Legends
Many legends and fantastic stories about Anne Boleyn have survived over the centuries.
One is that she was secretly buried in Salle Church in Norfolk under a black slab near the tombs of her Boleyn ancestors. Her body was said to have rested in an Essex church on its journey to Norfolk.
Another is that her heart, at her request, was buried in Erwarton (Arwarton) Church, Suffolk by her uncle Sir Philip Parker.
In 18th century Sicily the peasants of Nicolosi believed that Anne Boleyn, in consequence of having made Henry VIII a heretic, was condemned to burn for eternity inside Mount Etna. This legend was often told for the benefit of foreign travellers.
A number of people have claimed to have seen Anne's ghost at Hever Castle, Blickling Hall, Salle Church, Tower of London, and Marwell Hall.
The most famous account of her reputed sighting has been described in paranormal researcher Hans Holzer's book "Ghosts I've Met".
In 1864 one Major General J.D. Dundas of the 60th Rifles regiment was quartered in the Tower of London. As he was looking out the window of his quarters, he noticed a guard below in the courtyard, in front of the lodgings where Anne had been imprisoned, behaving strangely. He appeared to challenge something, which to the General, looked like a whitish, female figure sliding towards the soldier. The guard charged through the form with his bayonet, then fainted. Only the General's testimony and corroboration at the court-martial saved the guard from a lengthy prison sentence for having fainted while on duty.
In 1960 Canon W. S. Pakenham-Walsh, vicar of Sulgrave, Northamptonshire, published "Tudor Story".
środa, 13 lipca 2011
Elizabeth - the only child of Anne Boleyn
Elizabeth I was queen from 1558 to 1603. In her reign, Mary, Queen of Scots was executed and the Spanish Armada was defeated. Elizabeth I never married so the Tudor dynasty ended with her death in 1603. Her legal heir was James VI of Scotland. He, a Stuart, became James I of England. Elizabeth's father was Henry VIII and her mother was Anne Boleyn.
Elizabeth's personality: Elizabeth was a very intelligent person. She could speak Latin, French and German. As a young girl she had had a private tutor and her father's investment in her education proved sound. She did not suffer fools lightly and Elizabeth was famous for her temper - inherited from both her mother and father.
Her early years: Elizabeth did not live in the some household as her father. She was sent to Hatfield Place, north of London with her half-sister, Mary. Here she lived the life of a princess but regardless of her status, her governess still had to complain to Henry VIII that she did not have enough clothes to live in. When Henry VIII did visit his daughters, Mary was locked in her room while the king spent his time with Elizabeth. When her father died, her half-brother, Edward VI, became king. Elizabeth maintained the strictest courtesy to her half-brother and now her king - when they ate together she sat at a table below him and she always curtsied when Edward approached her. Edward's death in 1553 meant that Mary was now queen. This could have been very dangerous to Elizabeth as Mary was a Roman Catholic and Elizabeth was a Protestant.
Mary's ascent to the throne was clouded with the actions of the Duke of Northumberland and Lady Jane Grey. Mary, suspicious of others, believed that Protestants were plotting against her. Elizabeth was arrested and sent to the Tower. Elizabeth must have feared the worst. Her anger spilt over when she sat on the steps of the Tower and refused to go any further. She was left by the Constable of the Tower who was not in a position to manhandle her. Eventually, the cold and probably hunger, drove Elizabeth to seek the warmth of her accommodation at the Tower. Mary had Elizabeth released from the Tower in 1558.
As queen of England: she is credited with taking England to nearly the heights of its power. But in the final years of her reign, she became very unpredictable and, in this sense, dangerous. Many theories have been forwarded for this behaviour. One is that she put so much white 'paint' onto her face, that she suffered from lead poisoning to the brain and this hindered her ability to think rationally. Certainly, her death in 1603, was not greeted with nationwide mourning. Her subjects were sorry but the 'spark' that had existed in the earlier years of her reign had gone. However, the 45 years of her reign are considered by some to be an era of glory.
Elizabeth as a Princess
Elizabeth I as a Queen of England
Elizabeth's personality: Elizabeth was a very intelligent person. She could speak Latin, French and German. As a young girl she had had a private tutor and her father's investment in her education proved sound. She did not suffer fools lightly and Elizabeth was famous for her temper - inherited from both her mother and father.
Her early years: Elizabeth did not live in the some household as her father. She was sent to Hatfield Place, north of London with her half-sister, Mary. Here she lived the life of a princess but regardless of her status, her governess still had to complain to Henry VIII that she did not have enough clothes to live in. When Henry VIII did visit his daughters, Mary was locked in her room while the king spent his time with Elizabeth. When her father died, her half-brother, Edward VI, became king. Elizabeth maintained the strictest courtesy to her half-brother and now her king - when they ate together she sat at a table below him and she always curtsied when Edward approached her. Edward's death in 1553 meant that Mary was now queen. This could have been very dangerous to Elizabeth as Mary was a Roman Catholic and Elizabeth was a Protestant.
Mary's ascent to the throne was clouded with the actions of the Duke of Northumberland and Lady Jane Grey. Mary, suspicious of others, believed that Protestants were plotting against her. Elizabeth was arrested and sent to the Tower. Elizabeth must have feared the worst. Her anger spilt over when she sat on the steps of the Tower and refused to go any further. She was left by the Constable of the Tower who was not in a position to manhandle her. Eventually, the cold and probably hunger, drove Elizabeth to seek the warmth of her accommodation at the Tower. Mary had Elizabeth released from the Tower in 1558.
As queen of England: she is credited with taking England to nearly the heights of its power. But in the final years of her reign, she became very unpredictable and, in this sense, dangerous. Many theories have been forwarded for this behaviour. One is that she put so much white 'paint' onto her face, that she suffered from lead poisoning to the brain and this hindered her ability to think rationally. Certainly, her death in 1603, was not greeted with nationwide mourning. Her subjects were sorry but the 'spark' that had existed in the earlier years of her reign had gone. However, the 45 years of her reign are considered by some to be an era of glory.
Queen Anne Boleyn
QUEEN ANNE BOLEYN: HER CORONATION
WHITSUNDAY, JUNE 1, 1533
. . . The Thursday next before the Feast of Pentecost, the King and the Queen being at Greenwich, all the Crafts of London thereunto well appointed, in several barges decked after the most gorgeous and sumptuous manner, with divers pageants thereunto belonging, repaired and waited all together upon the Mayor of London; and so, well furnished, came all unto Greenwich, where they tarried and waited for the Queen's coming to her barge; which so done, they brought her unto the Tower, trumpets, shawms, and other divers instruments playing and making great melody, which, as is reported, was as comely done as never was like in any time nigh to our remembrance. And so her Grace came to the Tower on Thursday at night, about five of the clock, where also was such a peal of guns as hath not been heard the like a great while before. And the same night, and Friday all day, the King and Queen tarried there; and on Friday at night the King's Grace made eighteen knights of the Bath, whose creation was not only so strange to hear of, as also their garments stranger to behold or look upon; which said knights, the next day, which was Saturday, rode before the Queen's Grace throughout the City of London towards Westminster Palace, over and besides the most part of the nobles of the realm, which like accompanied her Grace throughout the said city; she sitting in her hair [i.e. her hair flowing down], upon a horse litter, richly apparelled, and four knights of the Five Ports bearing a canopy over her head. And after her came four rich chariots, one of them empty, and three other furnished with divers ancient old ladies; and after them came a great train of other ladies and gentlewomen; which said progress, from the beginning to the ending, extended half a mile in length by estimation or thereabout. To whom also, as she came along the City, were shewn many costly pageants, with divers other encomiums spoken of children to her; wine also running at certain conduits plenteously. And so proceeding throughout the streets, passed further unto Westminster Hall, where was a certain banquet prepared for her, which done, she was conveyed out of the back side of the Palace into a barge, and so unto York Place, where the King's Grace was before her coming, for this you must ever presuppose that his Grace came always before her secretly in a barge as well from Greenwich to the Tower as from the Tower to York Place.
Now then on the Sunday was the Coronation, which also was of such a manner.
In the morning there assembled with me at Westminster Church the Bishop of York, the Bishop of London, the Bishop of Winchester, the Bishop of Lincoln, the Bishop of Bath, and the Bishop of St. Asaph, the Abbot of Westminster with ten or eleven more Abbots, which all revestred ourselves in our pontificalibus, and, so furnished, with our Crosses and Croziers, proceeded out of the Abbey in a procession into Westminster Hall, where we received the Queen apparelled in a robe of purple velvet, and all the ladies and gentlewomen in robes and gowns of scarlet according to the manner used beforetime in such business; and so her Grace sustained of each side with two bishops, the Bishop of London and the Bishop of Winchester, came forth in procession unto the Church of Westminster, she in her hair, my Lord of Suffolk bearing before her the Crown, and two other Lords bearing also before her a sceptre and a white rod, and so entered up into the High Altar, where divers ceremonies used about her, I did set the Crown on her head, and then was sung Te Deum. And after that was sung a solemn Mass, all which while her Grace sat crowned upon a scaffold which was made between the High Altar and Choir in Westminster Church; which Mass and ceremonies done and finished, all the assembly of noblemen brought her into Westminster HaIl again, where was kept a great solemn feast all that day; the good order thereof were too long to write at this time to you.
But now, Sir, you may not imagine that this Coronation was before her marriage, for she was married much about St. Paul's Day last, as the condition thereof doth well appear by reason she is now somewhat big with child. Notwithstanding it hath been reported throughout a great part of the realm that I married her, which was plainly false, for I myself knew not thereof a fortnight after it was done. And many other things be reported of me, which be mere lies and tales.... '
From Cranmer's own account contained in a letter from him to Mr. Hawkyns, English Ambassador at the court of the Emperor, Charles V. (Spelling modernized.)
Short biography
Anne was born in 1500 or 1501. She was considered beautiful with dark eyes, long dark hair and a lively personality. At the age of 13 she worked in the French court. Here she worked for Mary, Henry VIII’s sister, who had married the king of France. When the king, Louis, died, Mary returned to England. Anne stayed in France as maid-in-honour to the new queen.
Such an upbringing for a young girl from a noble English family was not unusual. It was felt that young girls would have the perfect education in France on how to become a ‘proper’ lady, which would, in turn, lead to her finding the ‘right’ man for marriage.
In 1522, aged 21 or 22, Anne returned to England and worked for Catherine of Aragon’s household. Anne fell for a young man who worked at the court called Henry Percy. She became secretly engaged to Percy – who was already engaged to someone else. The engagement was ended after an intervention by both Henry and Cardinal Wolsey, England's most important government minister. Anne never forgave Wolsey for his involvement in the break-up nor for calling her a "foolish girl". Percy was forbidden from ever seeing Anne again. Anne was banned from the Royal Court until 1524/25. However, she had already caught the eye of Henry who openly wanted her to be his mistress – something she refused to do.
Henry embarked on his plan to divorce Catherine and marry Anne. This proved to be successful when they married in the winter of 1533.
Anne was crowned queen in June 1533. She gave birth to the future Queen Elizabeth and also to a stillborn boy. Henry and Anne swiftly fell out. He believed that she had been cursed and his ‘proof’ was the second thumb Anne had growing out of her main one. There were even rumours that she had a third breast. Anne, now in her early 30’s, had a sharp tongue on her and had made enemies at court. Henry had already befriended one of her maids of honour – Jane Seymour.
In May 1536, Anne was arrested and charged with treason. Anne was held in the Tower of London. The Constable of the Tower was William Kingston. He had four ladies stay with Anne at all times and they had to report directly to him anything said by the queen. Kingston's diary does tell us that Anne was hysterical when she arrived at the Tower through Traitor's Gate and had to be half-carried to her quarters.
Her actual ‘crime’ was that she had affairs with 5 men including her brother George. There was no proof of this but all six were found guilty of treason and sentenced to death. In fact, Anne was unaware of what charges she faced until she actually arrived in the hall at the Tower of London where her trial was to take place. Her uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, had to read out the court's finding: guilty of adultery and plotting to kill Henry. The court sentenced her to be burned at the stake or decapitated - the choice lay with Henry.
Anne was executed on May 19th 1536. As a final gesture, Henry gave his permission for Anne to be beheaded by a sword. She was terrified of the axe. Two specialists were brought over from France as no one existed in England who had the necessary skill to carry out the execution cleanly. Her execution was swift and her body was laid to rest in the Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula at the Tower of London.
Henry married his third wife, Jane Seymour, on May 30th, 1536, just eleven days after the execution of Anne.
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