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.

The Power Behind the Throne

In 1529 it still seemed as if Pope Clement VII was no nearer to granting Henry a divorce than he had been in 1527. Anne?s spies reported that part of the problem was her supposed ally, Cardinal Wolsey, who had assured her that the Pope would help make her queen. A clique of aristocrats opposed to Wolsey had been at court for over a decade and they saw Anne as the perfect instrument to help topple the Cardinal from power. Henry refused to be persuaded until Wolsey?s promises once again proved unfounded, when one of the Pope?s delegates in England refused to find in the King?s favor and instead referred the matter back to Rome.

Related Topics:
1529 - Clement VII - 1527 - Cardinal Wolsey - England - Rome

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Anne maintained pressure until Wolsey was dismissed from public office in 1529. Henry insisted upon Wolsey returning to York and keeping out of politics. The Cardinal begged Anne to help him return to power, but although she used ??kind words?? in answer to his pleas her diplomacy meant nothing because she absolutely refused to help him. Wolsey then began a secret plot with the depressed Queen Catherine to enlist Papal Support in having Anne exiled permanently from Court. When this plot was discovered, Anne flew into a terrible rage and from that moment onwards she developed a vicious hatred for Catherine that would remain with her for the rest of her life. Henry ordered Wolsey?s arrest and had it not been for Wolsey?s death from a terminal illness in 1530 he may have been executed for treason. A year later Catherine was banished from Court.

Related Topics:
1529 - York - Queen Catherine - 1530 - Treason

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With Wolsey gone, Anne became the most powerful person at Court. She had a great say over appointments and political matters. She clashed heads with the king?s new chief minister, Sir Thomas More, who was a bitter enemy of religious freedom and reform which was the cause Anne and her brother supported. Her exasperation with the Vatican also persuaded her to promote a new alternative to Henry. She suggested that he should follow the advice of religious radicals like William Tyndale who denied Papal Authority and believed that the monarch should lead the Church of his own nation. When the devoutly Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury died, Anne had her family?s chaplain ? Thomas Cranmer ? appointed to the vacant position. She also facilitated the rise of Thomas Cromwell, who became the king?s favorite new adviser. In later years, she would regret this.

Related Topics:
Thomas More - William Tyndale - Canterbury - Thomas Cranmer - Thomas Cromwell

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During this period, Anne also played an enormous role in England's international position, by solidifying the French alliance. She established an excellent rapport with the French ambassador, Giles de la Pommeraye, who was captivated by her. With his help, she helped arrange an international conference at Calais in the winter of 1532 in which Henry hoped he could enlist the support of the French king for his marriage to Anne.

Related Topics:
England - Ambassador - Calais - Winter - 1532 - The French king

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Before going to Calais Henry gave Anne the title Marquess of Pembroke. This was the first time in British history that a woman had ever been created a peer in her own right. Anne's family also profited from this. Her father became Earl of Ormonde and Wiltshire and her brother George Boleyn was made Viscount Rochford. Thanks to Anne's intervention, her widowed sister Mary received an annual pension of £100, and Mary's son Henry Carey received a top-quality education in a prestigious Cistercian monastery. Thanks to this, Anne?s relationship with her sister became warm once more and the two were soon seen in each other?s company at Court. The royal jewels were also taken from Catherine of Aragon and re-sized to fit Anne?s more slender neck. She sailed to Calais equipped like a queen.

Related Topics:
Calais - Marquess - Wiltshire - George Boleyn - Viscount Rochford - £100 - Henry Carey - Cistercian

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