In 1522, a young, sophisticated woman arrived at the English court after spending most of her life in two continental courts. Intelligent, educated, and stylish beyond the typical English lady, Anne Boleyn dazzled the court and set herself on a path that would lead to the heights of power before...
The meeting of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn with François I of France in Calais
Imagine that we are in the city of Calais in Tudor England. This place had a special meaning for King Henry VIII because it was the last remnant of the once substantial English possessions on the continent. King Henry and his beloved Anne Boleyn sailed to Calais to meet with...
The chronology of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn’s visit to Calais in October 1532
King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn sailed to Calais on the 11th of October 1532 after she had been elevated to Marquess of Pembroke in an elaborate ceremony on the 1st of September 1532. Some time passed before the monarch and the lady of his dreams met with his French...
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. ...
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....
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...
Another Boleyn woman: Elizabeth Howard Boleyn
Lady Elizabeth Boleyn née Howard, Countess of Wiltshire and of Ormond, and the wife of Thomas Boleyn, died on the 3rd of April 1538. It happened somewhere near Baynard’s Castle, the home of the Abbot of Reading. Elizabeth was a member of one of the highest-ranking noble families in England:...