
440 | refused to answer and Anne left in a rage.&nbsp; From then on, she made
|
---|
441 | no attempts to gain Mary's friendship.&nbsp; </p>
|
---|
442 | <p>The problem with Mary highlights the untenable positions Anne and
|
---|
443 | Elizabeth occupied in English politics.&nbsp; Many of Henry's subjects
|
---|
444 | did not know who to call Princess, who was the rightful heir, and who
|
---|
445 | was the true wife.&nbsp; Katharine of Aragon lived on, still calling
|
---|
446 | herself Queen, and Mary, encouraged by the spiteful Imperial ambassador
|
---|
447 | Eustace Chapuys, still called herself Princess.&nbsp; Furthermore,
|
---|
448 | Chapuys, who openly despised Anne, told Mary that Anne was planning to
|
---|
449 | have her murdered.&nbsp; It was a terrible lie but one that Mary, in
|
---|
450 | her hysterical state, was inclined to believe.&nbsp; When word came
|
---|
451 | that she and Elizabeth's household was moving from Hatfield to The
|
---|
452 | More, she refused to go.&nbsp; She believed she would be moved and
|
---|
453 | quietly murdered.&nbsp; Guards had to actually seize her and throw her
|
---|
454 | into her litter.&nbsp; Her distress naturally made her ill.&nbsp; </p>
|
---|
455 | <p>Elizabeth, meanwhile, was too young to notice any of this.&nbsp;
|
---|
456 | But such events helped cement the lifelong hatred Mary would have for
|
---|
457 | her half-sister.&nbsp; Her Spanish friends continued to spread rumors
|
---|
458 | about Anne and Elizabeth, saying the infant princess was physically
|
---|
459 | deformed and monstrous in appearance.&nbsp; To dispel this, in April
|
---|
460 | 1534, Henry showed the naked infant to several continental
|
---|
461 | ambassadors.&nbsp; In that same month, Anne announced she was once
|
---|
462 | again pregnant.&nbsp; Nothing could have pleased Henry more.&nbsp; She
|
---|
463 | may have had a miscarriage in February for there were rumors she was
|
---|
464 | pregnant in January but nothing came of it; given the heightened
|
---|
465 | circumstances, it is unlikely she could have hidden her
|
---|
466 | condition.&nbsp; Even a suspicion of pregnancy was sure to become
|
---|
467 | gossip.&nbsp; But the main source of this miscarriage is Chapuys,
|
---|
468 | hardly an impartial observer.&nbsp; At any rate, she was definitely
|
---|
469 | pregnant again in April 1534.&nbsp; </p>
|
---|
470 | <p>The elated king took his wife to the medieval palace at Eltham;
|
---|
471 | there, they sent for the princess Elizabeth.&nbsp; Henry was often seen
|
---|
472 | carrying her about and playing with her.&nbsp; The king<img src="_httpdocimg_/boleynsketch2.jpg" alt="sketch of Anne Boleyn by Hans Holbein the Younger" align="right" border="0" height="206" width="165"> and queen soon returned to Greenwich and
|
---|
473 | then Henry left on a progress, leaving Anne at the palace.&nbsp; This
|
---|
474 | was probably out of concern for her health and lends some credence to
|
---|
475 | the belief she miscarried in February.&nbsp; If she had, Henry would
|
---|
476 | show special concern for her health, and this he did.&nbsp; He was
|
---|
477 | supposed to meet Francis I of France in June at Calais to sign a treaty
|
---|
478 | but decided not to, writing that Katharine and Mary, 'bearing no small
|
---|
479 | grudge against his most entirely beloved Queen Anne, might perchance in
|
---|
480 | his absence take occasion to practice matters of no small peril to his
|
---|
481 | royal person, realm, and subjects.'&nbsp; </p>
|
---|
482 | <p>His extra attention to Anne did not help her health.&nbsp; In
|
---|
483 | September 1534, she miscarried a six-month-old fetus; it was old enough
|
---|
484 | for features to be discerned - it was a boy.&nbsp; Henry was bitterly
|
---|
485 | disappointed.&nbsp; Anne was likewise.&nbsp; She was also angry for
|
---|
486 | Henry had begun a casual affair that summer.&nbsp; She reproached him
|
---|
487 | and Henry replied, 'You have good reason to be content with what I have
|
---|
488 | done for you - and I would not do it again, if the thing were to
|
---|
489 | begin.&nbsp; Consider from what you have come.'&nbsp; The scene was
|
---|
490 | furious and overheard by her attendants.&nbsp; But it was a passing
|
---|
491 | storm.&nbsp; Henry was already tired of his new mistress and, within
|
---|
492 | days, Chapuys was sadly writing to Charles V of Henry's continued
|
---|
493 | affection.&nbsp; But there were signs that things were not progressing
|
---|
494 | smoothly.&nbsp; </p>
|
---|
495 | <p>&nbsp;For example, Henry had hoped to cement his relationship with
|
---|
496 | Francis I by betrothing Elizabeth to Francis's son, the Duc
|
---|
497 | d'Angouleme.&nbsp; After Anne suffered two miscarriages, as the French
|
---|
498 | ambassador reported to Francis, the French king grew wary of such a
|
---|
499 | betrothal.&nbsp; To him, it must have seemed that Anne's position was
|
---|
500 | weakening; after all, Henry had dismissed one wife because she had no
|
---|
501 | sons - would he do the same to Anne?&nbsp; And, if he did, then what
|
---|
502 | good was a marriage to Elizabeth?&nbsp; Of course, it was in France's
|
---|
503 | interests to promote Anne for Katharine of Aragon and her daughter were
|
---|
504 | Charles V's pawns.&nbsp; But his doubts highlight the
|
---|
505 | instability of Anne's position.&nbsp; </p>
|
---|
506 | <p>This undoubtedly affected her mental and physical health.&nbsp;
|
---|
507 | Henry was never the mercenary adulterer of legend.&nbsp; In fact, he
|
---|
508 | was remarkably conventional in his sexual appetites, unlike his French
|
---|
509 | rival.&nbsp; Any affairs would have been widely reported and yet,
|
---|
510 | during his long marriage to Katharine of Aragon, there were just a
|
---|
511 | handful of mistresses.&nbsp; He enjoyed being around attractive
|
---|
512 | women.&nbsp; He was flirtatious and would joke with them, compliment
|
---|
513 | them, but only rarely did he enter into a physical relationship.&nbsp; </p>
|
---|
514 | <p>But for Anne, any occasional fling was devastating, especially if
|
---|
515 | it followed upon her miscarriage.&nbsp; Such behavior was said to
|
---|
516 | indicate his displeasure with her; this she could not afford.&nbsp;
|
---|
517 | They were occasionally estranged and the effect was to increase her
|
---|
518 | already-noticeable anxiety.&nbsp; In late 1534 Anne, accompanied by the
|
---|
519 | duke of Suffolk, her uncle Norfolk, and other courtiers, visited
|
---|
520 | Richmond Palace, where both Elizabeth and Mary resided.&nbsp; Anne
|
---|
521 | entered her daughter's rooms only to realize that the two dukes had
|
---|
522 | left her.&nbsp; They were paying court to Mary and remained with her
|
---|
523 | until Anne had left.&nbsp; Still, this slight could be forgotten when
|
---|
524 | the Treason Act was passed in November.&nbsp; It was now a capital
|
---|
525 | crime to deny the legitimacy of her marriage or children.&nbsp; By
|
---|
526 | December, she and Henry had made up yet again.&nbsp; </p>
|
---|
527 | <p>A scandal occurred shortly thereafter which added further damage to Anne's
|
---|
528 | reputation.&nbsp; Her sister, Mary, who had been Henry's mistress years
|
---|
529 | before, married Sir William Stafford without her family or the king's
|
---|
530 | permission.&nbsp; Because Stafford was poor, Mary's father was angry and cut
|
---|
531 | off her allowance.&nbsp; She appealed to the king and Anne but they would not
|
---|
532 | help.&nbsp; (Mary did not attend court during Anne's reign, since her presence
|
---|
533 | would have been an embarrassment for the king and queen.)</p>
|
---|
534 | <p> <img alt="portrait of Anne Boleyn" src="_httpdocimg_/anne2.jpg" align="left" border="0" height="194" width="139">Always fascinated with rumors surrounding his
|
---|
535 | English 'brother', Francis I decided to hedge his bets in the mercurial
|
---|
536 | Tudor court.&nbsp; In other words, he would remain friendly with Anne
|
---|
537 | and also with Mary Tudor.&nbsp; And so he instructed his new
|
---|
538 | ambassador, Admiral Chabot, to ignore Anne when he arrived at
|
---|
539 | court.&nbsp; Chabot was received by Henry and two days passed without
|
---|
540 | any mention of the queen.&nbsp; Henry asked if Chabot wanted to visit
|
---|
541 | her.&nbsp; The ambassador replied, 'As it pleases Your Highness' and
|
---|
542 | then asked permission to visit Mary.&nbsp; Henry refused, but Chabot
|
---|
543 | made certain everyone knew of his request.&nbsp; He also told courtiers
|
---|
544 | that Francis wanted to marry the Dauphin to Mary; when Henry reminded
|
---|
545 | him of the union with Elizabeth, the ambassador said nothing.&nbsp;
|
---|
546 | Still, Francis did enrage Charles V by acknowledging Elizabeth's
|
---|
547 | legitimacy.&nbsp; </p>
|
---|
548 | <p>It was a tedious and frightening dance for Anne.&nbsp; During the
|
---|
549 | two and a half years after Elizabeth's birth, she was rarely secure,
|
---|
550 | certain of her position and the king's affections.&nbsp; Her little
|
---|
551 | daughter received every favor she could bestow; Anne insisted Henry
|
---|
552 | favor Elizabeth because it strengthened her position.&nbsp; But she was
|
---|
553 | surrounded by fair-weather friends who, at the slightest sign of
|
---|
554 | Henry's disfavor, ignored her.&nbsp; She only trusted her brother,
|
---|
555 | George, whose wife, Jane Rochford, was a viper in their nest.&nbsp;
|
---|
556 | Meanwhile, Henry was again flirting openly with another woman.&nbsp;
|
---|
557 | This time it was Anne's cousin and lady-in-waiting, Madge
|
---|
558 | Shelton.&nbsp; Anne still had influence over her husband, but knew only
|
---|
559 | one way to make his favor permanent.&nbsp; She must bear a son.&nbsp;
|
---|
560 | Henry would never dismiss the mother of his long-awaited heir.&nbsp;
|
---|
561 | Her enemies would at last be silenced.&nbsp; </p>
|
---|
562 | <p>Meanwhile, Henry's health had begun to worsen.&nbsp; The first
|
---|
563 | signs of the illness which would kill him appeared (occluded sinus on
|
---|
564 | his leg).&nbsp; Headaches became frequent and severe.&nbsp; The king
|
---|
565 | was a hypochondriac.&nbsp; Now unable to indulge his love of sports, he
|
---|
566 | instead indulged his fear of pain and illness.&nbsp; And he was
|
---|
567 | frequently impotent.&nbsp; He was in his mid-forties and increasingly
|
---|
568 | obese; this, combined with his other ailments, made his continued
|
---|
569 | virility questionable.&nbsp; Certainly his 'mistresses' did not
|
---|
570 | conceive.&nbsp; But the continued lack of an heir and Anne's
|
---|
571 | miscarriages must have reminded him of Katharine.&nbsp; How could it
|
---|
572 | not?&nbsp; Like most of his contemporaries, the king blamed his wife
|
---|
573 | when she did not conceive or carry to term.&nbsp; </p>
|
---|
574 | <p>And, like Francis I, Thomas Cromwell - that influential and
|
---|
575 | brilliant man - was keeping his options open as well.&nbsp; He visited
|
---|
576 | Mary and was rumored to promise support for her reinstatement.&nbsp;
|
---|
577 | Anne was terrified at this loss of her one-time supporter who was also
|
---|
578 | the king's most trusted advisor.&nbsp; But Anne had one last chance,
|
---|
579 | and in June 1535, became pregnant again.&nbsp; She lost that child as
|
---|
580 | well, in January 1536; she was reported to have said, 'I have
|
---|
581 | miscarried of my savior.'&nbsp; </p>
|
---|
582 | <p>When her destruction came, it was rapid and unbelievable.&nbsp;
|
---|
583 | Henry had always been one to plot against people while he pretended
|
---|
584 | affection.&nbsp; Anne suffered the same fate as Katharine.&nbsp; She
|
---|
585 | knew he was dissatisfied with her but he maintained their lifestyle
|
---|
586 | together.&nbsp; And all the while, he was seeking the best way to
|
---|
587 | destroy her.&nbsp; Katharine of Aragon died in January as well, just a
|
---|
588 | few days before Anne's miscarriage.&nbsp; These events, taken together,
|
---|
589 | pushed Henry into action.&nbsp; While Katharine had lived, most of
|
---|
590 | Europe, and many Englishmen, had regarded her as his rightful wife, not
|
---|
591 | Anne.&nbsp; Now he was rid of Katharine; if he were to rid himself of
|
---|
592 | Anne, he could marry again - and this third marriage would never be
|
---|
593 | tainted by the specter of bigamy.&nbsp; </p>
|
---|
594 | <p>Henry's <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fprianne2.html">decision
|
---|
595 | to thoroughly destroy Anne</a> baffled even her enemies.&nbsp; There
|
---|
596 | was a possible way out which would spare Anne's life.&nbsp; Henry had
|
---|
597 | admitted an affair with her sister,<img alt="an 18th century portrait of Anne Boleyn" src="_httpdocimg_/anne3.jpg" align="right" border="2" height="194" width="144"> Mary.&nbsp; He could have argued that was as
|
---|
598 | damning as Katharine's marriage to his brother.&nbsp; But he chose a
|
---|
599 | more direct route.&nbsp; He had her arrested, charged with adultery,
|
---|
600 | witchcraft, and incest; the charges were ludicrous even to her
|
---|
601 | enemies.&nbsp; Her brother George was arrested as well.&nbsp; His
|
---|
602 | despised wife, Jane Rochford, testified about an incestuous love
|
---|
603 | affair.&nbsp; Whether anyone believed her was irrelevant.&nbsp; Henry
|
---|
604 | VIII wanted Anne convicted and killed.&nbsp; George would also lose his
|
---|
605 | life, as did three of their friends.&nbsp; Only one had confessed to
|
---|
606 | the charge, and that was under torture; it was still enough to convict
|
---|
607 | them all.&nbsp; </p>
|
---|
608 | <p>As queen of England, Anne was tried by her peers; the main charge
|
---|
609 | was adultery, and this was an act of treason for a queen.&nbsp; No
|
---|
610 | member of the nobility would help her; her craven uncle Norfolk
|
---|
611 | pronounced the death sentence.&nbsp; Poor Henry Percy, her first love,
|
---|
612 | swooned during the trial and had to be carried from the room.&nbsp; As
|
---|
613 | a concession to her former position, she was not beheaded by a clumsy
|
---|
614 | axe.&nbsp; A skilled swordsman was brought over from France.&nbsp; She
|
---|
615 | was assured that there would be little pain; she replied, with typical
|
---|
616 | spirit, 'I have heard that the executioner is very good.&nbsp; And I
|
---|
617 | have a little neck.'</p>
|
---|
618 | <p>&nbsp;</p>
|
---|
619 | <blockquote>
|
---|
620 | <blockquote>
|
---|
621 | <p><font size="4">'You have chosen me from low estate to be your
|
---|
622 | queen and companion, far beyond my desert or desire; if, then, you
|
---|
623 | found me worthy of such honor, good your grace, let not any light fancy
|
---|
624 | or bad counsel of my enemies withdraw your princely favor from me;
|
---|
625 | neither let that stain - that unworthy stain - of a disloyal heart
|
---|
626 | towards your good grace ever cast so foul a blot on me, and on the
|
---|
627 | infant princess your daughter.' </font><b>&nbsp; </b><i><font size="-1">from Anne Boleyn's <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fletter10.html">last letter</a>
|
---|
628 | to King Henry VIII, 1536</font></i>;<i><font size="2"> <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fletter10.html">its authenticity
|
---|
629 | is debated</a>.</font></i></p>
|
---|
630 | </blockquote>
|
---|
631 | </blockquote>
|
---|
632 | <p>&nbsp;</p>
|
---|
633 | <p>She had prayed for exile, to end her days in a nunnery, but now
|
---|
634 | faced a more tragic fate.&nbsp; She met it with bravery and wit.&nbsp;
|
---|
635 | She was brought to the scaffold at 8 o'clock in the morning on 19 May
|
---|
636 | 1536.&nbsp; It was a heretofore unknown spectacle, the first public
|
---|
637 | execution of an English queen.&nbsp; Anne, who had defended herself so
|
---|
638 | ably at her trial, chose her last words carefully:&nbsp; 'Good
|
---|
639 | Christian people, I am come hither to die, for according to the law,
|
---|
640 | and by the law I am judged to die, and therefore I will speak nothing
|
---|
641 | against it.&nbsp; I am come hither to accuse no man, nor to speak
|
---|
642 | anything of that, whereof I am accused and condemned to die, but I pray
|
---|
643 | God save the king and send him long to reign over you, for a gentler
|
---|
644 | nor a more merciful prince was there never: and to me he was ever a
|
---|
645 | good, a gentle and sovereign lord.&nbsp; And if any person will meddle
|
---|
646 | of my cause, I require them to judge the best.&nbsp; And thus I take my
|
---|
647 | leave of the world and of you all, and I heartily desire you all to
|
---|
648 | pray for me.&nbsp; O Lord have mercy on me, to God I commend my
|
---|
649 | soul.'&nbsp; She was then blindfolded and knelt at the block.&nbsp; She
|
---|
650 | repeated several times, 'To Jesus Christ I commend my soul; Lord Jesu
|
---|
651 | receive my soul.'&nbsp; </p>
|
---|
652 | <p>It was a sardonic message to the king.&nbsp; Even now he waited
|
---|
653 | impatiently to hear the Tower cannon mark Anne's death.&nbsp; He wished
|
---|
654 | to marry Anne's lady-in-waiting, <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fseymour.html">Jane
|
---|
655 | Seymour</a>.&nbsp; They wed ten days after the execution.&nbsp; </p>
|
---|
656 | <p>Elizabeth was just three and a half when her mother died.&nbsp;
|
---|
657 | She was a precocious child, though; when her governess visited her just
|
---|
658 | days after the execution, <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2feliz.html">Elizabeth</a>
|
---|
659 | asked, 'Why, Governor, how hap it yesterday Lady Princess, and today
|
---|
660 | but Lady Elizabeth?'&nbsp; </p>
|
---|
661 | <p>Anne was buried in an old arrow box since no coffin was
|
---|
662 | provided.&nbsp; But the box was too short; her head was tucked beside
|
---|
663 | her.&nbsp; The remains were taken to St Peter ad Vincula, the church of
|
---|
664 | the Tower of London.&nbsp; It was later rumored that her few remaining
|
---|
665 | friends smuggled her body to a more suitable grave and she is buried
|
---|
666 | under a plain slab in a Norfolk church.&nbsp; The church is said to be
|
---|
667 | haunted.</p>
|
---|
668 | <p align="center">&nbsp;</p>
|
---|
669 | <p align="center"><font size="4">'And if any person will meddle of my
|
---|
670 | cause, I require them to judge the best.'&nbsp; <br>
|
---|
671 | </font><i><font size="-1">from Anne Boleyn's speech at her execution</font></i>
|
---|
672 | </p>
|
---|
673 | <blockquote>
|
---|
674 | <p>&nbsp;</p>
|
---|
675 | <center>
|
---|
676 | <p><font size="-1"><a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fwives.html">to the Six
|
---|
677 | Wives main page</a></font> <br>
|
---|
678 | <font size="-1"><a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor.html">to
|
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679 | Tudor England</a></font></p>
|
---|
680 | <p><font size="-1"> <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fprimary.html">to Primary Sources</a></font></p>
|
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681 | </center>
|
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682 | </blockquote>
|
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683 | </blockquote>
|
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684 | <p align="center"><font size="2">This page receives 15,000+ unique visitors per
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688 | </Content>
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689 | </Section>
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690 | </Archive>
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