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.

Life as Queen

Anne had a larger staff of servants than Catherine before her. There were over 250 servants to tend to Anne?s personal needs, everything from priests to stable-boys. The elite of her household were her favorite ladies-in-waiting, who included her close friend and cousin Lady Margaret Lee. There were also over sixty maids-of-honor, who served Anne and accompanied her to social events. In return, their parents hoped the Queen would act as their chaperone and arrange a suitable marriage for them. Anne maintained a strict control over her maids? morals and spiritual well-being, chastising Margaret Shelton when she was caught writing poetry in her prayer book. She also employed several priests, who acted as her confessors, chaplains and religious advisers. Her favorite was the religious moderate Matthew Parker, who would become one of the chief architects of the modern Church of England under Anne?s daughter Elizabeth I.

Related Topics:
Margaret Lee - Matthew Parker - Church of England - Elizabeth I

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Anne?s reputation as a religious reformer spread through Europe and she was hailed as a heroine by Protestant figures ? even in Germany Martin Luther viewed her rise to the throne as a positive sign. She also saved the life of the French radical Nicolas Bourbon, who was sentenced to death by the French Inquisition. Anne appealed to the French Royal Family who spared Bourbon?s life as a favor to the English queen. Bourbon would later refer to Anne as ?the Queen whom God loves.? Although Anne championed religious reform ? especially translating the Bible into English ? she did not challenge the core of Catholic belief which was the sacred doctrine of Transubstantiation. She was also a generous patron of charity ? far more so than Catherine of Aragon. Anne gave heavily to poor relief, agricultural programs and educational foundations. Often, she and her ladies would sew shirts for the poor or beautiful cloths to decorate High Altars in churches.

Related Topics:
Germany - Martin Luther - Bible - Transubstantiation - Catherine of Aragon

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As queen, Anne also enjoyed having a good time. In the 1500s, royals were expected to be magnificently extravagant in order to convey to their people the importance and strength of the monarchy. Anne certainly did this and she spent an astronomical amount on her hundreds of gowns, jewels, head-dresses, tiaras, ostrich-feather fans, riding equipment and the finest furniture and upholstery from across the world. Numerous palaces were renovated to meet her exacting standards and it was from Anne that Henry learnt to love architecture ? one of the most expensive tastes of the king?s life.

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Anne?s social life continued to be hectic and glamorous. A group of young gentlemen continued to visit the queen?s apartments, where they flirted with her ladies-in-waiting and danced elegantly with the Queen when she wanted them to. At times, Anne too flirted with them but this had always been part of her nature. She never stepped beyond propriety, even going so far as to reprimand them if they became too jovial with either her or her maids. There was nothing new in this, for a group of young men had also served as Catherine of Aragon?s adherents in the 1510s, it was only later that this behavior would harm Anne?s reputation.

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Anne?s married life continued to lurch from storm to sunshine. The royal couple still enjoyed periods of calm and affection, but Henry?s frequent infidelities greatly wounded Anne who reacted with tears and rage to each new mistress. For his part, Henry found Anne?s strident opinions about religion and politics as intolerance and he saw her failure to give him a son as a betrayal. Anne?s second pregnancy ended in a miscarriage in the summer of 1534. There were also unfounded rumors that she was pregnant again in 1535.

Related Topics:
Miscarriage - 1534 - 1535

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The French Ambassador watched with amazement at the frosty atmosphere between the royal couple at a banquet in 1535. When he asked Anne about it later in the evening she laughed sadly and later told him that she felt utterly lonely and that she could feel the eyes of the entire Court spying on her.

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This pressure inflamed Anne?s temper and she clashed with her ambitious uncle, the duke of Norfolk, who she banished from his apartments when she discovered his loyalty to her was suspect. When her sister Mary secretly married a commoner Anne reacted with fury by exiling Mary from her Court ? this may also have had something to do with the queen?s recent miscarriage which had left her emotionally disorientated. Both sisters refused to apologize to one another ? Mary wrote a letter proclaiming her undying love for her new husband but repeated her affection for Anne. Anne responded by sending Mary a magnificent bejeweled present when she had a baby daughter in 1535. Even so, the two sisters did not meet again.

Related Topics:
The duke of Norfolk - Mary - 1535

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Anne was also blamed for the tyranny of her husband?s government. When Henry?s old adviser Sir Thomas More was beheaded in 1535 for refusing to break his oath of loyalty to the Pope Anne was publicly blamed for pushing the King into signing the Death Warrant. This was untrue, however. Anne did not like More but there is no evidence that she had pushed for his death. It is unlikely she defended him, but he had acknowledged her as queen instead of Catherine. More died because he would not acknowledge Henry as Head of the Church of England.

Related Topics:
Thomas More - 1535 - The Pope - Church of England

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