Beauties of the Past: Anne Boleyn. Love Story: Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn An Illegitimate But Beloved Wife

Anne Boleyn: a ghost with a residence permit It is said that at least one ghost "lives" in every castle in the UK. The Tower of London is especially popular among the "ghostly brethren", which is not surprising: after all, this is one of the most ancient buildings in England - its age

Anne Boleyn (c. 1500-1536) ... no sovereign has yet had a more devoted wife and more true love than you found in the person of Anne Boleyn ... Anne Boleyn was the daughter of Thomas Boleyn, Earl of Ormond, and Elizabeth Howard, daughter of Thomas Howard, Duke

Anne Boleyn to Henry VIII (May 6, 1536) Sir, Your Grace's displeasure and my imprisonment came as such a surprise to me that I have no idea what to write and what to apologize for. Since you sent to me (wanting me to confess or plead for your indulgence)

Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn My beloved and my friend, my heart and I place ourselves in your hands, in humble prayer for your kindness and that your affection for us would not decrease while we are not around. For there will be no greater misfortune for me than

Ann Bolein. Queen for 1000 days.

10 Interesting facts about Anne Boleyn.

A queen who changed the course of English history, a woman who charmed a king who had been married for nearly 20 years... and dared to set her own rules on religion.

1) Even the century of Anna's birth is not exactly known. Some historians indicate the date 1499, which refers to the 15th century, while others .... tend to believe that it was the period from 1502-1507. (16th century). Anna was born in England (Hiver)
It remains only to guess about the real date of birth of the queen.

2) Anne Boleyn is a woman who changed the history of an entire country. Anna was a staunch Protestant. While, the main part of Europe was ruled by the Roman Catholic Church.

3) Anna was the second and most famous of the wives of Henry VIII
The first meeting between Anna and the English king was a reception in honor of the Spanish ambassadors in 1522. At that time, Anna was about 14 years old.

By this time, the marriage of the king with Catherine of Aragon had already lasted 13 years (since 1509). Mutual claims and fatigue accumulated. Henry VIII constantly accused his wife of being unable to bear him an heir.
The next return of Anna to the court is attributed only to 1525-1526. The king resumed his courtship. But the girl was in no hurry to respond to his attempts at rapprochement. She did not want the fate of her mistress.
And Henry, more and more tormented by the desire to get an heir (by this time he had a daughter, Maria, who later received the nickname bloody), decided to offer Anna not the status of a favorite, but the status of wife and queen.

4) Many women gossiped about an amazing girl who managed to melt the heart of the king, a girl who, without possessing dazzling beauty, knew how to seduce and lead men.
She was even credited with having 6 fingers on her hand and a third breast.

5) The seven-year battle for marriage.
After an official proposal to Anna, Henry needed to get a divorce from Catherine of Aragon. The Catholic Church, led by the Pope, was categorically against this.
Then the king created the Church of England independent of Catholicism.

6) In 1533, Anna delighted the king with the long-awaited news of her pregnancy. And on January 25, 1533... in the strictest secrecy... King Henry VIII of England and Anne Boleyn got married.
But the new wife of the king was not as accommodating as Catherine. Wayward Anna began to establish her own rules, promoting and introducing Protestantism everywhere.

7) Dreams about the birth of an heir were soon dispelled when Anna gave birth to a girl. The girl was named Elizabeth.
(The age of Elizabeth's reign is called the "golden age of England").
The attitude of the king and Anne Boleyn cooled. Henry VIII began to actively look after one of the ladies-in-waiting, Jane Seymour. Despite this, Anna becomes pregnant a second time. But the situation is aggravated by the fact that the child is born dead.

8) Then the king finally decides to get rid of Anna, accuses her of high treason .. and takes her into custody in the Tower.

9) The show trial of Anna took place on May 19, 1536. Anna was beheaded with a sword. The King considered it a more humane execution...because...an ax would have caused more pain. Yes, and the executioner was discharged specifically from France.
Anna spoke about it like this: "I heard that the executioner is a master, and my neck is thin." Until her last breath, Anna behaved with dignity.

10) Anna's last words before her execution were: “I will die according to the law. I'm not here to blame anyone or talk about what I'm being accused of. But I pray to God that he save the king and his reign, for there has never been a kinder prince, and to me he has always been the most gentle and worthy lord and sovereign. I say goodbye to the world and from the bottom of my heart I ask you to pray for me.
After that, the former queen fell to her knees .. and said: “Jesus, take my soul. Oh, almighty God, mourn for my soul, ”and was beheaded for the amusement of the crowd.

P.S Just 10 days after the execution of Anne Boleyn, Henry marries Jane Seymour.

“I have now fully experienced your good deeds. I was nothing; you have made me a lady of state, a marquise, a queen; and when already on earth it was impossible to fully elevate me, you make me a saint. (lines of Anne Boleyn's last letter to the King)

Anne Boleyn is usually portrayed as either an evil bitch or the unfortunate victim of an insidious husband. The first looks spectacular on the screen, the second is the result of "cleansing" of historical chronicles and active PR of the Elizabethan times. The mother of Queen Elizabeth, by definition, could not be considered a witch, devil and courtesan. After all, she is the mother of the sovereign, the head of the church, the anointed of God. Thus, during the reign of Elizabeth, the courtiers, who still remembered Anna and had their own opinion, could think anything to themselves, but officially Anna became a martyr and an innocent victim.

Elizabeth treated her mother's memory reverently. Not only because it was necessary to constantly prove the legitimacy of her birth, which was regularly called into question, but also because with the death of her mother, her life from the life of the crown princess turned into the life of a bastard. Not a long and happy childhood is over. Could there be a deep attachment to a woman who disappeared from a child's life when he was three years old? Did she remember her? But the ring that Elizabeth wore on her finger invariably testifies to the depth of feelings. It was a ring with a secret - if you carefully press the secret lock, the signet on the ring opened, and two portraits were hidden there - the queen and her mother, Anne Boleyn.

Anna had a complex character. She was capable of strong feelings. And she knew how to hide them. This skill changed her after the birth of the child, when she was in danger and could not protect herself. And could she?

The chain of events in her life says a lot about the character of this woman.

Portrait of Heinrich by Holbein andportrait of Anna: unknown artist, probably 1525.

The exact date of her birth is unknown. Historians call the period from 1501 to 1507. Anna was born into a noble family, her mother belonged to the Gjvard clan, one of the most influential and ancient families in England.

It is known that Anna and her brother George received an excellent education at home. And in 1514, the girl went to France in the retinue of the king's sister Mary, who became the French queen. It is not known what exactly happened there, but Mary Tudor hated Anna until her death, and when Mary, after the sudden death of her crowned husband, returned to England as the wife of Lord Suffolk, Anna remained at court in France for several more years.

Anna spent nine years abroad. There she grew up, learned graceful manners, dances, learned all the fashion lessons and, most importantly, learned how to flirt masterfully and lure men.

The girl returned to England in 1520. Anna was already about 20, it was time to marry her off, which her parents tried to do. At first, she was married to a certain Pierce Butler, but something didn’t work out there.

The first meeting between Anna and the king is considered to be a reception in honor of the Spanish ambassadors in 1522. The girl was young, beautiful, flirtatious, stood out against the background of the ladies-in-waiting of Queen Catherine of Aragon, who adhered to strict principles and morals, and followed the moral character of her court. No, not that Anna was promiscuous. But she was beautifully dressed, skillfully kept up the conversation, played musical instruments, sang, and flirted recklessly.

And then she met Henry Percy, and they seemed to really love each other. Or he fell in love, and she really wanted to become a countess. But the marriage of Henry Percy was a dynastic issue, it had to be agreed upon for a long time and tediously, and Percy was also going to marry the daughter of George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, in general, everything was very difficult, but Anne Boleyn did not suit Percy's relatives. One way or another, Henry had to marry Talbot's daughter, because Henry VIII had already paid attention to Anna by that time, and he did not need rivals.

Anna was furious and swore cruel revenge on Cardinal Wolsey, who took an ardent part in arranging the marriage of her lover to another. The shrew was sent home to Khiver, there were rumors of a secret marriage, but whether it was or not, we do not know.

When her engagement to Percy was annulled, Anna realized that her desires were not worth a penny in a world where men rule and all men are king. There will be no wedding so desired for her, able to elevate her and her family. And there will be a short romance between the king and her (after all, by refusing, she will endanger her entire family), and then - what? Perhaps the birth of a bastard, dishonor, the fading of the king's interest in her, and an early marriage with some petty nobleman who forbids her in his estate, she will give birth to his child a year. And goodbye youth, goodbye brilliant ambitions, goodbye royal court. That is how the life of her sister developed, who dutifully ascended to the bed of Henry. Then was she born into this world, then did she shine for so many years at the French court?

Such a future did not suit Mademoiselle Anna. Vengefulness and wounded pride made her cry out to Cardinal Wolsey, who had helped break off the engagement with Percy, that she would not forgive him and would see him fall and hurt him as much as he hurt her. And she will achieve her goal - Wolsey will not fall without her help. Yes, Anna was vindictive.

The return to the court took place in 1526. Heinrich began to actively court the girl. She rejected his advances. For Henry, this came as a surprise. He was 35 years old at that time, he had a wife who bore him 8 children, of which only one girl survived - Princess Mary. He has many mistresses, among whom was Anna's sister, Maria.

Anna could have become the king's mistress. But didn't want to? Who would have asked her ... A brilliant mind, a fair amount of self-confidence and ambition told her that she could sell herself at a higher price. You can get everything. Crown.

And then she behaved very well. Either she let Henry close to her, then she pushed him away, promised him a son, but refused to be close to him. For more than a year, the courtship of the king continued. During this time, his feelings from the desire to possess a beautiful and colorful toy, turn into a deep feeling of affection.

King - what is a king? Then still a man in the prime of life, who had a fair amount of attractiveness, which was emphasized not only by the crown on his head. Although the crown - too. Significantly emphasized, I must say. Married ... so what, what is married. It hasn't stopped anyone yet. This fact was especially of little concern to the king himself, when he hung around for a young lady-in-waiting, when he sent her passionate letters and expensive gifts.

She sent gifts back. What surprised the king in the least. Here, you see, he is ruined, and some girl refuses him. But she refused him without offending his feelings, explaining that her pure and immaculate love for him could not find a way out, as long as the king had nothing to offer her, except bodily pleasures. And she cherishes his beautiful and pure soul, which belongs to his wife by right. But it belongs to his wife - formally, because the marriage of Heinrich and Catherine is illegal. Catherine for several years was the wife of his brother, that is, the sister of Henry himself. So what if the Pope gave permission for this marriage, before God they are still almost like relatives, God does not encourage such a union, which is why it jeopardizes the future of the dynasty, the future of England, depriving the king of an heir. And the king may have an heir - after all, his concubines gave birth to boys. Why not be the heir in a legal marriage? No, they cannot test this theory, because if Anna has a son, and he will definitely be born if Heinrich is in her bed, he will not be legal, not an heir. And England does not need this goodness. Moreover, Anna does not need to.

French bonnet, which Anna brought into fashion in England, English bonnet and Spanish bonnet (these were worn by Catherine of Aragon)

In order to slowly and stubbornly instill in the minds of Heinrich, who is extremely religious, who was prepared for a religious life until he became the heir, these thoughts, to develop them, to present them as his own, not only special female wisdom is needed, but also a fair amount of patience and extreme caution. And in order to maintain passion for six years in a man who knows no refusal in anything, is capricious and spoiled, giving him nothing in return but spiritual and spiritual food, it takes a hefty art of seduction, seduction and persuasion.

The influence she had on him cannot be explained by appearance alone. She did not meet the standards of beauty of that time, she was short, swarthy, dark-haired. In 1532, a year before she became queen, the new ambassador of Venice to England wrote: “... Not the most beautiful woman in the world. Medium build, dark skin, long neck, large mouth, chest not high; in general, nothing special - except that she aroused the interest of the king. And eyes - black beautiful eyes<…>».

Portrait by an unknown artist, probably 1533-1536 and miniature by John Hawkins

But very graceful, thin, "little Boleyn" managed to get the king to marry her. There were many political motives in his break with the Catholic Church, but it is not known whether he would have decided on this if he had not dreamed about how “little Boleyn” would give him an heir?

Prudent and smart, treacherous, stopping at nothing, fearing neither God nor the devil, Anna becomes the Queen of England. Formally, eight months elapse between the birth of Elizabeth and the marriage. They say that Anna conceived a child before being Henry's wife. But he considers her his wife for a long time, these are trifles that do not matter for happy spouses.

I will not go into the details of his divorce from Catherine of Aragon, his break with the Pope, and the start of the Reformation.

On January 25, 1533, Henry VIII secretly married Anne Boleyn. In September of the same year, Anna gave birth to a girl - the future Queen of England, Elizabeth I. Henry was disappointed and angry. Almost 8 years have passed since he started courting Anna. Heinrich is tired. He tried so hard, and the woman let him down again. Apparently God does not like this marriage of his, since he did not give him an heir.

And yes, the baby is a girl. But he was promised a boy. And then a miscarriage, then another. Anna is desperate. Her position is so precarious - the king is no longer so attached to her, begins to pay attention to other women, and there are so many beautiful and young women at court who, using the example of Anna herself, saw that nothing is impossible, that any of them can become a queen England. But the worst thing is not that. The worst thing is that Henry VIII realized that anyone can make a queen.

After all the miscarriages, after all Anna's tantrums and accusations of infidelity thrown at the king, who, by the way, was not getting younger, his character worsened (which was greatly influenced by a leg injury, gluttony and, probably, emerging impotence), a crisis came. As passionately as he had once loved, now he hated her. In his mind, it was she who became the culprit of the death of his first wife, it was she who became the culprit of unrest in the country, it was she who became the culprit of the death of his adviser and friend Thomas More.

Heinrich was generally not very consistent. He quickly caught fire, gave orders for the execution of those close to him, and then became sad and regretted what he had done. So, after the execution of Cromwell, he shouted that his adviser was slandered, that he was forced to execute the best minister. Others were always to blame, but never His Majesty.

Sketch of Holbein Jr. and a portrait from a sketch

After giving birth, something happened to Anna. She always read her moves so skillfully, she always got her way. Confidence left her. She begins to realize that the king is no longer so infatuated with her. And, having become the head of the Anglican Church, the king can easily get rid of his new queen. She untied his hands herself. The king is tired of the eccentric and passionate Anna.

The relationship of the spouses deteriorated sharply. Heinrich began to pay attention to Anna's maid of honor - Jane Seymour, Anna staged scenes of jealousy, hysteria, and did not give birth to a boy. The new pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. It is believed that Anna saw Jane on Henry's knees and tore off the necklace with a miniature portrait of the king from the neck of the new favorite.

Anna had several more miscarriages, and in 1536 she gave birth to a meter-long boy.

Henry was categorically not satisfied with the absence of a male heir. Now we understand that the problem is in genetics - the Tudors constantly had difficulties with childbearing, miscarriages, difficult pregnancies and rarely had boys.

Heinrich believed that women were to blame for everything. Well, they don’t want to give birth to a boy for him, bitches, and nothing more. There was another argument - if God does not want to reward him with an heir in this marriage, then something is wrong with the marriage and an urgent need to change his wife.

In the same year, Anna finally quarreled with the king's minister, Cromwell. The king was already ready to get rid of his queen. All he needed was an excuse. And specially trained people found this pretext.

replica jewelry Anne Boleyn

Hatred of Anna, fueled by those who were not satisfied with her exaltation at court, quickly turned into a quite weighty accusation of treason. But not only treason, but also in witchcraft, treason and incestuous relations with his own brother.

She bewitched the king, forced him to divorce the kind and beautiful Catherine of Aragon. She deprived the king of male power. She lured the king into the net of heresy and deprived his pure soul of rest. It was even rumored that she had a sixth finger, two fused toes, webbing between her fingers, and her body was covered with huge moles that she hides.

All the gossip spread by envious people and enemies at court gained the strength of an irrefutable and proven fact. Did the king believe what he accused the once beloved woman of? Perhaps he did. He was refused for so many years, he was made henpecked in the eyes of Europe, he was cheated on, and maybe even before the wedding. Yes, he was simply bewitched! Otherwise, how could he leave his only legal wife Catherine? Of course he was bewitched.

According to the accusers, Anna slept with the musician Smitton, with the courtier Henry Norris, the poet Thomas Wyeth, and, most surprisingly, with her brother George. Everyone confessed, everyone. They would confess to anything under torture. Everyone was executed. Only the poet Wyatt was released.

And how could the king doubt - after all, those with whom Anna cheated on him confessed everything. So what, that under torture. After all, no one lies under torture.

It was especially convenient to believe this when his eyes fell on the beautiful and modest Jane Seymour, the complete opposite of his wife and Queen Anne.

The queen was arrested after a magnificent tournament in which the king smiled at her, she laughed, flirted with the courtiers, distributed honors to the winners of the tournament.

Did Anna cheat on Heinrich? Not known. Historians are still arguing about this, and even a year ago they found some kind of lost sonnet, from which it allegedly follows that yes, she cheated. I tend to think that she was not up to cheating. She had too many worries. And not the character to seek carnal pleasures and risk the crown for them. Yes, and Heinrich was still in his prime, he was not yet fat, his leg was not yet festering. In his youth, he was considered very handsome.

The British Library has a book of hours, which Henry gave to Anna. It contains letters from Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn to each other:

“If in your prayers you remember my love, as much as I adore you, I will hardly be forgotten, because I am yours.Henry R. forever” (“If you remember my love in your prayers as strongly as I adore you, I shall hardly be forgotten, for I am yours. Henry R. forever”).AnnawroteanswerunderminiatureAnnunciation: "INthe confirmation, dayotodayslovingAndgentleyoufindme“(“By daily proof you shall me find To be to you both loving and kind”).

At dawn on May 2, Boleyn, accompanied by hostile guards, arrived at the Tower. There she was met by the commandant of the Tower Kingston. Anna begged to be allowed to meet the king. The queen went into hysterics. Everything she shouted out was carefully recorded and passed on to Cromwell. Then he brilliantly used these words in a guilty verdict.

Years after the execution, a witness to the last meeting between Anna and Heinrich wrote to Elizabeth : “Alas, I will never forget that aching feeling that I experienced, seeing how the righteous king Eve, Your mother, having raised you, still a child, in her arms, knelt before the most merciful of rulers, yourtheir father, and he looked through the window somewhere into the distance ... ".

How did Anna, smart and calculating everything in five steps, allow this? It seems that after the birth of a child and several miscarriages, her essence has undergone changes. She was afraid, she was disappointed, because the crown did not bring her alluring happiness, and yet, she was all alone. There were no people around she could trust, no one who could protect her. Moreover, a daughter appeared in her life, whose interests she, in turn, had to protect and put above her own.

Why did Heinrich not divorce Anna, as he divorced Catherine? Firstly, after being accused of treason to him, as a man, and to the state, in his person, she betrayed England. Having believed in his own accusations, he could no longer forgive her. So wine becomes vinegar, and bright love - no less violent hatred. Secondly, even if Heinrich offered Anna a divorce, she would have rejected him, for she would have made her daughter illegitimate. The path to the crown for Elizabeth would be forever cut off.

Anna's execution was the only way out that would satiate Henry's hatred. The irony of fate - Anna's judges were those whom she so defended during her lifetime - the former lover of Henry Percy and uncle the Duke of Norfolk.

Anna was sentenced to death. Henry relented and called the executioner from Calais. The queen should have been beheaded with a sword, not burned at the stake. Anna, hearing this, laughed and said: “I heard he is a good master, it will not be difficult for him - I have such a thin neck.”

May 19, 1536. The scaffold was covered with black cloth. The sword is hidden between the boards. The execution was closed, foreign ambassadors were not allowed into the courtyard of the Tower. Anna ascended the scaffold and said : "I will die according to the law. I'm not here to blame anyone or talk about what I'm being accused of. But I pray to God that he save the king and his reign, for there has never been a kinder prince, and to me he has always been the most gentle and worthy lord and sovereign. I say goodbye to the world and from the bottom of my heart I ask you to pray for me "...

Having received the news of the execution, the king, impatiently awaiting it, shouted cheerfully: “It's done! Let the dogs out, let's have fun! Eleven days later he marries Jane Seymour.

When I think about this story, it seems to me that it was at that time, the time of his love for Anna, that the king went mad. And it was the execution of Anne Boleyn that made him a tyrant for the whole country. From that moment on, he allowed himself everything. And no one could argue with the king. Great and crazy.

And I also think that the king knew that all the accusations against his "little Boleyn" were lies and falsifications. But - he came up with and convinced himself of their justice. Another manifestation of insanity.

Ah, if Anna had given birth to a boy… Then Heinrich would not have had these doubts. He would have been a happy father, the richest ruler in Europe, the strongest sovereign. He would have someone to transfer the throne. But a girl was born. Another girl.

Crazy and unhappy, Heinrich will doubt all his life. Was the marriage of Catherine of Aragon and his brother Arthur really over, or did he marry a virgin? Whether he legally became the head of the English Church, whether it is pleasing to the Almighty, or is this just a politically advantageous position. Was his marriage to Anna legal, for which the Pope never gave permission.

And all his life he would be haunted by the ghost of Anna, who, in the depths of his soul, he knew, was not guilty of what he accused her of. All his life he will run away from her image, only once having been captivated by a woman who looks like her outwardly - Catherine Howard (Anna's cousin), really guilty of treason, in which he accused the one who alone bore him the real heir to his Kingdom.

After becoming Queen of England, Elizabeth I destroyed all accusatory documentary evidence in her mother's case.

Ann Bolein. Second woman in English history to be crowned without being Crown Princess. The woman who led England to the Anglican faith. Elizabeth's mother. An amazing and sad fate.

"No, Henry, we can't live in paradise!" In a mad state, the king has the right to be mad. You called me not for a wife, but for the throne! Let me go like a queen. And if you appreciate me even a little bit, don’t humiliate me with a confession for what, you know yourself, I’m not guilty. (G. Gorin)

Anne Boleyn was born in 1501 according to some sources and in 1507 according to others. She was executed on May 19, 1536 in London. She was the Queen of England, the second wife of King Henry VIII Tudor of England from 1533-1536. Anne Boleyn is the mother of Queen Elizabeth I of England, the last of the Tudors.

Date controversy

The exact date of Anna's birth has not been established due to the fact that parish records from that period have not survived. Probable dates were 1501 and 1507. They were taken from the surviving letters of Anne Boleyn herself - one addressed to her father, Thomas Boleyn in 1514. The French language in which it was written was not native to her, but the handwriting was well formed. Therefore, a version appeared that she was then 13. This was the minimum age when a girl could be accepted into Margarita's retinue. Another letter from the end of the 16th century has been preserved, testifying in favor of the fact that the year of her birth is 1501. But based on two other sources, the memoirs of her friends, at the time of her death she was not even 29 years old. And in the almanac of William Camden, the year of her birth is indicated - 1507. Camden had access to government archives.

Family

Anne Boleyn's father became the Earl of Wiltshire through his daughter, and he was also the Earl of Ormonde. He was a gifted diplomat who enjoyed the favor of King Henry VIII. The latter often sent him on diplomatic missions to different countries.

The mother of the future Queen Anne Boleyn is Elizabeth Howard, a woman from an old aristocratic family. She was a lady-in-waiting to 2 queens - Elizabeth of York and Catherine of Aragon. Both Anna's father and mother had relatives among the Plantagenets in their family history.

At the time of the appearance of Anne and Mary Boleyn, the history of their family was very respected in the country. They were prominent representatives of the aristocracy of their time. They lived in Blickling. The education of the sisters was the most typical for girls in their position.

They studied arithmetic, family genealogy, grammar, history, reading, spelling, housekeeping, needlework, foreign languages, dancing, singing, good manners. Like any aristocrat of England, Anne Boleyn was engaged in archery, horseback riding, playing cards, chess.

When the future queen was not yet 12 years old, Margaret of Austria drew attention to her and invited her to the court. Anne Boleyn's life at the Tudor court began with Mary Tudor's retinue. Initially, the sister of Henry VIII was supposed to marry the French king Louis XII, but he died. Mary Tudor returned to England. Subsequently, for 7 years, Anna was the maid of honor of the French Queen Claude of France. Then she completed her education.

Appearance

Contemporaries composed the portrait of Anne Boleyn as follows: a girl of medium height, slender, her dark hair was thick. She had dark eyes, full lips, and her skin was an olive hue. She was distinguished by a sharp mind, elegance and cheerfulness, at the same time she was a strong character.

Those who saw her noted that she was attractive, but they created different portraits of Anne Boleyn.

So, the Venetian Marino Sanudo, who met her in 1532, noted that she was "not the most beautiful woman in the world", had an average build, dark skin, a long neck, a wide mouth and low chest, her eyes were dark and beautiful.

She was described by the French poet Lancelot de Carles as "so graceful that she looked more like a Frenchwoman than an Englishwoman".

Simon Greene wrote in 1531 that Anna was "young, pretty, swarthy".

But the descriptions of her, compiled half a century after her death by Nicholas Sanders, were as follows: “Anne Boleyn was quite tall, with black hair, an oval face of an earthy color, as if after“ jaundice ”. They say she had a protruding tooth under her upper lip, and six fingers on her right hand. She had a "hair cyst" under her chin, so to hide the defect, she wore a dress with a high collar ... She was attractive, with beautiful lips. Of course, after the reburial of Anna's remains, it became obvious that she had five fingers, but not six.

It can be traced that Boleyn was temperamental, direct, outspoken and prone to command. She, like any strong person, was not liked by everyone, but adherents appeared around her. In particular, attracted by her gravitation in the matter of faith to Luther.

court life

By 1522, relations between France and England were strained. Then the first exit at the court of Henry Tudor Anne Boleyn took place. And it was a performance in which the girl herself played along with other aristocrats.

She became more and more popular. Those who knew her noted the sophistication of her manners, pleasant voice, lightness and energy. The biography of Anna Boleyn of this period was full of positive moments - she enjoyed everyone's attention, but, as befits a real seductress, she did not show that she cares. Also, knowing about the many rumors that circulated about her sister Mary at court, she kept her life a secret. Mary was then thought to have had an affair with King Francis I, a number of court men, and also with Henry Tudor. Anne Boleyn, however, herself had an affair with him.

Disease

Anna's life in 1528 was under great threat. This year, an epidemic of sweating fever broke out in London. This disease is shrouded in mystery to this day. It proceeded hard, took with it the lives of many, including noble persons.

Because of her, the king, along with Anna, left the city, moving from place to place. However, Boleyn's beloved maid soon became infected. And her lady fell ill. After leaving, the king wrote to Anna that he was sure that she would recover, since women more often recovered from illness. He gave her the best doctors that could then be.

In reality, a sick man was doomed, but a more enduring female body in 50% of cases prevailed over sweating fever. According to the surviving descriptions, the symptoms of the disease were as follows. At first, a strong chill set in, and after 3 hours the person was sweating very much, then delirium began with severe pain in the heart.

It all started suddenly and developed within 24 hours. After this period, the patient often died. If he fell asleep during the day, he instantly died. However, if after 24 hours he was still alive, then he went to recovery.

Anna moved into her parents' house and prepared for the unknown. The doctor sent to her by the king fought desperately for her life. The methods of treatment were as follows: the patient had to be constantly warm. Therefore, in her room they always kept the fire in the hearth, closed all the windows and doors so that the heat would not go away. The clothes in which Anna was dressed were preheated over a fire. She drank only warm water with wine, to which herbal tinctures were added to support her heart.

Anna survived the first day. Then the doctor soldered her with his own drug with dozens of herbs. The thing is that in those days they believed that a medicine with less than three ingredients was ineffective. The more expensive the remedy, the more herbs it contained.

The entire population considered the epidemic a divine punishment due to Henry's cruelty. And he, trying to justify himself, invented his own medicines, trying them on court women. It was women who usually survived, and Henry took advantage of this, declaring that he had found a panacea. He spread the drug throughout England, but people died invariably.

In the end, a cure for the disease was never found. After a while, she calmed down, and then completely disappeared. At the moment, sweating fever does not exist, and doctors are puzzled over what kind of disease it was.

Queen

Henry and Anna met for the first time at a solemn event in 1522. Henry did not express much sympathy for his future wife until 1526, he was married to Catherine of Aragon for 17 years, cheating on her. He justified himself by the fact that he did not have a son with his wife.

During this period of time, Anne was betrothed to Count Henry Percy. But the couple's parents were against their marriage, and the wedding did not happen. According to some reports, Anne Boleyn and Henry had a hand in the destruction of the marriage: he liked the girl. She lived for several years in the family estate, and only in 1526 returned to the court as a maid of honor to Catherine of Aragon.

From that moment began the love story of Anne Boleyn and Henry. He gave her many expensive gifts, wrote letters, offering to be his mistress. However, the girl always remained at a distance from him, refusing his proposals. She aimed at wives, not mistresses. The marriage with Catherine at that time was breaking up with the king. The impulsive king did not love his wife, he was indignant at her because of their lack of a son, as he announced to everyone.

He needed a wife to strengthen the power of his dynasty, and he wanted a male heir. Moreover, in his betrayals, he was unrestrained, he had many favorites. The wife understood this. Next to the impulsive and dangerous king, one after another, her children were born weak, died in infancy. His subsequent wives, who lived in great tension, had miscarriages. Despite the fact that Henry changed many wives, he never achieved an heir with such tactics: after his death, girls ruled the country.

The biography of Anne Boleyn is notable for the fact that this girl influenced the most important event in the history of England - independence from the Vatican. When the king was inflamed with feelings for Anna, he turned to the Vatican to annul the union with his wife. Special expertise was needed so that the king would not have the consequences of this marriage. Catherine protested: such a decision meant for her life in a monastery, deprivation of her title, and her daughter from Henry would become a bastard. Catherine persuaded her relative to take the Pope hostage, and the examination was postponed. 7 King fought for marriage with Boleyn.

And it was this move that provoked the King of England to break off relations with the Catholic Church. From now on, England did not depend on the will of the pope. Having done this, he achieved a marriage with Anna. In 1531, he moved his ex-wife Ekaterina from the court. Henry and Anne Boleyn got married a year later. Soon they had a child. Elizabeth, daughter of Anne Boleyn, becomes a disappointment for the king. Only his love kept him married. Having charmed the king, Anna kept the union and protected the child from the indifferent cruelty of the father. Anna felt fear for the fate of her daughter. Elizabeth was sent to Hatfield House with her own court.

His first daughter from Catherine - Maria - he has already deprived of the title and all privileges. He recognized her as illegitimate and without rights to the throne. Thanks to the efforts of the new queen, the daughter of Henry and Anne Boleyn managed to live in peace for some time.

In 1534, a bull was issued by Rome stating that the king's previous marriage to Catherine was valid. Rome ordered him to return to his lawful wife. However, Henry's response was followed by the First Act of Succession, which emphasized that Mary, daughter of Catherine of Aragon, was illegitimate.

Heinrich did not refuse anything to his new passion, having increased the staff of her servants in comparison with the disgraced wife to 250 people. Taking money from the country's budget, he bought a lot of jewelry, new furniture and dresses for his beloved. This did not please the people, who blamed the queen for everything.

Anna herself begins to actively participate in the political life of England. She helps the king and holds meetings with a number of ambassadors and diplomats. But her reign did not last long, because a year after the birth of Elizabeth, the daughter of Henry and Anne Boleyn, the queen has a miscarriage. Relationships deteriorated. Again the king sets off in search of a new wife.

Anna does not hide her emotions, she expresses her indignation, and for a while the couple breaks up. The king finds a new favorite - the maid of honor Jane Seymour.

Personal life

Prior to her connection with the Tudors, Anne Boleyn communicated with her admirer Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland. The count fought for the marriage with Anna, but it was all in vain when the king intervened. Boleyn herself was dissatisfied when her independence was challenged.

Her connection with the poet Thomas Wyatt is known. He was disturbed by Anna's sensuality. He himself was married, and Anna did not have special feelings for him, openly declaring that she was not interested in the role of a mistress.

Accusations and execution

In 1536 news came of the death of Catherine of Aragon. The next day, Anna and Heinrich put on yellow robes. In England, this color symbolized the holiday, and in Spain, in the homeland of the deceased, it was considered the color of grief, complementing black. This is probably how the king and queen expressed their condolences.

The newly pregnant Anna understood that she was in an extremely dangerous position if a male heir did not appear in the family. With the death of Catherine, the king could marry and divorce freely. He also started flirting with Jane Seymour. On the day of Catherine's funeral, probably due to severe nervous tension, Anna had a miscarriage.

A stillborn male child was the beginning of the end of a marriage. When the woman came to her senses, the king announced that witchcraft forced him to marry her, and he was imprisoned against his will. At the same time, Heinrich gave chambers at court to the new favorite.

Historian Eric Ives theorized that Boleyn's execution was planned by her former ally Thomas Cromwell. He argued with her over the distribution of church revenues, which were confiscated. She wanted to send them to charity and the development of education in the country, to support an alliance with France. And he planned to appropriate part of the funds for himself, and part - to send for an alliance with Charles V. But many historians do not agree with this version.

To enter into a new marriage, the king decides to eliminate Anna. He accuses her of high treason and infidelity in marriage. This was punishable by death. As lovers, he put up the woman's friends - Henry Norris, William Brerton, Francis Weston, Mark Smeaton and even her own brother George.

In 1536, Henry's servants arrested her musician Mark Smeaton, who denied having any connection with the queen. However, he was tortured, and subsequently retracted his first testimony and confessed, most likely for the promise of freedom in the presence of a love affair with her.

People of noble birth were not subjected to torture. All "lovers" denied a love affair with the queen. But that didn't stop anyone.

Already in May 1536, Anna was arrested and taken to the Tower. Anne Boleyn was aware of the nearness of execution. She was aware of what was happening and was preparing for a death sentence. When Cromwell died, among his papers was found Anna's last letter to Henry, which he never delivered to him. Boleyn assures the king that she is devoted to him, asks for an open, fair trial, at which her innocence will be proven. She asked for the release of the innocent. However, the authenticity of the letter is still disputed by historians. The original has not survived to this day.

On May 12, 1536, 3 out of 4 accused men in court denied their guilt, and Smeaton, who was tortured, admitted his guilt. After 3 days, Anna and her brother George were accused of incest and treason, which, it was believed, threatened the rights to the throne and was punishable by hanging, disembowelling and quartering for men and burning alive for women.

It is curious that the jury that decided on the execution of Anne Boleyn was chaired by Henry Percy, her former lover. When the unanimous decision of the jury that Anna was guilty was announced, he fainted. He died 8 months later, leaving no heirs.

On May 14, 1536, Cranmer announced that the marriage of the King and Anne was invalid. All the accused were executed on 17 May. Heinrich replaced the execution by burning alive with beheading with a sword for Anna, who was killed two days later.

According to some reports, while awaiting execution, the queen wrote a poem. But its authorship is disputed. On May 19, 1536, before dawn, Boleyn confessed and swore that she had not cheated on her husband. In the morning she gave a short speech on the scaffold, they took off her mantle with ermine, her hair was removed under her headdress. Saying goodbye to the ladies-in-waiting, she knelt down, she was blindfolded. One blow was enough to kill her. She was buried in an unmarked grave. Her remains were discovered in 1876, then, during the reburial, and it was found that the presence of six fingers on her hands was nothing more than a myth invented later.

Details of the verdict

The trial of Anna was carried out in the Tower, where 2000 spectators gathered. The queen entered the hall coolly, calmly. She sat like that the entire time Cromwell read the accusations. She was accused of treason, sexual intercourse and seduction of men "by means of shameless speeches, gifts and other deeds", and they "because of the meanest incitement and enticement of the aforementioned queen, succumbed and bowed to persuasion."

It was pointed out that in the future, Anna and her lovers “thought and pondered about the death of the king,” and then the queen agreed to become the wife of one of them immediately after the death of Henry.

The prosecution also pointed out the reasons for the queen's miscarriages - she allegedly had sexual relations with men during pregnancy, which was why there were such consequences.

The text of the accusation even contained passages that she was guilty of the fact that when the king found out about her debauchery, he was so upset that he suffered bodily harm. Probably, it was about the case when Heinrich fell off his horse at the tournament a few days before the trial, or about the ulcer that he had on his lower limb.

Boleyn was also accused of poisoning Catherine of Aragon and plotting to poison her daughter, Mary. Anna flatly denied all this.

Many of those who were in the courtroom, originally pursuing the goal of enjoying the fall of a noble person, were already touched by the absurdity of the accusations and the unfairness of the process. When the verdict was read out, the Earl of Norfork, who announced it, wept.

But if the king decided to do it - he went to the end. To argue with him meant certain death for everyone along with Anna. Boleyn was sentenced to death by the court and jury.

Anna experienced mood swings during those days. Sometimes she joked that her new nickname would be "Anna without a head."

According to her jailer Kingston, she prayed a lot while in captivity. “I happened to see many men, and even women, awaiting execution, and they were sad and mourned. This same lady finds death joyful and pleasant,” he said.

Rehabilitation

The Queen has a 2-year-old daughter living with her. After the death of Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth took up the rehabilitation of the image of her mother.

The birth of Elizabeth did not please anyone, her father was saddened and angry at her birth. Nevertheless, the celebration in her honor was magnificent. Parents rarely visited their daughter, settled in Hatfield House, although Anna was attached to her. When Henry married again, Elizabeth was declared illegitimate. All of the king's marriages had no legal effect.

In 1537, the new queen, Jane Seymour, gave birth to the king's son, Edward. She tried to reconcile Heinrich with his innocent daughters. But he did not want to see the Boleyn daughters.

When Jane died, Heinrich married three more times. He executed some of his wives, divorced others. Elizabeth, who survived the murder by her mother's father, watched all this. To the last wife of Heinrich, her stepmother, a girl at the age of 9 was especially attached. And her execution shook her to the core.

Elizabeth grew up as a girl who protested against marriage. She never married.

In the end, she became queen. Since that time, Anne Boleyn was perceived as a heroine of the English Reformation, a martyr. All this led to the fact that she was recognized as one of the most influential queens of England.

Actually

No allegations of treason against Anne Boleyn can be recognized as reliable. Henry VIII was considered an unusually cruel and extravagant monarch. He had many health problems. According to recent studies, the irreversible changes in his psyche that made him an unhealthy person were caused by a genetic disease.

The sixteenth century, when this king ruled, is considered a shameful page in the history of England.

Henry passed the "vagrancy law". According to him, all the ruined peasants were simply hanged. It was a simple way, following which it was not necessary to help people and wait until they regain material wealth.

During that period, wool prices rose. Keeping sheep became profitable, and landowners raised rents. As a result, the peasants became unable to pay for plots of land, since their value exceeded the profit they received from the harvest. For this reason, there were many ruined peasants. And their king gave the order to hang. During the reign of the mad king, 72,000 people were executed.

The king indulged his desires, placing them above the interests of the state. Cruelty extended to subjects, and to children, and to wives. Human life was absolutely not valuable to him, and the slightest offense was enough for execution. Anne Boleyn became the wife and victim of such a person.

Memory

Although not a single lifetime original of the queen's portrait has been preserved that would not raise questions from experts, Anna often appears in paintings. There are many portraits of her.

The opera Anna Boleyn was written in 1830. It is set to this day. Dozens of films about Anne Boleyn came out until 2015. Helena Bonham Carter, Natalie Dormer and many other stars played the queen in them. Each film repeats the story of this bright personality.

Almost 500 years later, her story excites many minds. Alison Weir wrote a book about her, Anne Boleyn: The Passion of a King. In the work, the author makes an attempt to restore justice in relation to this dramatic figure in the history of England. The subjects hated the woman, slandered her in front of her husband. But the book sheds a different light on her life.

Among other things, there are legends that her ghost roams in England. She is seen in various buildings. The girl was so energetic and cheerful that it is believed that even after 5 centuries she is present among the living. Someone shows the ghost of Anne Boleyn in a photo.

Last wish

It is known that for the execution of his wife, Henry, “the most intolerable bastard, a disgrace to human nature, a bloody and greasy stain in the history of England,” according to Charles Dickens, chose an executioner from France. On the topic of why this was done, there are several versions.

According to one of them, having learned that, on a falsified accusation of the king, it is required to behead the queen, the executioners were filled with horror and refused this role. Even money was not a convincing argument for them. And the authorities ordered otherwise, calling an executioner from another country.

According to another version, it was his grace. Since the summoned executioner was a professional known for chopping off the victim's head in one fell swoop, this made death quick.

Throughout the Middle Ages, and in some places the tradition is still observed, before the execution, the executioner dined with the condemned. And on this account, the story of Anne Boleyn has survived to this day. According to her, while communicating with the executioner, she asked him to fulfill her last wish. And he fulfilled it, having gone through imprisonment, torture and many trials.

legends

There are stories that the bringing of the executed Anna constantly terrified the guards of the Tower until the 19th century. Dozens of soldiers were court-martialed for leaving their posts or fainting at the sight of a white silhouette holding its head in its hands.

One day, the guard noticed that the windows of the locked chapel were shining from the inside, and looked into it. In complete darkness, he saw a mass ghost - Anna with a whole retinue of the royal court, after this incident, he excavated in that place. Anne Boleyn's remains were found under the floor. Then they were buried again with all honors, and then the ghost stopped terrifying the guards.

The Tower Ghost of Anne Boleyn is the only officially recognized ghost of this place. They call him the "White Lady". Sometimes he is observed in a funeral carriage, passing with horses without heads. In addition, every year on the eve of the date of her execution, Anna walks around the fortress in London, holding her own head in her arms.

There is another legend concerning the queen. So, according to her, her heart was removed when she died. He was taken to Suffolk, where she lived happily for several young years. In 1837, during excavations in a chapel in this area, a heart-shaped box was found right in the wall, in which there was a handful of ashes inside.

The lead box was buried with honors and a plaque was placed at the burial site in memory of Anne Boleyn.

King Henry had favorites. As a rule, he made new mistresses during the pregnancy of his wife. For Catherine of Aragon, this was not news, and she looked at such pranks of her husband through her fingers. One of these favorites was the sister of the future queen - Mary Boleyn. Anna and Mary came from an old family, their family occupied a high position in the circles of the English aristocracy. Both girls were brought up at the court of Queen Claude of France. There they learned language, dance, etiquette, singing, literature, music, religion and philosophy. Maria left the French court before Anna, most likely in connection with a sex scandal. Anna had to return to England in 1522 after the cooling of relations between the two powers. Heinrich's first meeting with her took place, presumably, at the same time.

Anne Boleyn: The Queen's New Maid of Honor

Returning to England, Anna was presented to the court, where she had great success. She was well educated, attractive, able to keep up the conversation. Not much is known for certain about Boleyn's personality, the characteristics that were awarded to her in books and movies are mostly speculation. The appearance of the queen is also described very differently. So, Catholic propagandist Nicholas Sanders claimed that Anna had 6 fingers on one hand, as well as a huge wart on her neck. It is not surprising that such a demonic appearance is contained in the description of an ardent Catholic preacher. In other sources, there are much more prosaic notes. Anna was of medium height, of slight build, with dark hair, olive skin, and deep brown, almost black, eyes. She looked more French than English, with their milky skin and blue eyes.

At the English court, Anna was courted by Count Henry Percy, the lovers wanted to get married, but the engagement was canceled by their parents, possibly not without the participation of the king himself. Anna was sent to the family estate. She returned to court only in 1526 as a lady-in-waiting to Catherine of Aragon.

It is not known exactly how and when Heinrich became interested in Anna, most likely he drew attention to her during one of the court holidays. The king showed attention to Anna by sending expensive gifts and love letters in which he openly offered to become his mistress, but was refused. Once the king sent a golden whistle pendant and a touching note as a gift: "If you whistle, I will come running." Anna gently rejected courtship and teased Heinrich: she only wanted to be a wife, but not a mistress.

Henry and Catherine of Aragon: divorce

The same pendant in the form of a whistle. (wikipedia.org)

Henry had long been looking for an excuse to dissolve his marriage with Catherine of Aragon and take a new wife, who, he hoped, would bring him an heir. Having received consent from Anna, the king decided to turn to the Vatican with a request to annul his alliance with Catherine. To deal with this issue was entrusted to Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. As the main argument, the cardinal was going to use the fact that the king and Catherine, who was the wife of the late brother of the sovereign, were considered relatives, and therefore Pope Julius II should not have agreed to this union. In May 1527, the first court session took place, which did not bring the desired results: the jury demanded a theological examination, which was supposed to confirm or refute the legality of the marriage.

Meanwhile, Catherine herself did not even want to hear about the annulment of the marriage, as well as about voluntarily going to the monastery. In this case, in addition to losing the title and all the bonuses due, her own daughter, Mary Tudor, would lose her right to claim the throne and be declared a bastard. Catherine's nephew, Charles V, takes Pope Clement VII prisoner, and therefore the issue of Henry's divorce is postponed indefinitely. However, the pope, one way or another, refused the king of England.

It is believed that it was Anne Boleyn who pushed Henry to break off relations with the Catholic Church and make England independent of the power of the pope. Most likely, her influence on the king is somewhat exaggerated: Henry himself was not satisfied with the position of a vassal of the Vatican. However, now he had another good reason - the long-awaited marriage to Boleyn. To this decisive step, the king was also pushed by his new adviser - Thomas Cromwell, a supporter of the reformation.

Portrait of Heinrich and Anna. (wikipedia.org)

In 1531, Catherine was removed from the palace, her chambers were given to Anna. A year later, a secret wedding of lovers took place, the future queen was already pregnant. The new Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, declared Henry's previous marriage illegal and recognized the new union. The official wedding took place in London on January 25, 1533. In the same year, Henry was excommunicated by Pope Clement VII.

Queen Anne

On September 7, 1533, Princess Elizabeth was born. Heinrich was disappointed. The feast prepared in honor of the birth of the heir had to be cancelled. However, the king was still under the spell of Anna, and therefore decided to secure the position of Elizabeth by depriving her first daughter, Mary, of all possible privileges. In 1534, the Vatican issues a papal bull stating that Henry's marriage to Catherine is considered legal, and therefore the king of England must return to his "legitimate" wife. In response to this attack, the English Parliament passes the First Act of Succession, according to which Mary is declared illegitimate and loses all rights to the throne. Elizabeth becomes the heir.

What is the new queen? Anna bathes in luxury and knows no refusal in anything. The staff of her servants was expanded to 250 people. She spends England's money on clothes, hats, fashionable furniture, horses, jewelry. The people treated the new queen more than with restraint, if not hostility. It is believed that Anna took an active part in state affairs almost on a par with Henry: she met with ambassadors and diplomats, attended official events and submitted petitions. Anna, of course, had influence on the king, but it is unlikely that she led a really violent political activity.

At the end of 1534, Anna has a miscarriage. Relationships between spouses are cracking. The fickle Heinrich is already thinking about a new divorce. At the same time, to Anna's great displeasure, he welcomes new favorites. The wife of the monarch sometimes has to put up with her husband's infidelity and pacify women's pride. But Anna was not fully prepared for such a role. She is jealous and openly expresses claims to Heinrich, which infuriates her husband. The couple parted, however, not for long.

Heinrich's love letter to Anna. (wikipedia.org)

In 1535 Anna became pregnant again. She understands the fragility of her position and desperately wants to give birth to Heinrich's heir. But, alas, a miscarriage happens. By that time, the king had already found a new favorite - Jane Seymour, the maid of honor Boleyn, became her.

It becomes obvious: the fall of Anna and her entire family is inevitable. The wife of the king was accused of witchcraft, treason and incest. At the trial, Boleyn behaved with restraint and calmly denied all charges. However, she was found guilty and sentenced to death by beheading.

Instead of the usual ax, a sword was chosen as a tool. It is believed that this was the last "favor" rendered by the king to his disgraced wife. Being imprisoned, preparing for execution, Anna writes a last letter to Henry, where she assures him of her love and devotion. Nevertheless, on May 19, 1536, the sentence was carried out, and already on May 20, the King of England secretly became engaged to his new wife, Jane Seymour.