Today is a day of mourning for historians and Tudor enthusiasts. On the early morning of the 17th of May 1536, several men, among them the queen’s own brother, were escorted out of the western entrance of the Tower under heavy guard. They were George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford, as well...
The tragedy of Anne Boleyn: more arrests
The tragedy of Anne Boleyn was also connected with the tragedies of several other people – her alleged lovers, including her own brother – George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford. On 5th of May 1536, Sir Thomas Wyatt the Elder, who was a famed court poet, and Sir Richard Page, who was...
Thomas Cranmer’s letter to Henry VIII in Anne Boleyn’s defense
Ah, Anne Boleyn… Our Anne… Back then in May, she was deserted by everyone, even by her own father. However, she still had one friend – Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury. Cranmer adored and admired Anne, and he proclaimed King Henry VIII's marriage to Catherine of Aragon null and void. ...
Bewitching Dark Eyes
My poem: an ode of someone in love with Anne Boleyn and bewitched by her dark eyes. I have more poems about Anne for my new version of the novel “Between Two Kings”. I drown my entire soul in your two eyes, As black as night that gives me paradise,...
The 2nd of May 1536: Anne Boleyn is apprehended
The second of May in the year 1536 began for Queen Anne Boleyn as any routine day. Accompanied by her inner circle, Anne watched a game of tennis at Greenwich Palace. Then the king’s messenger approached and apprised her of her husband’s order to present herself before the Privy Council....
In honor of Geneviève Bujold on her birthday
Yesterday was Geneviève Bujold’s birthday. This Canadian actress, who was born the 1st of July, 1942, is best known for her portrayal of Anne Boleyn in film 'Anne of the Thousand Days', for which she received a Golden Globe for Best Actress. Geneviève Bujold as Anne Boleyn in the 1969...
Poems of Anne Boleyn’s feelings before and after her coronation
During the coronation procession as Anne sees the people’s gloomy faces What shall this day bring to me, June? A brilliance with every summer hue: The cloud-white dream of happiness, Shot with the primrose sunshine through… Or shall my coronation bring me pain, People do not want me, their stillness...
Coronation of Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn emerged from the Tower of London at 5pm on Saturday the 31st of May 1533. She had spent the previous several days in the queen’s chambers in the Tower. According to contemporary sources, the last day of spring was sunny, bright, and warm, and the sky was an unbroken...
A hymn of Anne Boleyn’s heart
Hello to everyone! Today is another anniversary of Anne Boleyn's tragic death. As a tribute to the extraordinary Anne Boleyn, here is my poem written in Renaissance style, lyrical and a bit whimsical, about her thoughts in different moments of her life. My poem is a mixture of real and...
The Shrovetide joust: ‘Declare I dare not’
In 1526, Shrove Tuesday (the 7th of February) was celebrated with a traditional solemn joust at Greenwich Palace. Jousting was one of Henry's favorite sports. The Shrovetide joust was a special event for Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII, as the English monarch’s motto tentatively reflected that he had found...
Henry VIII’s Two Wives: Death Comes Uninvited
Death comes into people’s lives without any rules, inconsiderately and irrationally as a thief. It brings pain and suffering when one we love departs. The end of January 1536 was a tragic time, marked by catastrophic loss and sadness, for both Anne Boleyn and Catherine of Aragon. There is an old...
Cardinal Thomas Wolsey: in favor of the fickle Henry VIII for years
King Henry VIII’s ascension to the English throne was viewed by many people as the dawn of a new glorious era in England. Henry was perceived as a paragon of majesty, extravagance, culture, and Renaissance humanism, or it was how Henry positioned himself despite the fact that the Tudor court...
The Pope Urges Henry VIII to abandon Anne Boleyn
On the 11th of July 1533, Pope Clement VII declared that Henry VIII’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon was valid and legal. Effectively, it meant that the King of England’s marriage to Anne Boleyn was declared null and void. This is the excerpt from Letters and Papers (the source is...
A fatal love triangle untangled: Execution of Anne Boleyn, the 19th of May 1536
the links to part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, and part 5 of the series “A fatal love triangle: King Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, and Jane Seymour After Anne’s trial and her condemnation, events were happening at a breakneck speed. On the 16th of May 1536, Archbishop Cranmer visited the condemned Anne...
A fatal love triangle: King Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, and Jane Seymour (part 5)
the links to part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4 of the series “A fatal love triangle: King Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, and Jane Seymour On the 15th of May 1536, a fatal love triangle was finally untangled. To end Anne Boleyn’s marriage to King Henry quickly, only a legal solution would suffice. Henry...