The Life and Legacy of Anne Boleyn

By Tessalee Lark on April 28, 2016

Anne Boleyn, second wife to King Henry VIII, and mother to future queen of England, Elizabeth I, is one of the most famous and controversial women in Tudor England. Her life and legacy has sparked hundreds of books, as well as numerous TV shows and movies. Most paint her as an evil, jealous woman who simply wanted to be Queen, but the real woman was far more relatable and contemporary than you may think.

The oldest daughter of Sir Thomas Boleyn and Lady Elizabeth Howard, Anne was brought up in a life of privilege. Since her father was an important diplomat, she had the opportunity to live in the royal court of Austria as a young girl before living at the court of France. There, she received a broad education in religion as well as languages which would make a lasting impact on her life.

Anne Boleyn, circa 1533

(photo: npg.org.uk)

 In 1521, Anne returned to England, and entered the service of Henry’s first wife, Katherine of Aragon. Ironically enough, it was her sister, Mary, who first caught the eye of King Henry. Mary was Henry’s mistress for many years, despite the fact that she was married, and it is possible that her two children were fathered by him, though he never publically recognized either of them. During this time, Anne herself was busy being courted by Henry Percy, the son of a noble. It is said that the two even had a secret engagement, but since neither family were accepting of this, Anne was sent away to her family’s country home, while Henry Percy married another woman.

When she finally returned to court and to the service of the Queen, she finally caught Henry’s attention in 1526. She was smart and witty, and he quickly became enamored with her, even going so far as to offer her the title of Maîtresse-en-titre, his “official mistress.” Such a title would have given her privileges such as servants and her own housing, but she refused him, possibly because of how Henry had put her sister aside when she had been his mistress. Indeed the couple did not consummate their relationship for seven years, and Anne was very set in her ways; she would become his wife, but not his mistress.

During their seven year courtship, Henry worked furiously to get an annulment from his first marriage so that he might marry Anne, a process which would be widely known as “The King’s Great Matter.” The thing Henry desired most was a son, and that was something that Katherine had not given him, nor was she able to since she was much older than him. Both Henry and Anne figured that since Anne herself was younger, a son was something that could happen quite easily. The problems started when the Pope refused to grant Henry and annulment, so in 1532, Henry broke away from the Catholic Church permanently, creating the Church of England, and sparking the Protestant Reformation, a movement which Anne was greatly involved in. In doing so, he was able to annul his marriage, and he and Anne were married in 1533.

At the time of her marriage, Anne was heavily pregnant, but it would not the boy everyone so longed for. Instead it was a girl, which she named Elizabeth. Henry saw this as a personal attack against him, and soon Anne was beginning to fear for her own life, as Henry was becoming more cruel and unkind to her. Two miscarriages followed, and by this time, Henry was convinced that Anne had bewitched him into doing everything he’d done. In 1535, various men in Anne’s service were arrested and questioned about the Queen. In 1536, Anne and her brother, George, were also arrested and taken to the Tower of London. She was charged with adultery and incest, though there was very little truth despite the “evidence” that the court had, and she was sentenced to death by beheading. Henry made no effort to defend her or to even save her.

Everyone had assumed that she would be granted mercy, as no English queen had ever been executed before. In one final act of compassion, Henry ordered for a French swordsman to deliver the blow instead of the usual man with an axe. On May 19th, Anne stepped out onto the Tower Green, and was executed with one swift strike of the swordsman. She was buried at the Church of St. Peter ad Vincula, her bones remaining there to this day.

The memorial plaque of Anne Boleyn at the church of St. Peter ad Vincula, Tower of London)

(photo: onthetudortrail.com)

Seen as a truly evil woman by many people in Henry’s court, and even many people today, I disagree. She was ambitious and cunning, traits which no good English woman was allowed to have and maintain a good reputation. Indeed, she was a woman centuries ahead of her time. She dared to dream of a better life for herself, and was not afraid to step on anyone’s toes in order to achieve her own ends. She was also a firm believer of the Protestant Reformation, and was one of the key players in starting it, though she is not usually given such credit. She was living in a man’s world; a world that just wasn’t ready for Anne Boleyn.

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