“To the King from the Lady in the Tower”

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”