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.

Childhood and Family

Anne was the daughter of Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire and 1st Earl of Ormonde, and his beautiful wife Lady Elizabeth Boleyn (née Lady Elizabeth Howard), daughter of the 2nd Duke of Norfolk. It is not known for certain where she was born ? but it was either at her family?s mansion of Blickling Hall in Norfolk or at their favorite home of Hever Castle in Kent. She was probably the youngest of three children. Her sister Mary was a few years older than she was and there was also her brother George.

Related Topics:
Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire and 1st Earl of Ormonde - Lady Elizabeth Boleyn - 2nd Duke of Norfolk - Norfolk - Hever Castle - Kent - Mary - George

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In later life, Anne did not have a particularly affectionate relationship with her father but in her childhood she was anxious to please him. Her relationship with her sister Mary was problematic because Anne disagreed with what she saw as Mary?s promiscuous lifestyle and the two were not on speaking terms at the time of Anne?s death. Anne enjoyed a much happier relationship with her mother and her brother George, both of whom she was very close to.

Related Topics:
Mary - Anne?s death. - Mother - George

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Spiteful rumors would later describe the Boleyn family as practically middle-class, but recent research has disproved this. Anne had a very powerful aristocratic heritage - her great-grandparents included a Lord Mayor of London, a duke, an earl, two aristocratic ladies and a knight. She was certainly more aristocratic than either Jane Seymour or Catherine Parr, two of Henry's other wives. She was also the elder cousin of Henry?s fifth wife, Lady Catherine Howard.

Related Topics:
Lord Mayor of London - Duke - Earl - Knight - Jane Seymour - Catherine Parr - Catherine Howard

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Anne's father was a respected diplomat with a gift for languages and he had been a favorite of Henry VII and Henry VIII, who sent him on many diplomatic missions abroad. In Europe, Thomas Boleyn also won many admirers who were impressed with his professionalism and charm - including Archduchess Margaret of Austria, the daughter of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor. Margaret was currently ruling the Netherlands on behalf of her father and caring for her nephew and three nieces. Margaret was so impressed with Thomas that she offered his youngest daughter Anne a place in her household. Ordinarily a girl had to be twelve years old to have such an honor, but Anne was evidently somewhat younger as Margaret affectionately referred to her as ??la Petit Boleyn??. Anne made a good impression in the Netherlands thanks to her good manners and her determination to work hard at her education. She is believed to have lived there from the spring of 1513 to the autumn of 1514.

Related Topics:
Henry VII - Henry VIII - Thomas Boleyn - Austria - Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor - Netherlands - Nephew - 1513 - 1514

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Intellectually brilliant, Anne was physically attractive. She was not beautiful by contemporary standards, since she was considered too thin and too dark. However, many people commented on her magnificent dark eyes and beautiful dark hair. One Italian who met her in 1532 wrote that she was ?not one of the handsomest women in the world,? but others thought she was ?competent belle? ("quite beautiful") and ?young and good-looking.? In short, Anne was of above-average physical looks, but she definitely made the most of her natural appeal.

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Anne's personality was complex, and it has been greatly distorted by those opposed to her marriage and religious views. She was a devout Christian in the new tradition of Renaissance Humanism (calling her a Protestant would be too strong). She was also a very loyal woman who gave generously to charity and, contrary to popular myth, she was extremely emotional. In her youth she was "sweet and cheerful," enjoyed gambling, drinking wine and gossiping. She was also brave and charismatic. Her personal motto loosely translated as This will be, no matter who grumbles! and "The Most Happy." She was also well-educated, clever and charming. The French ambassador, Giles de la Pommeraye, was completely captivated by her and paid tribute to her formidable intellect and influence over English foreign policy. The diplomat John Barlow was devoted to her and spied for her in Rome. Later in life this ability to attract fanatical male devotion back-fired spectacularly when she found herself the object of feverish unrequited love from a Dutch musician in her household called Marc Smeaton.

Related Topics:
Christian - Renaissance - Humanism - Protestant - Gambling - Wine - John Barlow - Rome - Fanatic - Marc Smeaton

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Yet Anne could also be extravagant, neurotic and bad-tempered. In a temper, she could be particuarly vicious and she emotionally wounded or embarrassed many of the people around her. Her enemies claimed this was the main part of her character, but her friends stated categorically that her temper ? whilst explosive ? was never unprovoked.

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Her time in the Netherlands was followed by some years in France where she was a favored lady-in waiting to Queen Claude of France and also a translator whenever any English visitors arrived to meet the Queen. In the Queen's household, she completed her study of French as well as acquiring a thorough knowledge of French culture and etiquette. She also developed an interest in fashion and the religious philosophy which called for reform of the Church. Anne's European education ended in the winter of 1521 when she was summoned back to England on her father's orders. The French Royal Family protested at her leaving but it was to no avail and Anne sailed from Calais in January 1522.

Related Topics:
France - Queen Claude of France - French - Etiquette - 1521 - Calais - 1522

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