Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn by Arthur Hopkins c. 1860's-1870

When Henry VIII noticed Anne Boleyn in 1526, he didn’t wanted her to become his wife and queen. He simply desired Anne as his mistress. The king offered her a title of Maîtresse-en-titre, this title was very famous in France and meant that woman who had such a title was a chief mistress of a sovereign, and she had her own privileges like her own apartments, servants, etc. Although Henry VIII had many mistresses, he never actually had a maîtresse-en-titre and this title was offered only to Anne Boleyn. But Anne refused. Why would any woman refuse the king of England? Well perhaps Anne thought that if she refuse, then Henry will give up and find a new mistress. But perhaps, which is more likely, Anne learned from her sister’s example ; Mary Boleyn was Henry VIII’s mistress for few years, she gave birth to two children during affair with the king but in the end Henry casted her aside.

Anne’s refusal really made Henry VIII want her even more.  What was so special about Anne Boleyn? When she came back from France in 1522, she was considered a Frenchwoman – she was elegant, well-spoken and gracious. Although she was not a typical blue-eyed ‘English Rose’ with pale skin and blonde hair, she caught the attention of male courtiers and soon became very popular. She was a dramatic brunette with olive skin and enchanting black eyes, even French King called her a ‘Venus’ and Venus was synonym of beauty.

So Anne refused to have sexual relationship with Henry VIII until they were married. She was determined to preserve her virginity, but some people didn’t believe that she was as chaste as she wanted to be seen. She was seen by her enemies as a sexual predator, a lady with low moral standards, a harpy who entraped a great king. But was she really the one who entarped Henry?

Henry VIII c. 1536 by Hans Holbein

“Today, Henry’s approach to Anne would be instantly identifiable as sexual harassment. (…) Could she really tell the king to his face that she had no interest in him? She could reiterate her  desire to keep her chastity and her honor, but clearly he didn’t respect that. She could ignore his  letters and stay away from court, but he refused to take the hint. To offer him the outright insult he asked for would be to risk not only her own but her father’s and brother’s careers at court. She undoubtedly kept hoping he would tire of the chase and transfer his attentions to some newer lady-in-waiting. But he didn’t and she was trapped: there was no chance of her making a good marriage when every eligible nobleman knew the king wanted her. She began to realize she would have to give in. [as Wyatt wrote in his poem 'Whoso list to hunt'] ‘Nole me tangere, for Caesar’s I am’’.[1]

So Anne made her own conditions – she would became Henry’s wife and Queen, and not a mistress. But why Anne was slandered if she insisted so much to preserve her virginity?

Le Chateau d Amboise, France, where Anne Boleyn served as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Claude of France

Perhaps because she spent her youth in France. Since c. 1515 to 1522 Anne Boleyn served as a lady-in-waiting to Francis I’s wife, Queen Claude de Valois. French court was infamous for it’s immorality and Francis himself cheated on his wife (who was constantly pregnant) with many mistresses. Brantome wrote that ‘rarely, or never, did any maid or wife leave that court chaste’[2]  How about Anne? Queen Claude, whom Anne served, was only 15 years old and she ‘insisted upon high morality and restraint and showed a strict regard for etiquette.‘[3] Because she was so religious and because of her almost annual pregnancies, she spent her time mainly at the Chateau of Amboise and Blois, while ‘her philandering husband entertained scores of mistresses and set the tone for one of the most licentious courts of the period’.[4] It seems that Anne Boleyn accompanied her royal mistress and learned from her. Although we don’t know the exatc date of Anne’s birth, we might assume, that she and Claude were the same age[5], so they understood each other perfectly well. Some historians claim, that Claude’s court was too boring for vivacious Anne, however she entertainded herself and her royal mistress by singing and playing on the instruments.

Anne’s attitude towards her duties is also expressed in a letter she wrote to her father in 1514. Although she was writing this letter from Margaret of Austria’s court, we can be sure that her sense of resposibility did not change when she was in France ;

‘Sir,

I understand by your letter that you wish that I shall be of all virtuous repute when I come to Court and you inform me that the Queen will take the trouble to converse with me, which rejoices me greatly to think of talking with a person so wise and virtuous. This will make me have greater desire to continue to speak French well and also spell, especially because you have so recommended me to do so, and with my own hand I inform you that I will observe it the best I can.’[6]

It was in 1585, 49 years after Anne Boleyn’s death, when a staunch Catholic on exile, Nicolas Sander, wrote about her that ;

“At fifteen she sinned first with her father’s butler, and then with his chaplain, and forthwith was sent to France, and placed at the expense of the King, under the care of a certain nobleman not far from Brie. Soon afterwards she appeared at the French court where she was called the English mare, because of her shameless behaviour; and then the royal mule, when she became acquainted with the King of France.”[7]

Anne's sister Mary Boleyn, who was French king's mistress and later went on to be Henry VIII's mistress

It is Sander who started rumours about Anne’s alleged six fingers, moles, projecting tooth and wen under her chin. So his writing is not reliable at all. He does not even get the right dates ; Sander wrote that Anne ‘sinned’ when she was 15, and then she was sent to France as a punishment. However, Anne was sent to Margaret of Austria’s court first in 1514 when she about 14 years old (if we assume she was born in 1501 and not in 1507, which would make her even younger at the time) and then, in 1515 she was sent to France as a lady-in-waiting to King’s sister, Mary Tudor. Sander also states that Anne Boleyn was called an ‘English Mare’ and she was Francis I’s mistress.

Informations about Anne Boleyn’s misconducts are also described in the Spanish Cronica del Rey Enrico ; for example there is a description of Anne’s escapades with Mark Smeaton or Thomas Wyatt. But this Spanish Cronicle is not a reliable source of information – Anne Boleyn was enemy of Spanish Queen Cathrine of Aragon, and it is obvious that Anne was maligned. Also Eustace Chapuys who was imperial ambassador, hated Anne and called her ‘the whore’, ‘the concubine’ or ‘the English Messalina or Agrippina’.

During their long courtship, there were rumours that Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII had few children together, but there is no evidence. We can assume that Anne Boleyn knew that if she surrender to Henry and get pregnant too soon, her child will be no more than another royal bastard. And she was clever enough to wait with the consummation of this relationship.

In his letters to Anne, Henry often described his feelings about her.

‘There is a strong sexual tone to this letters. The king spoke often of his need to be ‘private’ with Anne, and wished he was, ‘specially an evening, in my sweetheart’s arms, whose pretty dugs (breasts) I trust shortly to kiss’.’[8]

There are strong inclination that Anne Boleyn remained virgin until 1532.  Alison Weir states that ;

‘Some intimacies she may have permitted, but never full intercourse. This is substantiated not only by King’s repeated denials that she was his mistress in the sexual sense, but also by the fact that, once the affair was consummated, Anne became pregnant immediately and conceived regularly thereafter’.[9]

So what had convinced Henry VIII in 1536, that a woman, who refused to sleep with him for almost 7 years, was guilty of multiple adultery?

In the same book, Alison Weir stated that Henry VIII confided to imperial ambassador that Anne was ‘corrupted’ in France and that French King told Duke of Norfolk that Anne was not a virtuous person during her youth spent in France. However I did not found such informations in primary sources so I think that this is Alison Weir’s pure imagination.

Anne Boleyn

We can easily say that Anne Boleyn changed everything ; she was the second commoner to become English Queen (first one was Elizabeth Woodville) . She took Catherine of Aragon’s place and she set up an example for other ladies at court . Who could ever imagine that a ‘foolish girl’ as Wolsey described Anne once, could dare to replace the Queen? Anne Boleyn did it – for her Henry VIII broke up with the Catholic Church, risking everything. People had to find a scape goat – someone they could blame for all the evil that fallen on England – and Anne was such a scape goat. Henry could do a little to stop the malicious rumours about his future bride, but little did she cared about them. ‘Let them grumble’ was her motto in 1530. Anne Boleyn had her flaws. She was not afraid to express her own opinions, even if others did not approve of them. In the end Henry VIII felt tired of such an outspoken wife and he cheated on her with new mistresses. But Anne was not afraid to show how jelous she was although the queen’s role was to ‘shut her eyes and endure’.

Was Anne an immoral temptress? I think not. She was Henry’s victim. Anne Boleyn payed the ultimate price for her relationship with the king. She died accused of adultery, incest and witchcraft, and yet she said nothing at the scaffold, when she  prayed  ‘God save the king and send him long to reign over you, for a gentler nor a more merciful prince was there never’. [10] Even her enemies, like Chapuys, did not believe in her guilt ;

‘You never saw a prince or husband show or wear his horns more patiently and lightly than this one does.’[11]

Anne Boleyn died innocent. For many years to come her name was slandered and malicious rumours were spread about her. She was a brave woman who lived in a very difficult times. She proved that woman can be equal to a man. Today she is remembered and celebrated not only in England, but also in the whole world.

Q : Welcome to Queen Anne Boleyn Website! Could you share with us a little about yourself and your background?

A : I am the proud wife of a very handsome retired US Navy Chief, and together we have a blended family of four, making our home in central WI.  I also am a trained pianist and vocalist—though I admit, much of that training was set aside when I discovered Janis Joplin, classic rock, and show tunes.  I still love to play and sing a very eclectic variety of music, however, and it is a great twin outlet to my writing.  I come from a strongly Chicagoan background and am the first of my family to be born in Wisconsin.  If you are not familiar with the area, there is a great rivalry between WI and its neighboring state of IL, so I have had to swear allegiance to both football teams—the Bears and the Packers!  It may just start a war yet . . .

 Q : I loved the characters and the storyline in “The Sumerton Women”. Are those characters based on real people/events?  

A : Most of the characters in THE SUMERTON WOMEN are of my own creation.  There are some, as I call them, “guest appearances” by historical figures, most prominently the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer.  The events that drive the conflict in the novel, such as the British Reformation and the ups and downs in Henry VIII’s and Edward VI’s England, are real.

 Q : When and how characters from your book became real in your imagination? When did you decide you will write this novel? 

A  : It was almost four years ago when I had the idea for this novel.  I wrote about a quarter of it, then put it aside when SECRETS…and RIVALS…got picked up, then returned to it when my editor asked if there were other Tudor era novels I was working on. Conveniently, THE SUMERTON WOMEN was there and waiting to be finished.  The characters ruminate within me for quite a while as I entertain scenes in my mind and develop them further.  I tend to get very wrapped up in my characters, whether they are my own or are historical figures, and the process can be quite intense.  They take up residence in my mind for the whole duration of the novel—and of course they never leave my heart.

 Q : You wrote two other historical novels set in the Tudor England. How did you become interested in this period of history? 

A : I am a lover of history, from the times before Christ right through the Vietnam era.  There are so many stories waiting to be told, about the people, the places, and the events that shaped them—everything a historical novelist needs.  The Tudor period is just one of my many fascinations.  I have always found the era to be filled with compelling historical figures faced with intense conflict and personal struggles that, despite the grand scale of the events they dealt with, are actually rather relatable.  I endeavored to cover areas within the now-familiar Tudor story that are a little less documented and breathe life into characters and situations that have been a bit overlooked.

 Q : What is your favorite Tudor character? 

A : I have a couple.  I must say the Third Duke of Norfolk is one of them.  He was a villain, true, but after researching him I could understand a bit more of what may have played into the development of his mind-set.  Though it didn’t justify his actions, it made him no less fascinating as a person.  I also have developed a fondness for Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury.  I found him to be a truly kind person with sincere motives to reform the Church at that time.

 Q : Can you tell us what sort of research process did you undergo for this novel? 

A : As most of the characters were my own, along with Sumerton as a setting, most of my research dealt with the Reformation and policy made during the reigns of Henry VIII and his son Edward VI.  It was interesting learning more about medieval nunneries, monastic discipline, and how closely politics walked with the religion of the day.

 Q : Do you outline your story first or are you more of a go-with-the-flow type?

A: I do have a very rough version of my novels outlined, not chapter by chapter, but very informal to work off of.  It goes through many transformations along the way, and often the pitching synopsis I write after the novel’s completion evolves into something much different than its original concept.

 Q : What is a typical working day like for you? Do you set a daily writing goal?  

A : Often I work at night.  In my house, with kids and animals and the responsibilities those entail, I find it most peaceful, though when my son is in school I have been writing in the early afternoons as well lately.  When I am under deadline I do have a writing goal of 5 pages a day, which is about 2,000 words or so.  When I’m not on deadline, however, I just write with my inspiration—which sometimes takes a bit of coaxing, but admittedly is the most enjoyable way to write.

 Q : How do you organize your facts and plots? Do you have a note-taking system, chart or other means of controlling the information, or is it all in your head? 

A : My facts I have noted or highlighted and are usually sitting in piles of books and notebooks beside me when I’m working.  I did once chart out a complete battle scene that I ended up deleting, so I don’t often use charts unless it is family trees.  My plot, unless I am working under the stricture of a real historical figure and the framework their life provides, is often in my head and on my first working synopsis.  It changes so much as it goes, when new research is uncovered or when I feel something else suits the characters more or will drive the story in a better, more compelling direction, that I never want to be locked into too rigid of an outline.

 Q : When and where do you write? 

A : This year my husband remodeled one of the bedrooms of our house into my first office.  I used to write in my rocking chair, with all of my books and notes surrounding me, which didn’t make for a very tidy spot!  So now it is all in one lovely, inspiring room that I can escape to, a world all the more meaningful since my husband built it with such love and the desire for me to have a quiet, peaceful working environment.

 Q : When did you first become interested in writing? 

A : As soon as I learned how to read.  I was always making up stories and daydreaming, carried away to other worlds.  The more I read, the more I wanted to write.  I began my first serious pursuit when I was 16 but didn’t begin pitching my work to agents till I was in my twenties.  It is a passion and a compulsion, something I’ll do regardless of whether I continue to be published or not, but I figured it was time to see if anyone else would believe in my work as much as I did.  I was very blessed to find and agent and editor who did so.

 Q : What advice would you give aspiring writers? 

A: To never give up or become discouraged.  Keep submitting your work to agents no matter how many rejections you get.  The more rejections you get, the better the story will be for later!  Writing can be an isolating profession, so networking with other authors is important, especially those who are established and can guide you through the bittersweet journey.  Never write hoping for wealth; write for passion and the love of your story and characters.  Be assertive but respectful, make your voice heard, and keep at it!

 Q : If “The Sumerton Women” gained a movie deal, who would you choose to play the main characters? 

A : Whenever I’m picturing my characters, I often pick actors/actresses from different time periods, so some of my dream cast would have to be resurrected.  But it would be fun to see Dianna Agron in the role of Cecily and Jennifer Lawrence as Mirabella.  Thorsten Kaye would make an excellent Father Alec but Hal . . . sadly I can’t see him as anyone but a young Richard Harris!

 Q : Are you currently working on any new novels? 

A: I am!  There are always ideas circling, it’s just finding which one is speaking to me the loudest at the time.

 Q: And last but not least, is there anything else you would like your readers to know about you or your upcoming projects? 

A: I have another work coming out in 2013 that I will be excited to disclose as soon as I am able to.  After that I would like to branch out to other eras and truly hope I can engage readers to follow me on my journey as I hope to keep growing and evolving as a writer.  If you would like to ride along, please check out my website at www.dlbogdan.com and blog at www.dlbogdan.blogspot.com  I’m also on facebook and twitter @DL_Bogdan.

 Q : Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule. 

A: Thank you, Sylwia!  It was a delight!

]]> http://www.anne-boleyn.com/eng/interview-with-d-l-bogdan-author-of-the-sumerton-women/feed/ 2 http://www.anne-boleyn.com/eng/review-the-sumerton-women-by-d-l-bogdan/ http://www.anne-boleyn.com/eng/review-the-sumerton-women-by-d-l-bogdan/#comments Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:40:26 +0000 Sylwia http://www.anne-boleyn.com/eng/?p=181

The Sumerton Women

I was lucky enough to receive signed copy of D.L. Bogdan’s “Sumerton Women” before the novel’s release date (24 April 2012) and today I am going to post my review. Here is book’s description from Amazon:

“Orphaned at age eight, Lady Cecily Burkhart becomes the ward of Harold Pierce, Earl of Sumerton. Lord Hal and his wife, Lady Grace, welcome sweet-natured Cecily as one of their own. With Brey, their young son, Cecily develops an easy friendship. But their daughter, Mirabella, is consumed by her religious vocation – and by her devotion to Father Alec Cahill, the family priest and tutor. As Henry VIII’s obsession with Anne Boleyn leads to violent religious upheaval, Mirabella is robbed of her calling and the future Cecily dreamed of is ripped away in turn. Cecily struggles to hold together the fractured household while she and Father Alec grapple with a dangerous mutual attraction. Plagued with jealousy, Mirabella unleashes a tumultuous chain of events that threatens to destroy everyone around her, even as the kingdom is torn apart…”

Hm, where do I start? First of all – “The Sumerton Women” is now officially my favourite historical novel so far. It has everything – great storyline, vivid characters and historical background.

Lady Cecily Burkhart’s parents died due to Sweating Sickness that ravaged England in 1527. Orphaned as an eight-year-old girl, Cecily becomes ward to the Pierce family. Although Cecily grieves after her beloved parents, she quickly adapts to new environment and she grows to love her new family. She becomes a spark of sunshine in Pierce’s life, and although at the beginning they seem a happy family, Cecily slowly discovers their dark and painful secrets.

Lord Harold ‘Hal’ Pierce, The Earl of Sumerton, is a kind and loving man. He shares an uneasy relationship with his wife Grace, who drowns her sorrows in wine. Their marriage is strained by a painful secret, but I will not reveal what kind of secret it is – I don’t want to spoil your joy of reading the story.

Then there are Hal’s and Grace’s children; Cecily’s age-mate Brey and consumed with desire to become a nun Mirabella. Brey is a lively child who quickly develops friendship with Cecily. Mirabella from the other hand is a quick witted girl, so intensely devoted to Church, resenting all the earthly joys. And finally there is Father Alec Cahill, the children’s beloved tutor and family’s spiritual support. He is a young priest who develops an interest in so called New Learning that quickly spreads though England as the King Henry VIII’s love for Anne Boleyn increases.

As an heiress of huge fortune and lands, Cecily becomes engaged to Brey. They develop a beautiful friendship and once Cecily realizes how happy she will be as Brey’s future wife, she finds her inner peace and stability. But when the tragedy strucks, everything changes for Cecily and the whole Pierce family. Now, I would like to avoid describing the events in the book, but I am telling you – the story is so wonderful and so surprising at times, that you will easily get soaked into it!

D.L.Bogdan’s novel has so many layers – you think you know how the story will develop, but when it unfolds before your eyes many new twists and turns are leaving you astonished and craving for more! This book is a real page-turner and I must say that D.L. Bogdan created a beautiful tale about eternal love, friendship, pain, betrayal, passion and simple, human need of being loved.

The novel is very carefully researched – I loved D.L. Bogdan’s portrayal of the Tudor court. There are glimpses at Anne Boleyn, woman who stirred so many emotions – from Cecily’s admiration to Mirabella’s hatred. Later in the novel, Father Alec joins Archbishop Cranmer’s household and it was a wonderful chance to learn about Cranmer’s views through Father Alec’s eyes. What I love about this novel is the fact, that we are able to see many Tudor characters though eyes of novel characters. For example; Cecily admires Anne Boleyn’s strength while Mirabella is burning with hatred against New Learning and Anne herself.

 “The Summerton Women” is a great read, and simply magnificent family saga set in a time of crucial changes in the reign of the Tudor kings. D.L. Bogdan’s style of writing is amazing – she pays such a close attention to details! The settings were described so vividly that I almost felt the smell of fresh country air, and with eyes of my imagination I was able to see the Sumerton Castle. Characters were living their own life on pages of this novel, and I literally felt part of their family. Lady Cecily matured before my eyes – from an orphaned girl she became a lady in her own right, a wife and a mother. Cecily is such a lovable character!  Other characters are also very enjoyable and I must say that two of them deserve a special mention – Mirabella who hides her own desires under the façade of divine calling, and Father Alec who is an intelligent and kind man. Every single character in this book has its own story to tell.

In the end of the novel I felt quite sad because it was over. When I finished reading, I felt as if a dear friend was departing. This is how powerful impact this beautiful story had on me. I found it really fascinating that the lives of fictional characters ware intertwined with life of real historic figures. We have a glimpse on Anne Boleyn, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, Jane Seymour, Lady Mary Tudor, Robert Aske, even king Henry VIII himself, and many more.

“The Summerton Women” will be published April 24 2012. I heartily recommend you this amazing novel!  Here I would like to thank D.L. Bogdan for giving me a chance to read her novel before it’s release date.

And a few words about Author…                                     

D.L. Bogdan is an acclaimed author of historical novels. Before “The Sumerton Women” she wrote two other books: “Rivals in the Tudor Court” about Thomas Howard, the 3d Duke of Norfolk and “Secrets of the Tudor Court” about Mary Howard, Anne Boleyn’s cousin. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband, four children and few pets. For those of you who are interested in getting to know  D.L. Bogdan  better I have a very good news – soon I will publish interview with her on my website!

]]> http://www.anne-boleyn.com/eng/review-the-sumerton-women-by-d-l-bogdan/feed/ 0 http://www.anne-boleyn.com/eng/to-the-king-from-the-lady-in-the-tower/ http://www.anne-boleyn.com/eng/to-the-king-from-the-lady-in-the-tower/#comments Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:21:39 +0000 Sylwia http://www.anne-boleyn.com/eng/?p=106 Today I will answer a question asked by Areti from my Facebook Fanpage :

“I have a question about the letter that Anne is supposed to have written in the tower! Why can we not be sure if she really wrote it..? Can’t we recognise her style of writing?”

This letter was found among Thomas Cromwell’s papers and endorsed with the words:

“To the King from the Lady in the Tower”

“To the King from the Lady in the Tower”

The letter is not in Anne Boleyn’s handwriting, it was suggested that it is a copy of a lost original, or it was dictated by Anne. The letter was allegedly written on 6 May 1536.

Why this letter is considered by many as a forgery?

1. Anne Boleyn would never have written such a letter. She was blaming Henry VIII and his bad council as well as Jane Seymour for her imprisonment.  Elizabeth Norton states that ;

“On 6 May Anne still entertained some hopes that she would be allowed to retire to a nunnery and she would not have wished to jeopardise this”. (Elizabeth Norton, “Anne Boleyn in her own words &words of those who knew her”, p. 255)

 Would Anne Boleyn have risked the king’s wrath by writing a letter is such a reproving tone? She still had to consider her family’s wellbeing.

 2. Why would Cromwell keep this letter rather than destroying it? Everything considering Anne Boleyn’s trial was consistently destroyed, and the letter would probably be destroyed as well.

3.       Signature : “Anne Bullen”. Anne was always signing her letter as “Anne the Queene”

4.       The letter was not in Anne’s handwriting.

 Why this letter could be really Anne’s last letter to Henry VIII?

While there are many reasons to believe that this letter is a forgery, there are some hints that may suggest that Anne really was the author:

1. Anne could have dictated the content of the letter.
2. The letter was first published in 1649 by Lord Herbert, and then again in 1679 by Bishop Burnet. According to Burnet, he found this letter among papers that belonged to Thomas Cromwell together with letters from William Kingston (a constable of the Tower who was reporting what was going on with Anne while she was in the Tower).
3. Elizabeth Norton wrote that:

             “The early historian John Strype mentioned a possible second letter written by Anne to Henry from the Tower, written in response to a message from the King urging her to confess” (p. 256).

Perhaps Anne Boleyn was determined to inform the king that she was truly innocent and wanted to make sure that he knows what she thinks about her unjust imprisonment.

 I don’t know what to think about this letter – Anne Boleyn was outspoken and she often expressed her opinions, even if they angered the king. Perhaps, knowing that she will be executed, she wrote this letter to inform the king what she really thought. I wish to believe that she really did.

The content of the letter:

“Sir,

Your Grace’s displeasure and my imprisonment are things so strange unto me, that what to write, or what to excuse, I am altogether ignorant. Whereas you send unto me (willing me to confess a truth and so obtain your favour), by such a one, whom you know to be mine ancient professed enemy, I no sooner received this message by him, than I rightly conceived your meaning; and if, as you say, confessing a truth indeed may procure my safety, I shall with all willingness and duty, perform your duty. But let not Your Grace ever imagine that your poor wife will be brought to acknowledge a fault, where not so much as a thought ever proceeded. And to speak a truth, never a prince had wife more loyal in all duty, and in all true affection, than you have ever found in Anne Bulen – with which name and place I could willingly have contented myself, if God and your grace’s pleasure had been so pleased. Neither did I at any time so far forget myself in my exaltation or received queenship, but that I always looked for such alteration as I now find; for the ground of my preferment being on no surer foundation than your Grace’s fancy, the least alteration was fit and sufficient (I knew) to draw that fancy to some other subject.

You have chosen me from low estate to be your queen and companion, far beyond my desert or desire; if, then, you found me worthy of such honour, good your Grace, let not any light fancy or bad counsel of my enemies withdraw your princely favour from me; neither let that stain – that unworthy stain – of a disloyal heart towards your good grace ever cast so foul a blot on me, and on the infant princess your daughter.

Try me, good King, but let me have a lawful trial, and let not my sworn enemies sit as my accusers and as my judges; yea, let me receive an open trial, for my truth shall fear no open shame. Then you shall see either my innocency cleared, your suspicions and conscience satisfied, the ignominy and slander of the world stopped, or my guilt openly declared. So that, whatever God and you may determine of, your Grace may be freed from an open censure; and my offense being so lawfully proved, your Grace may be at liberty, both before God and man, not only to execute worthy punishment on me as an unfaithful wife but to follow your affection already settled on that party for whose sake I am now as I am, whose name I could some while since have pointed unto – your Grace being not ignorant of my suspicions therein.

But if you have already determined of me, and that not only my death, but an infamous slander must bring your the joying of your desired happiness, then I desire of God that He will pardon your great sin herein, and likewise my enemies, the instruments thereof; and that He will not call you to a strait account for your unprincely and cruel usage of me at His general judgment seat, where both you and myself must shortly appear; and in whose just judgment, I doubt not (whatsoever the world may think of me), mine innocency shall be openly known and sufficiently cleared.

My last and only request shall be, that myself only bear the burden of your Grace’s displeasure, and that it may not touch the innocent souls of those poor gentlemen, whom, as I understand, are likewise in strait imprisonment for my sake. If ever I have found favour in your sight – if ever the name of Anne Bulen have been pleasing in your ears – then let me obtain this request; and so I will leave to trouble your grace any further, with mine earnest prayer to the Trinity to have your grace in his good keeping, and to direct you in all your actions.

From my doleful prison in the Tower, the 6th May.

Your most loyal and ever-faithful wife,

Anne Bulen”

“The kyng, after his returne [from Calais] maried priuily[privily] the lady Anne Bulleyn on sainet Erkenwaldes daie, whiche mariage was kept so secrete, that very fewe knewe it, til she was greate with child, at Easter after”

Considering that Elizabeth was born in September 1533, she must have been conceived around December 1532 and it is not enitirely impossible that the couple decided to marry after succesful meeting with king Francis I in Calais.

Wedding scene from 'The Tudors'

Henry VIII was not yet free to marry Anne, because his marriage to Catherine of Aragon was still officially valid. The second marriage ceremony that took place in January 1533 is more reliable date, but perhaps, on 14th of November 1532 Henry VIII vowed his loyalty to Anne Boleyn, in order to ease her conscience, because evidence indicates that they consummated their relationship on their return from Calais in 1532.

Another wedding ceremony took place on 14th of November, but few years earlier – young Catherine of Aragon married Arthur Tudor, an heir to the English throne. It was a huge and glittery ceremony, but as we know – only six moths later joy changed into grief when young prince died and Catherine became a widow.

Henry Carey, Mary's first child

I was inspired to write this article after reading another chapter of new book by David Loades, ‘The Boleyns’. In chapter entitled  ‘Mary & the King’s Fancy – in and out of Favour’ professor Loades states that ;

”Mistress Carey’s charms may have faded, or been replaced by those of her sister, but the indications are that Mary was handed over to her husband at some point in the summer of 1525. Her son, Henry Carey, was born on 4 March 1526, and that suggests that she began to sleep with William at some time in June or July of 1525.” / p. 52 /

”From 1526 onwards Mary is overshadowed by her sister Anne, and glimpses of her in the records become few. She must have spent quite a lot of her time on pregnancy leave, because a few months after Henry’s birth, she had conceived again, and bore William’s second child, a daughter Catherine, at some time in 1527.’‘ / p. 53/

I have to say that I always thought that Catherine Carey was born c. 1524 and thus was Mary Carey’s first child. In her book ‘Mary Boleyn : The True Story of Henry VIII’s Favourite Mistress’ Josephine Wilkinson states that ;

”Mary in fact, was pregnant twice during the time she was Henry’s mistress. The eldest child, Katherine, was born in 1524. The year of her birth is easy to establish from a portrait of her which was painted in 1562. This notes that the sitter was thirty-eight years of age at the time, giving her a birth date of 1524”. / p. 79/

In her new book about Mary Boleyn, Alison Weir also states that Catherine Carey was born c. 1524.

As usually when I have doubts, I reached profesor Eric Ives’ book ‘The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn’ . Profesor Ives states that ;

”Once Mary had begun to cohabit with William Carey, her two children came in quick succession.” /p. 17/

In the notes for this chapter, profesor Ives explains that Henry Carey was Mary’s first child and he was born in March 1526. This makes Catherine Carey the second child.

For centuries historians tried to guess wheather Mary’s children were also Henry VIII’s children. We don’t actually know when Mary’s relationship with the king started and when exactly it ended. We can only guess the time of their romance. David Loades states that in the summer of 1525 Mary was reunited with her husband and she conceived children by him. But another historian, Josephine Wilkinson, claims otherwise :

”However a child born in March would have been conceived in June of the previous year when Henry had not yet discarded Mary.” /p. 80 /

The important question is – did Henry VIII father Mary Carey’s children? We should first take a look on Henry VIII’s children : during his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, Henry fathered at least six children, but only one of them – princess Mary – survived infancy. At some point  Henry VIII knew that his wife will not be able to provide him more children, and he took a mistress – young lady-in-waiting, Elizabeth ‘Bessie’ Blount. Bessie gave birth to a healthy baby boy in June 1519, and the king acknowledged baby as his son. The boy received a name Henry – after his royal father, and a surname ‘Fitzroy’ that meant ‘son of the King’. He was the first son of 28-year-old Henry VIII and the king soon bestowed a title of Duke of Richmond on him.

Henry VIII never aknowledged Mary’s children as his own. They received Mary’s husband’s surname, Carey, and perhaps this is an indication that they were indeed William Carey’s children.

Other possible explanation of why Henry VIII never acknowledged Mary’s children as his own is the fact that he developed his interest in Mary’s younger sister, Anne Boleyn. At the Shrovetide in 1526 the king appeared at joust displaying a motto ‘Declare I dare not’  which was a clear indication towards Anne Boleyn and Henry’s respect for Anne’s decision of preserving her virginity.

How could Henry VIII acknowledge Mary’s children ash his own, when he was pursuing her sister? That would have caused a scandal, considering the fact that king wanted to marry Anne Boleyn and his previous affair with Mary caused some problems – Henry must have appealed to Rome for a dispence.

Catherine Carey

The other possible explanation is the fact, that Henry VIII knew that he must have a legitimate son. He believed that a woman can never wear a crown and thus was eager to provide a male heir. But Catherine of Aragon was already barren, with no chance of conceiving another child. That is why Henry turned his back on her, and took mistresses. But even if Henry recognized Bessie Blount’s son as his own, Henry Fitzroy was only an illegitimate son, who would probably never inherit the throne. Henry knew that so he didn’t need more illegitimate children.

And what about the rumours that young Henry Carey looked like king Henry VIII? Did he really bear resemblance to the king? John Hale, Vicar of Isleworth wrote to the Council in 1535 that :

“Moreover, Mr. Skydmore dyd show to me yongge Master Care, saying that he was our suffren Lord the Kynge’s son by our suffren Lady the Qwyen’s syster, whom the Qwyen’s grace myght not suffer to be yn the Cowrte.” / LP, VIII. 567/

Profesor Eric Ives pointed out that such rumours were spread by Catherine of Aragon’s supporters.

And what about the fact, that Anne Boleyn became Henry Carey’s ward after William Carey’s death? It could have been an act of mercy since Anne was Mary’s sister, and Mary found herself in a difficult financial position after her husband’s death. But it could have been also a sign that Henry VIII wished to take care of his illegtimate son.

Whatever the case is, I think that today it is really hard to say if Henry and Catherine Carey were Henry VIII’s children. Perhaps they were, perhaps not – but certainly they both played a political role during Elizabeth I’s reign. Elizabeth was very fond of her Boleyn relatives but it doesn’t meant that it was because they were Henry VIII’s children. I think that for Elizabeth they were mostly the Boleyns, family of her mother. Henry Carey knew Anne Boleyn when he was a boy, and he certainly had a lot to tell Elizabeth about her mother.

Bibliography :

Eric Ives, The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn

David Loades, ”The Boleyns’

Alison Weir, ”Mary Boleyn : The Great and Infamous Whore”

Josephine Wilkinson, ”Mary Boleyn : The True Story of Henry VIII’s Favourite Mistress”

LP, VIII. 567

Modern interpretation of Anne Boleyn by Alexandre Jubran

Anne Boleyn was accused of adultery, incest, treason and plotting to kill a king. But among charges against her, also witchcraft was brought up. Why was Anne accused of witchcraft? Did she had something in common with ‘dark powers’?

In her book ‘The Lady in the Tower : the Fall of Anne Boleyn’ , Alison Weir states that ;

‘At that time witchcraft was not an indictable offence; it was not until 1542 that an act was passed under Henry Viiii making it a secular crime, and it did not become a capital offence until 1563, under Elizabeth I. Prior to that, the penalty for witchcraft had been determined according to evidence of actual criminality, which proof of evil deed being necessary to obtain a conviction; in the cases of persons of high rank, there was often a suspicion of treason against the Crown’.[1]

In England, Scotland and Ireland, between 1542 and 1735 a series of Witchcraft Acts enshrined into law the punishment (often with death, sometimes with incarceration) of individuals practising, or claiming to practice witchcraft and magic. [2] Witchcraft was the alleged use of magical or supernatural powers to harm people or their property. It was also widely believed that witches were in league with Devil. During the times when people did not know how to explain unexplained, they tend to believe in dark powers.

Effigies of Joan of Navarre and Henry IV

But Anne Boleyn was not the first great lady ever accused of witchcraft. First was Joan of Navarre. She was Duchess consort of Brittany and Queen consort of England. She was not very popular among English people, mainly because she was a foreigner. In 1419 Joan of Navarre was imprisoned on trumped-up charges of sorcery. She was released in 1422. In ‘She Wolves: The Notorious Queen of England’ Elizabeth Norton states ;

‘During the reign of her stepson, Henry V, her reputation took a dramatic turn for the worse when she was accused of plotting to murder the king through sorcery and spent several years in prison. Little evidence was ever presented to explain Joan’s arrest and, as the example of Joan’s stepdaughter-in-law Eleanor Cobham shows, an accusation of witchcraft was a covenient way of attacking a royal woman in the fiteenth century. Joan was certainly no witch but, as a foreigner in a troubled period, she was an easy target, just as her predecessors, such as Eleanor of Provence and Isabella of France had found’.

The penance of Eleanor Cobham : she had to walk barefoot and barheaded and carrzing a candle weighing two pounds

Another example was Eleanor Cobham, wife of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, Henry V’s youngest brother and Henry VI’s uncle and heir apparent. She was arrested in 1441 and accused of using potions supplied by famous ‘Witch of Eye’ Margery Jourdemayne, to make Gloucester fall in love with and marry her. Eleanor also asked the atrologers, Thomas Southwell and Roger Bolingbroke, if her husband would suceed the king. In his book ‘Elizabeth Woodville: Mother of Prnces in the Tower’, David Baldwin states that ;

‘The three magicians had apparently made a wax image which the prosecution alleged was of the King and design to procure his death (by melting it)m but which Eleanor said represented a baby and was intended only to help her bear a child.’[4]

In the end Eleanor’s marriage was dissolved ‘on the premise that , by using witchcraft, she had interfered with Duke Humphrey’s freedom of choice.’[5] Margarey Jourdemayne was sentenced to death by burning at Smithfield, Thomas Southwell died in prison, and Roger Bolingbroke was hanged, drawn and quartered. What about Eleanor Cobham? She had to do a public penance in London, and was condemned to life inprisonment on the Isle of Man.

Depiction of first meeting between Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV

Edward IV’s Queen consort, beautiful Elizabeth Woodville, was also accused of witchcraft. She was the first commoner (the second one was Anne Boleyn) to become Queen consort of England. Elizabeth was considered beautiful so it is no wonder that king Edward IV fell in love with her. The tradition says that Elizabeth heard that the king was hunting in Whittelwood Forest ans she waited under the Oak tree with her two sons from first marriage. After her husband’s death Elizabeth found herself in a difficult financial position so her goal was to ask king for help. And when he rode by she threw herself at his feet and Edward fell in love with her.

In the beggining Edward IV did not plan to marry Elizabeth Woodville. He wanted her simply as his mistress. But she did not agreed and the king married her in a great secret.

‘To many of her contemporaries it was unthinkable that the king would have freely chosen to marry a woman so far beneath him and there were rumours of witchcraft and seduction which marred Elizabeth’s reputation both during her lifetime and afterwards. Elizabeth’s detractors were simply unable to believe that the couple could have been motivated only by love and this critisism of Elizabeth was something that her greatest enemy, Richard III, was happy to publicise during his reign’.[6]

Also Elizabeth’s mother, Jacquetta of Luxembourg, was accused of using sorcery to help her daughter. Certainly neither Elizabeth nor her mother were guilty of witchcraft ; such an accusation was a powerful tool in hands of their political enemies.

And what about Anne Boleyn? Henry VIII claimed that he was ‘bewitched’ by her and this is the reason why they married. We can easily assume, that people did not had an explanation why did Henry VIII married Anne Boleyn ; today we know that he fell in love with her, but in times when kings always married for political reasons, they would find in witchcraft an explanation of why Henry had turned his back from Catherine of Aragon and married Anne Boleyn.

The only ‘proof’ of Anne Boleyn’s witchcraft might be a story about deformed foetus. In January 1536, Anne Boleyn miscarried a child, imperial ambassador Chapuys wrote that it was ‘ a male about three months and a half old’. [7] Eric Ives statest that ;

‘Some sixteenth-century moralists did associate witches with monstrous births, so fantasizing about a ‘deformed foetus’ has led to historians speculating about a link between Anne’s fall and an accusation of witchcraft.’[8]

It was Nicolas Sander, author of theories about Anne’s six fingers, moles and projecting tooth, who wrote that in January 1536  she miscarried a ‘shapeless mass of flesh’ but yet we have no eveidence from Anne’s contemporaries who knew much about queen’s miscarriage.

Anne Boleyn, Hever Castle

‘No deformed foetus was mentioned  at the time or later in Henry’s reign, despite Anne’s disgrace. In Mary’s reign, when there was every motive and opportunity to blacken Anne, the substantial anti-Boleyn material which appeared in England said nothing. Nor was any such report known to the more raffish European Catholic sources nor to William Thomas, a Protestant writer hostile to Anne. Lacking all corroboration, the appearance of the story forty years after the event must be dismissed as a Sander promotion designed to support his description of Anne as a misshapen monster. It is as little worthy of credence as his assertion that Henry VIII was Anne’s father.’[9]

What exactly did Henry VIII meant when he said that he was ‘bewitched’ by Anne? Eric Ives argues that he perhaps meant that he was ‘deceived’  by her. Eric Ives wrote very important thing ;

‘In any case, alleging witchcraft was a commonplace excuse for foolish male behaviour.’[10]

Henry VIII could not admit that he was wrong about woman he so passionately fought for almost 7 years. The easiest way was to blame her and and tell everyone that she ‘bewitched’ him although Henry might not think about being ‘bewitched’ in a magical sense. Chapuys wrote in 1533 that ‘this accursed lady has so enchanted and bewitched him that he will not dare to do anything against her will’ [11] and he meant that Henry was so madly in love with Anne rather than accusing Anne of being a witch. The most probable explanation is that Henry wanted to blame Anne and that is why he though he was ‘bewitched’ but, as professor Ives points out, he might meant that he was ‘deceived’ by Anne.

Anne’s alleged sexual offences were also connected with accusations of witchcraft. It was a common believe that witches used spells and charms to entice men into marriage, that they had a power to cause impotence (and Anne was said to speak to Lady Rochford about Henry’s sexual problems) and that they were lustful. But Anne Boleyn was certainly not a witch – the accusations against her were false, and her fall was very much about the fall of the whole Boleyn faction.

Women that I have described in this article have few things in common – they were misunderstood and slandered in their times, because with their beauty and inteligence they were noticed by powerful men. The example of Elizabeth Woodville and Anne Boleyn proves that a man in love risk everything just to get woman he wanted. In times when kings were married for politics, Edward IV and Henry VIII married for love, putting their country in chaos. And then the rumours started – but not rumours about king’s behaviour, but against a woman who ‘enchanted’ him. The accusations of witchcraft were very convenient way of accusing a royal lady – how else could they explain that the king married a simple woman with no political agenda, forgetting about consequences and common sense?

Why do you think women are blamed for men’s foolishness? It looks like in history it was a common practice.

Anne and Henry

Although after Anne Boleyn’s execution Henry VIII did everything to get rid of memories about her, one thing is certain – they were a loving couple for almost 10 years, and Henry was very much in love with Anne. In order to show his feelings towards her, he showered her with magnificent gifts, and some of them are described with details. In this article I will take a closer look on Henry’s gifts for Anne Boleyn.

For many years Anne Boleyn was Henry’s ‘wife-to-be’. Many called her king’s mistress, although she had never accepted such a title, and even refused to sleep with Henry until they were married. It seems that Anne had wrapped Henry around her finger, and he seemed to be madly in love with her. But officially Henry was still married with Catherine of Aragon, and Anne was merely the king’s fancy, or so many people who knew the king believed. So it is natural that Henry wanted to win Anne’s affections by fancy gifts. When the divorce was not going as planned, Henry used to buy Anne magnificent things only to prove to her, that he is going to marry her.

Professor Eric Ives wrote that ‘the couple were always together and Henry’s privy purse expenses show how intertwined their lives were’.[1] Henry’s privy purse accounts have survived for the years 1529-32 and they gives us an insight of the happy time they have spent together as a fiancées.

In her book ‘The Rise and Fall of Anne Boleyn’ , Retha M. Warnicke wrote ;

‘During the Christmas festivities in 1529, Henry and Catherine were once more together , presiding over a full court at Greenwich and so observers noted Anne did not make an appearance. As soon as the holidays were over, the queen departed for Richmond while the king remained at Greenwich with Anne, but by March he was once more with Catherine at Windsor in time to celebrate Easter and Whitsuntide. Perhaps in part to make up for the public attention to his consort, Henry had been presenting Anne with many gifts. His privy purse accounts, which have survived for the years 1529-32, indicate that he was spending large sums of money on her clothing and other ‘stuff’. She received material worth 200 pounds on 23 November 1529, and the sum of 100 pounds on 31 December 1529.’[2]

Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII hunting

Professor Eric Ives described how Henry’s and Anne’s relationship became more serious, and that this was reflected in amount of money that Henry spent on Anne :

‘There was also a distinct jump in the amount of money Henry spent on Anne. In both 1530 and 1531 he had paid out from his privy purse about £220 on or for Anne. In 1532 the figure jumped to £330, although that did include nearly £50 lost to her in ten days playing ‘Pope Julius’, an early version of the card game ‘Commerce’. Much of the expenditure went on clothes, and while it is anachronistic to talk of a ‘trousseau’, Anne was certainly being fitted out for the role of queen.’[4]

Innn 1531, Anne’s servant was paid  £66 13s 4d for purchasing a farm at Greenwich to ‘the use of my Lady Anne Rochford’[5]

‘The privy purse expences of King Henry the Eighth’ by Sir Nicolas Harris reveals to us what exactly Henry purchased[6] for Anne and how much did it cost him. Anne was famous for her sense of style and elegance, and Henry VIII was spending huge amounts of money for Anne’s dresses.

Very interesting notes are about Anne’s clothes, for example:

December 1530 : ‘Itm the same day paid to Adington the skynner for furres & furrying of my Lady Anne’s gownes’[7]

May 1531 : ‘Crymsin clothe of golde for my Lady Anne Rocheford’  /p.133/

June 1532 : ‘twelve yards of black satin for a night gowne for my Lady Anne’

‘Two garments are described in particular detail. One was an opensleeved cloak of black satin, lined throughout in the same material and with three and three-quarter yards of matching velvet at the collar and hem. The other was a black satin nightgown (dressing-gown), lined with black taffeta and edged with velvet. And lest we forget how striking this must have been with Anne’s dark hair, there was an equally calculated gown in green damask.’[8]

Anne Boleyn, Hever Castle

During Christmas festivities in 1531 Henry VIII paid Anne for his own Christmas present[9] but in 1532 it seems that Anne paid for present with her own money – she was now a Marquess of Pembroke, and she received 1,000 pounds a year. That Christmas Henry gave Anne ‘a matching set of hangings for her room and bed, in cloth of gold, cloth of silver and richly embroidered crimson satin’. [10] Anne gave Henry ‘exotic set of richly decorated Pyrenean boar spears’.[11]

We can easily conclude that Henry was spoiling Anne with costly gifts before she became his wife and queen. It was his way to show his affection towards Anne, but also he wanted to pacify her by wonderful gifts during the divorce case with Catherine of Aragon. Prof. Eriv Ives states that ;

‘In the two years from November 1529, the earliest for which we have his privy purse accounts, the king met individual bills on Anne’s behalf totalling nearly £750.’[12]

When Anne became Queen of England in 1533, she had her own money. What was Anne Boleyn buying when she became Queen?  I will answer in the next article.