Anne Boleyn

between 1501 and 1508 in Blickling (Norfolk) - 19 May 1536. Second of the six wives of Henry VIII of England. Queen of England from 1533 to 1536.

Family

Anne Boleyn's parents were Thomas Boleyn and Elizabeth Howard, who got married in 1501. Thomas Boleyn's ancestors were rich merchants. He served the King because of his perfect French and Latin. Apart from that he was a Gentleman of the Bedchamber under Henry VIII. Anne's mother had aristocratic ancestors, among them Edward I of England and his second wife Margaret of France. The Duke of Norfolk was Anne's maternal grandfather and her uncle was married to a sister of Elizabeth of York. Anne had two siblings - Mary and George.

Early Life

Anne Boleyn spent the first part of her childhood in Blickling. Some years later the family moved to Hever Castle. The three children were taught French by Mademoiselle Semmonet and Anne's French was described as very fluent. Later she met Thomas Wyatt, who was the eldest son of one of the neighbouring families. Her father did not agree to a marriage, because he had higher plans for Anne. She was sent to Belgium, where she lived at Brussel's Court. In 1514 she came to France and was eventually made court lady and received an excellent education. In 1521 she returned to England, supposedly to marry the son of the Earl of Ormond. This marriage eventually did not come about. In England she served as court lady of Henry VIII's sister Mary and of his wife, Catherine of Aragon, later.

Queen Anne of England

Probably in 1526, at the age of 35, Henry VIII recognised his affection for Anne Boleyn during the carnival. Their relationship was established very slowly, because at first Anne did not give in to the King's wooing. In 1528 Anne did not live at Queen Catherine's royal household anymore. Supposedly, she was sent to Durnham House to wait for Henry VIII. In 1531 Queen Catherine was banished to rural England but her marriage with Henry VIII was not annulled yet.

Henry VIII appointed Anne Lady Rochford. In 1532 she was made Marquis of Pembroke. Thereby she not only received thirteen estates in Wales, Somerset, Essex and Hertfordshire, but also a male title that could be inherited. In December 1532 she became pregnant. Henry VIII secretly married her on 25 January 1533. Their wedding was kept a secret, until Henry VIII's marriage with Catherine of Aragon was declared null and void on 23 May of the same year. Anne Boleyn was crowned on 1 June 1533 and named Anne Queen of England from this day on. Two days later, she performed the traditional pompous procession through London to Westminster. The Londoners were not in favour of the new Queen and there was not much jubilance during the procession. Apparently, the public even made fun of the new royal couple by turning the initial letters of their first names into a loud 'HAHAHA'.

On 7 September 1533 Anne gave birth to her first child, Elizabeth, named after Henry VIII's mother. The King was disappointed, because he had hoped for a boy. Nevertheless, Elizabeth was declared Henry's only legitimate child and heir. His seventeen-year-old daughter Mary (later Mary I) from his first wife Catherine of Aragon on the other hand was declared a bastard child.

Anyway, back to Anne Boleyn, who is the true topic of this entry. Anne was known for her extravagant lifestyle. She spent a lot of money on the redesign of the chambers at Hampton Court and ordered the royal gardens to be built following the French geometric style. She was interested in education and French Humanism. She also supported translations of the Bible into English.

In 1534 her second child was stillborn and in 1536 she had a stillborn child again. This last stillborn child was the boy Henry VIII had hoped for. Henry VIII's affection for her disappeared more and more. In the meantime, he had turned to another love interest and potential mother for his sons - Jane Seymour. Now he had to get rid of Anne in order to marry Jane. To achieve this aim, he accused Anne of using witchcraft against him. In January 1536 Henry VIII charged a commission with the collecting of information which could be used against Anne Boleyn. Thomas Cromwell was the supervisor of this examination. Anne was arrested in Greenwich on 2 May 1536. She was accused of sexual misconduct in five cases, an incestuous relationship with her brother George and of taking part in a conspiracy against the King. A week later the trial took place at the Tower of London and Anne and her alleged lovers were sentenced to death.

Anne Boleyn was executed by beheading at the Tower of London on 19 May 1536. Henry VIII had especially hired the expert executioner of Calais. Instead of using an axe he used his very sharp sword. Anne was entombed in the chapel of the Tower of London on the next day.

Sources

Chapman, Hester W.: Anne Boleyn. London: Butler & Tanner, 1974.

Eßer, Raingard: Die Tudors und die Stuarts. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer, 2004.

Maurer, Michael: Kleine Geschichte Englands. Bonn: Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung, 2005.

Panzer, Marita: Englands Königinnen. Regensburg: Verlag Friedrich Pustet, 2001.