Anne Boleyn

Anne Boleyn, 1st Marchioness of Pembroke (c.1507 – May 19, 1536) was the second wife and queen consort of Henry VIII and the mother of Queen Elizabeth I of England. Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon and marriage to Anne was part of the complex beginning of the considerable political and religious upheaval which was the English Reformation, with Anne herself actively promoting the cause of Church Reform. She is probably best known for her premature death when she was beheaded on false charges of adultery and treason. Her life has been the subject of numerous biographies, novels, motion pictures, plays and operas.

A Royal Love Affair

On her return to England, Anne became a lady-in-waiting to Queen Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII's Spanish wife, who had failed to give Henry the son he desired. Catherine was popular with the people, but she had been inactive in politics and court life for some time.

Related Topics:
Catherine of Aragon - Spanish

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Anne made her court début at a masquerade ball in March 1522 where she performed an elaborate dance, accompanied by the king?s sister and his mistress (Anne?s sister Mary). Five other ladies also had a part to play. Anne was known as the most fashionable and accomplished woman at the Court and she has been referred to as ??the Court Butterfly?? and ??the glass of fashion??.

Related Topics:
1522 - Mary

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During this time, there was much talk of marrying Anne to one of her cousins, James Butler, the son of Sir Piers Butler. This was cancelled for uncertain reasons. It is presumed that Anne's father was secretly against the marriage, which had been engineered by the king's chief minister Thomas Wolsey who had shown himself to be the enemy of the Boleyns in previous years.

Related Topics:
Marriage - Thomas Wolsey

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Around 1522, Anne began being courted by Lord Henry Percy, the son of the Earl of Northumberland. Some say that they became lovers, while others maintain that it was just a simple courtship. The latter was probably true. It would have been impossible to break their betrothal if it had been consummated and Anne had seen too many reputations ruined to risk hers. She seems to have reacted with prudish disdain to her sister?s brief affair with Henry VIII.

Related Topics:
1522 - Henry Percy - Northumberland - Her sister?s - Henry VIII

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The romance was broken off in 1523 when Lord Henry's father refused to sanction the marriage when he heard of it from Cardinal Wolsey. Legend has it that the liaison was secretly broken up because Henry desired Anne for himself. It is impossible to say if this is true and historians are divided on the issue. Anne was briefly sent from court to Hever Castle in Kent. She spent summer there before returning to Court and gathering a clique of female friends and male admirers for herself. She kept all of her admirers at arm?s length and the poet Sir Thomas Wyatt complained that she was unobtainable and temperamental and headstrong, despite seeming demure and quiet. In 1525 Henry VIII also fell in love with her and began his pursuit.

Related Topics:
1523 - Cardinal Wolsey - Hever Castle - Kent - Sir Thomas Wyatt - 1525 - Henry VIII

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Anne's elder sister had previously been King Henry's mistress. There was no truth in the rumor that her two children were Henry?s bastards, since they were born after the affair had ended. There is also no truth in the much later rumor that Anne?s mother had been Henry's mistress too. It seems that this scandalous accusation arose over a confusion of the Boleyn name with that of an early mistress of Henry?s, Elizabeth Blount. Henry?s affair with Mary had been ended for sometime when he fell in love with Anne. In any case, she refused to become the King's mistress, and she effectively dodged his advances for over a year. Feminist historians now believe Anne was suffering as a silent victim of 16th century sexual harassment. Anne?s mood altered rapidly between feeling flattered at these royal attentions and angry exasperation at his refusal to leave her alone. The King fell deeper and deeper in love with her. Henry proposed marriage to her sometime in 1527 (probably around New Year), and after some hesitation, she agreed.

Related Topics:
Mistress - Elizabeth Blount - Feminist - Historian - 16th century - Sexual harassment - 1527

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It is often thought that Henry's infatuation with Anne led him to seek a way to annul his existing marriage. However there is good evidence to suggest that Henry may well have made the decision to set aside his marriage with Catherine of Aragon solely because of her failure to bear him a male heir. He believed this was essential to prevent the collapse of the Tudor dynasty which had only been secured by his father Henry VII of England on winning the Wars of the Roses in 1485.

Related Topics:
Catherine of Aragon - Henry VII of England - Wars of the Roses - 1485

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At first, Anne was kept in the background but by 1528 it was common knowledge that the King intended to marry her. She kept herself out of politics and she enjoyed a civil relationship with Henry?s chief minister Cardinal Wolsey, despite her father?s hatred of him. In London, Anne became the victim of a public hate campaign mobilized by Queen Catherine's supporters. At Court, however, she reveled in her newfound lifestyle. Henry paid for everything and Anne spent a fortune on magnificent gowns, jewels, decorations, renovations and on maintaining a hectic social life that centered on lavish balls, dinner parties, gambling and hunting. She was particularly fond of importing French fashions, which she popularized, and buying diamonds and rubies for her beautiful dark hair.

Related Topics:
1528 - Cardinal Wolsey - London

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Anne had taken the decision not to sleep with Henry before their marriage. Henry initially objected to this, but later he too came to agree with the idea since it meant that any children they had would surely be born in legitimate wedlock. The couple spent much of the day together but at night retired to their own private apartments. At this time, Anne was also given her own staff and several ladies-in-waiting to advertise the fact that she was now the next queen.

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