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 Queen of England, 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. The probable dates were 1501 and 1507. They were taken from surviving letters from Anne Boleyn herself - one addressed to her father, Thomas Boleyn in 1514. The French language in which it was written was not her native language, but her handwriting had managed to form well. Therefore, a version appeared that she was 13 then. This was the minimum age when a girl could be accepted into Margarita’s retinue. Another letter from the end of the 16th century was preserved, testifying that the year of her birth was 1501. But based on two other sources, memoirs of friends, she was not even 29 years old at the time of her death. And William Camden's almanac indicates the year of her birth - 1507. Camden had access to state archives.

Family

Anne Boleyn's father became Earl of Wiltshire thanks to his daughter, and he was also Earl of Ormond. 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 maid of honor for two queens - Elizabeth of York and Catherine of Aragon. Both Anne's father and mother had relatives among the Plantagenets in their family history.

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

They studied arithmetic, family genealogy, grammar, history, reading, spelling, household management, needlework, foreign languages, dancing, singing, and good manners. Like any aristocrat in England, Anne Boleyn practiced archery, horse riding, playing cards, and chess.

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

Appearance

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

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

Thus, 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, long neck y, wide mouth and low chest, eyes were dark and beautiful.

The French poet Lancelot de Carle called her “so graceful that she looked more like a Frenchwoman than an Englishwoman.”

Simon Greene wrote in 1531 that Anna was “young, pretty, dark.”

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 a sallow color, as if after “jaundice.” They say she had a prominent 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 seen that Boleyn was temperamental, direct, frank and prone to command. She's like anyone strong man, not everyone liked it, but adherents appeared around it. In particular, attracted by her attraction to Luther in matters of faith.

Court life

By 1522, relations between France and England had become tense. At the same time, Anne Boleyn made her first appearance at the court of Henry Tudor. 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. Anne Boleyn's biography of this period was full of positive aspects - she enjoyed everyone's attention, but as befits real seductresses, she did not show that she cared. Also, aware of the many rumors circulating about her sister Mary at court, she kept her life a secret. Mary, as was then believed, had an affair with King Francis I, a number of court men, and also with Henry Tudor. Anne Boleyn, however, had an affair with him herself.

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 was difficult and took with it the lives of many, including noble persons.

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

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

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

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

Anna survived the first day. Then the doctor fed her his own potion 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 product, 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, testing 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 always died.

In the end, no cure for the disease was ever found. After a while it became quiet and then disappeared completely. On this moment sweating fever does not exist, and doctors are scratching their heads over what kind of disease it was.

Queen

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

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

From this moment the love story of Anne Boleyn and Henry began. 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 being a wife, not a mistress. At that time, the king’s marriage to Catherine was falling apart. The impulsive king did not like his wife; he was indignant about her because they did not have 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, he was unrestrained in his betrayals; he had many favorites. The wife understood all this. Next to the impulsive and dangerous king, one after another, her children were born weak and died in infancy. His subsequent wives, who lived under great stress, suffered miscarriages. Despite the fact that Henry changed many wives, he never achieved an heir with such tactics: after his death, the country was ruled by girls.

The biography of Anne Boleyn is notable for the fact that this girl influenced most important event in the history of England - independence from the Vatican. When the king became inflamed with feelings for Anna, he turned to the Vatican to annul the union with his wife. A special examination was needed so that the king would not have the consequences of this marriage. Catherine protested: such a decision meant life in a monastery for her, 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 the king fought for marriage with Boleyn.

And it was precisely this move that provoked the King of England to break off relations with Catholic Church. From now on, England did not depend on the will of the pope. Having done this, he achieved a wedding with Anna. In 1531 he moved his ex-wife Ekaterina. 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 in marriage. Having charmed the king, Anna preserved the alliance and protected the child from the indifferent cruelty of her father. Anna was afraid for the fate of her daughter. Elizabeth was sent to Hatfield House with her own court.

He had already deprived his first daughter from Catherine, Maria, of her title and all privileges. He recognized her as illegitimate and having no right 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, Rome issued a bull stating that the king's previous marriage to Catherine was valid. Rome ordered him to return to his lawful wife. However, the response from Henry was the First Act of Succession, which emphasized that Mary, daughter of Catherine of Aragon, was illegitimate.

Heinrich did not refuse his new passion anything, increasing the staff of her servants compared to his 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 political life England. She helps the king and holds meetings with a number of ambassadors and diplomats. But her reign did not last long, as a year after the birth of Elizabeth, the daughter of Henry and Anne Boleyn, the queen suffered a miscarriage. The couple's relationship worsened. Once again the king sets out in search of a new wife.

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

Personal life

Before her relationship with Tudor, Anne Boleyn communicated with her admirer Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland. The Count fought for his marriage to Anna, but it was all in vain when the King intervened. Boleyn herself was unhappy when her independence was challenged.

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

Charges and execution

In 1536, news came of the death of Catherine of Aragon. The next day, Anna and Heinrich put on yellow clothes. In England, this color symbolized celebration, and in Spain, the homeland of the deceased, it was considered the color of grief, complementing black. This was 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 Catherine's death, the king could marry and divorce freely. He has also already started flirting with Jane Seymour. On the day of Catherine's funeral, probably due to strong nervous tension, Anna had a miscarriage.

A stillborn male child marked the beginning of the end of the marriage. When the woman came to her senses, the king announced that he was forced into marriage with her by witchcraft, and it was concluded against his will. At the same time, Henry gave chambers to his new favorite at court.

Historian Eric Ives has theorized that Boleyn's execution was planned by her former ally Thomas Cromwell. He argued with her over the distribution of church income, which had been confiscated. She wanted to use them for charity and the development of education in the country, and to support the alliance with France. And he planned to appropriate part of the funds for himself, and use part 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 treason and marital infidelity. 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 brother George.

In 1536, Henry's servants arrested her musician Mark Smeaton, who denied 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 having a love affair with her.

People of noble birth were not tortured. All the “lovers” denied having 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 imminent execution. She was aware of what was happening and was preparing for a death sentence. When Cromwell died, Anne's last letter to Henry was discovered among his papers, which he never delivered to him. Boleyn assures the king that she is devoted to him and asks for an open, fair trial in 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. Its original has not survived to this day.

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

It is curious that the jury that decided to execute Anne Boleyn was chaired by Henry Percy, her former lover. When the jury's unanimous decision about Anna's guilt was announced, he lost consciousness. He died 8 months later, leaving no heirs.

On May 14, 1536, Cranmer declared that the marriage of the king and Anne was invalid. All accused were executed on May 17. Henry 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 made a short speech on the scaffold, her robe with ermine was removed, and her hair was tucked under her headdress. Having said goodbye to the ladies-in-waiting, she knelt down and 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 out that the presence of six fingers on her hands was nothing more than a myth invented later.

Details of the sentence

Anna's trial took place in the Tower, where 2,000 spectators gathered. The Queen entered the hall calmly and calmly. She sat there all the time while Cromwell read out the charges. She was accused of adultery, sexual relations and seducing men “through shameless speeches, gifts and other deeds,” and they “due to the basest incitement and lure of the said queen succumbed and bowed to persuasion.”

It was indicated that later 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 Henry’s death.

The prosecution also pointed out the reasons for the queen’s miscarriages - she allegedly had sexual relations with men during pregnancy, which is 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 injuries. Probably, it was about the case when Henry fell from his horse at a 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 categorically denied all this.

Many of those who were in the courtroom, initially pursuing the goal of enjoying the fall of a noble person, were already touched by the absurdity of the charges and the injustice of the trial. When the verdict was read, Count Norfork, who announced it, cried.

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

Anna experienced mood swings in those days. She sometimes joked that her new nickname would be “Headless Anna.”

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

Rehabilitation

The queen has a 2-year-old daughter left to live. After the death of Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth began to rehabilitate the image of her mother.

The birth of Elizabeth did not make anyone happy; her father was saddened and angry at her birth. Nevertheless, a magnificent celebration was held in her honor. The parents rarely visited their daughter, who lived at Hatfield House, although Anna was attached to her. When Henry married again, Elizabeth was declared illegitimate. All the king's marriages had no legal consequences.

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

When Jane died, Henry married three more times. He executed some of his wives and divorced others. All this was observed by Elizabeth, who survived the murder of her mother by her father. At the age of 9, the girl, at the age of 9, became especially attached to Henry’s last wife, her stepmother. And her execution shook her to the core.

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

She eventually became queen. From that time on, Anne Boleyn was perceived as a heroine of the English Reformation, a martyr. All this led to her being recognized as one of the most influential queens of England.

In fact

No accusations against Anne Boleyn of adultery can be considered 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 16th century, when this king reigned, 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 in a simple way, following which there was no need to provide help to people and wait until they regained material wealth.

At that time, wool prices were rising. Keeping sheep became profitable, and landowners increased rents. As a result, peasants became unable to pay for plots of land, since their cost exceeded the profit they received from the crop. For this reason, there were many ruined peasants. And their king gave the order to hang them. During the reign of the extravagant king, 72,000 people were executed.

The king indulged his desires, putting them above state interests. Cruelty extended to subjects, children, and 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 man.

Memory

Although not a single original portrait of the queen has survived during her lifetime, which would not raise questions among specialists, Anna often appears in works of painting. There are many portraits of her.

The opera "Anne Boleyn" was written in 1830. It is still staged to this day. Dozens of films about Anne Boleyn were released until 2015. In them, the queen was played by Helena Bonham Carter, Natalie Dormer and many other stars. Each film repeats the story of this bright personality.

Almost 500 years later, its story excites many minds. Alison Ware wrote a book about her, Anne Boleyn: The Passion of a King. In the work, the author makes an attempt to restore justice to this dramatic figure in the history of England. The woman was hated by her subjects and slandered 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 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 scoundrel, a disgrace to human nature, a bloody and greasy stain in the history of England,” as described by Charles Dickens, chose an executioner from France. There are several versions as to why this was done.

According to one of them, having learned that the king’s false accusation required the queen to be beheaded, the executioners were filled with horror and abandoned 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 mercy. Since the called executioner was a professional known for cutting off a victim's head in one fell swoop, this made for a quick death.

Throughout the Middle Ages, and in some places the tradition is still observed, before execution the executioner dined with the condemned. And on this score, the story concerning 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, going through imprisonment, torture and many trials.

Legends

Stories have been preserved that the bringing of the executed Anne constantly struck fear into the Tower guards until the 19th century. Dozens of soldiers were court-martialed for leaving their posts or fainting when they saw a white silhouette holding its head in its hands.

One day, a guard noticed that the windows of the locked chapel were shining from the inside, and looked into it. In complete darkness, he saw a massive ghost - Anna with the entire retinue of the royal court, after this incident he conducted excavations in that place. The remains of Anne Boleyn were discovered under the floor. Then they were buried again with all honors, and then the ghost stopped terrorizing the guards.

Anne Boleyn's Tower Ghost is the only officially recognized ghost of this place. He is called the "White Lady". Sometimes he is seen in a funeral carriage driving by with headless horses. In addition, every year on the eve of her execution, Anna walks through 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 County, where she lived happily for several young years. In 1837, during excavations in a chapel in this area, a heart-shaped box was discovered right in the wall, with a handful of ashes inside.

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

“I have now fully experienced your good deeds. I was nothing; you made me a lady of state, a marquise, a queen; and when it was no longer possible to completely exalt me ​​on earth, 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 an unfortunate victim of a treacherous husband. The first looks impressive on the screen, the second is the result of “cleansing” of historical chronicles and active PR of Elizabethan times. Queen Elizabeth's mother, by definition, could not be considered a witch, a devil or a courtesan. After all, she is the mother of the sovereign, the head of the church, God’s anointed. Thus, during the reign of Elizabeth, the courtiers, who still remembered Anna and had their own opinion, could think whatever they wanted to themselves, but officially Anna became a martyr and an innocent victim.

Elizabeth treated her mother's memory with reverence. Not only because she had 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 turned from the life of a crown princess into the life of a bastard. Not a long and happy childhood is over. Can we talk about deep affection for a woman who disappeared from the child’s life when he was three years old? Did she remember her? But the depth of feelings is invariably evidenced by the ring that Elizabeth wore on her finger. It was a ring with a secret - if you carefully pressed the secret lock, the signet on the ring opened, and two portraits were hidden there - the queen and her mother, Anne Boleyn.

Anna had complex nature. She was capable of strong feelings. And she knew how to hide them. This skill failed her after the birth of her child, when she found herself 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 Henry 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 Guard 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 Anne until her death, and when Mary, after the sudden death of her crowned husband, returned to England as the wife of Lord Suffolk, Anne remained at court in France for several more years.

Anna spent nine years abroad. There she grew up, learned graceful manners, dancing, learned all the fashionable lessons and, most importantly, learned to masterfully flirt and attract men.

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

The first meeting of 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 monitored the moral character of her court. No, it's not that Anna was slutty. But she was beautifully dressed, knew how to skillfully carry on a conversation, played musical instruments, sang, and flirted recklessly.

And then she met Henry Percy, and they seemed to really fall in love. 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 long and tediously, and Percy was also going to marry the daughter of George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, in general, everything was very complicated, but Anne Boleyn was not suitable for 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 vowed to take cruel revenge on Cardinal Wolsey, who took an active part in arranging the marriage of her lover to another. Shrew was sent home to Hever, there were rumors about a secret marriage, but we don’t know whether it happened or not.

When her engagement to Percy was annulled, Anna realized that her wishes were not worth a penny in a world where men ruled, and all men were king. There will not be a wedding so desirable for her, which could elevate her and her family. Will be short novel the king with her (after all, by refusing, she would put her entire family at risk), and then - what? Possible birth of a bastard, dishonor, fading of the king's interest in her, and a quick wedding with some minor nobleman who would ban her from his estate, she would give birth to a child a year. And goodbye to youth, goodbye to brilliant ambitions, goodbye to the royal court. This is exactly how the life of her sister turned out, who obediently ascended to Henry’s bed. Was she then born into this world, and then did she shine for so many years at the French court?

Mademoiselle Anna was not happy with such a future. Vengefulness and wounded pride forced her to shout out to Cardinal Wolsey, who contributed to the breaking of the engagement with Percy, that she would not forgive him and would see his fall and would cause him the same pain that he was causing her. And she will achieve her goal - Wolsey will fall not without her help. Yes, Anna was vindictive.

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

Anna could have become the king's mistress. But you didn’t want to? Who would ask 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 have everything. Crown.

And then she behaved very correctly. She either let Henry come to her or pushed him away, promised him a son, but refused to be close to him. The king's courtship continued for more than a year. During this time, his feelings from the desire to possess a beautiful and colorful toy turn into a deep feeling of affection.

King - what about the king? Then he was still a man in the prime of his life, possessing 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 if he's married. This hasn't stopped anyone yet. This fact was especially of little concern to the king himself when he was flirting with a young lady-in-waiting, when he sent her passionate letters and expensive gifts.

She sent the gifts back. Which surprised the king in the least. You see, he’s going broke, 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 rightfully belongs to his wife. But it belongs to the wife - formally, because the marriage of Henry and Catherine is illegal. Catherine was his brother’s wife for several years, that is, the sister of Henry himself. So what if the Pope gave permission for this marriage, before God they are still almost relatives, God does not encourage such a union, therefore 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 an heir in a legal marriage? No, they cannot test this theory, because if Anna has a son, and he will definitely be born, if Henry ends up in her bed, he will not be legitimate, not an heir. But England doesn’t need this goodness. Moreover, Anna doesn’t need it.

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

In order to slowly and persistently introduce these thoughts into the consciousness of Henry, who is extremely religious, who was prepared for religious life until he became heir, 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 refuses nothing, is capricious and spoiled, without giving him anything in return except spiritual and emotional food, considerable art of seduction, seduction and persuasion is required.

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

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

But the 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 unknown whether he would have decided on this if he had not dreamed of how “little Boleyn” would give him an heir?

Calculating and smart, cunning, stopping at nothing, not afraid of God or the devil, Anna becomes the Queen of England. Formally, eight months pass between the birth of Elizabeth and the wedding. They say that Anna conceived a child before she was Henry’s wife. But he has considered her his wife for a long time; these are little things that do not matter to happy spouses.

I will not go into the details of his divorce from Catherine of Aragon, his break with the Pope, and the beginning 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 began caring for Anna. Henry is tired. He tried so hard, but the woman failed him again. Apparently God doesn’t like this marriage of his either, since he didn’t give him an heir.

And the child turns out to be a girl. But they promised him a boy. And then - a miscarriage, then another. Anna is in despair. Her position is so precarious - the king is no longer so attached to her, he begins to pay attention to other women, and at court there are so many beautiful and young women 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 this. The worst thing is that Henry VIII realized that anyone could be made queen.

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

Henry 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 his best minister. It was always the fault of those around him, but never His Majesty.

Sketch of Holbein the Younger and portrait based on the sketch

After giving birth, something happened to Anna. She always read her moves so skillfully, always achieved her goal. Confidence left her. She begins to realize that the king is no longer so passionate about her. And, having become the head of the Church of England, 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 spouses' relationship deteriorated sharply. Henry began to pay attention to Anna's maid of honor - Jane Seymour; Anna staged scenes of jealousy, became hysterical, and did not give birth to a boy. The new pregnancy ended in miscarriage. It is believed that Anne saw Jane on Henry’s lap and tore a necklace with a miniature portrait of the king from her new favorite’s neck.

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

Henry was categorically unhappy with the lack of a male heir. Now we understand that the problem is genetics - the Tudors constantly had difficulties with childbearing, miscarriages, difficult pregnancies and boys rarely appeared.

Henry believed that women were to blame for everything. Well, they don’t want to give him a boy, bitches, and that’s all. 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.

That same year, Anne finally quarreled with the king's minister, Cromwell. The king was already ready to get rid of his queen. He just needed an excuse. And specially trained people found this excuse.

Anne Boleyn jewelry replicas

Hatred of Anna, fueled by those who were not happy with her rise at court, quickly turned into a very significant accusation of treason. But not only treason, but also witchcraft, high treason and incestuous relations with one’s own brother.

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

All the gossip spread by envious people and enemies at court acquired the force of an irrefutable and proven fact. Did the king believe what he once accused the woman he loved? Perhaps he believed it. 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 legitimate wife, Catherine? Of course he was bewitched.

According to prosecutors, Anna slept with the musician Smithton, with the courtier Henry Norris, the poet Thomas Wyeth, and most surprisingly, with her brother George. Everyone confessed, everyone. Under torture they would confess to anything. Everyone was executed. Only the poet Wyeth was released.

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

It was especially convenient to believe this when his gaze 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, at which the king smiled at her, she laughed, flirted with the courtiers, and distributed honors to the winners of the tournament.

Did Anna cheat on Henry? Not known. Historians are still arguing about this, and even a year ago they found some lost sonnet, from which it supposedly follows that yes, she cheated. I'm inclined to think that she had no time for cheating. She had too many worries. And he is not the type to seek carnal pleasures and risk the crown for them. And Henry was still in the prime of his life, he was not yet fat, his leg had not yet festered. In his youth he was considered very handsome.

The British Library contains the book of hours that Henry gave to Anne. It contains messages 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: "INconfirmation, dayotodaylovingAndtenderYouyou'll findme“(“By daily proof you shall find me 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 became hysterical. Everything she shouted was carefully recorded and passed on to Cromwell. Then he brilliantly used these words in his guilty verdict.

Years after the execution, a witness to the last meeting between Anne and Henry wrote to Elizabeth : “Alas, I will never forget the painful feeling that I experienced when I saw the righteous king Eve, Your mother, having raised you, still a child, in her arms, stood on her knees before the most merciful of rulers, yourtheir father, and he was looking through the window somewhere into the distance...”

How did Anna, smart and calculating everything five steps at a time, allow this to happen? It seems that after the birth of a child and several miscarriages, her essence underwent changes. She was afraid, she was disappointed, because the crown did not bring her the alluring happiness, and yet, she was completely alone. There were no people nearby whom she could trust, no people 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 didn't Henry divorce Anna like he divorced Catherine? Firstly, after being accused of treason against him, as a man, and the state, in his person, she betrayed England. Having believed in his own accusations, he could no longer forgive her. This is how wine becomes vinegar, and fierce love becomes no less fierce hatred. Secondly, even if Henry offered Anna a divorce, she would have rejected him, because she would have made her daughter illegitimate. The path to the crown for Elizabeth would have been cut off forever.

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

Anna was sentenced to death. Henry relented and summoned an executioner from Calais. The queen should have had her head cut off with a sword, not burned at the stake. Anna, hearing this, laughed and said: “I heard he’s a good master, it won’t be difficult for him - I have such a thin neck.”

May 19, 1536. The scaffold was covered with black material. The sword is hidden between the boards. The execution was closed; foreign ambassadors were not allowed into the Tower courtyard. Anna ascended the scaffold and said : “I will die according to the law. I am not here to accuse anyone or talk about what I am accused of. But I pray to God that he will save the king and his reign, for there never was a kinder prince, and to me he has always been a 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, who was impatiently awaiting it, shouted cheerfully: “The job is done! Let the dogs go, 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 crazy. 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 contradict the king. Great and crazy.

And I also think that the king knew that all the accusations against his “little Boleyn” were lies and falsification. But he came up with it himself and convinced himself of their validity. Another manifestation of madness.

Oh, if Anna had given birth to a boy... Then Henry 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 hand over the throne to. But a girl was born. Another girl.

Mad and unhappy, Henry will doubt all his life. Was the marriage of Catherine of Aragon and his brother Arthur really over, or did he marry a virgin? Did he legally become the head of the English church, is this pleasing to the Almighty, or is this just a politically advantageous position? Was his marriage with 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 captivated by a woman similar in appearance to her - Catherine Howard (Anna's cousin), who was really guilty of treason, of which he accused the one who alone gave birth to the real heir to his Kingdom.

After becoming Queen of England, Elizabeth I destroyed all incriminating 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 don’t live in paradise! In a mad state, the king has the right to be mad. You called me not to be your wife, but to the throne! Let me go like a queen. And if you value me even a little, don’t humiliate me by admitting something that you yourself know I’m not guilty of.” (G. Gorin)

In light of International Women's Day, I dedicate a post to the baseness of the musketeers and honor the lively beauty Milady.
Few classical works as replete with blunders as Dumas's The Three Musketeers. Not to mention the fact that the entire historical conjuncture of Richelieu’s era, to put it mildly, has been pushed aside, and the facts have been mercilessly shuffled; within the framework of the novel itself, the ends simply do not meet. The merry fellow Dumas clearly made fun of the simple-minded reader, lovingly describing the “nobility” of the villainous musketeers.

Let's take the beautiful D'Artagnan and his relationship with the vile intriguer Milady. Who is Milady anyway? That's right, a French spy in England. Where does the novel actually begin? From the fact that Rochefort conveys to the recently recruited Milady an order from the Prime Minister of France. (Note: it is in this scene that the vile intriguer unwittingly saves D’Artagnan’s health or even life, distracting the “stranger from Meng” from him).

Further, throughout the entire novel, Lady Winter regularly serves D’Artagnan’s homeland, and he and his comrades constantly try to mess with her. In particular, maintaining contact between the French queen (after all, a politically significant figure!) and the Prime Minister of England, relations with whom are more than tense. The cardinal is trying to break this connection, and, it should be noted, successfully. And he's a villain! (By the way, although I try not to touch on history outside of Dumas, Buckingham’s death prevented the English landing in France. Needless to say, an excellent reason to execute a murderer!).
Why, in fact, did this enmity between D’Artagnan and Milady begin? She had, she had personal reasons even before Constance was poisoned. And the poisoning was partly revenge for D’Artagnan’s bad deeds. But before we touch upon the hero’s misdeeds, let us remember how Milady came to live this way, that is, simply put, how her career as an intriguer, seductress and murderer began.
She began, according to Dumas, with monasticism, and one fine day, tired of singing psalms, she fled from the monastery along with a young priest (we will leave the motive for the insidious seduction of a poor virgin by a 15-year-old girl on the conscience of the Lille executioner - the narrator of this story). The lovers were caught, and they also found church jewelry taken from the priest on the road. After this, the Lille executioner - the brother of the fugitive - had to personally brand the thief and apostate. And at the same time, under the hot hand, and a failed daughter-in-law. It was, so to speak, a gesture of goodwill - no one asked him for it. And in general, while respecting his brotherly feelings, the branding was, frankly speaking, illegal, because the young nun was not caught red-handed.
After this, our lovers were able to leave the disgusted monastery and settle in the lands of the Count de la Fere. It is clear that the young girl, who had just escaped from the monastery, really liked everything around her. Especially the Count. She liked him so much that she set out to become a countess and became one. Let us note that, in general, there was nothing dishonest in either the desire or the act. Except perhaps for hiding the mark. On the other hand, how do we know how the countess reasoned? The count’s wife’s lack of virginity did not offend her - “maybe the stigma will roll over... later... when we finally become related...”
As for the first lover, soon after the marriage of the future Milady and Athos, he left and hanged himself. This is very sad, but it confirms the seriousness of the young countess’s intentions. Life “on two fronts” was clearly not included in them.
And what? They had just begun to live like human beings when the count discovered that same (illegal!) brand on his wife’s shoulder (everyone remembers the circumstances: “Hunting in the forest, horns blowing... the horse collapsed in the heat of the moment”). The wife was unconscious at that moment, but the count had no time to wait - without understanding who sealed his beloved wife and for what, he hung her, unconscious, on the nearest tree and rode away. After which he started drinking heavily.
It is clear that, having hung to her heart’s content in thoughts about male psychology, the former countess did not come up with anything good. After which she really behaved very badly. But I still believe that the root of evil lies in the deep decency of the musketeer Athos.
So, after her resurrection, the offended lady poisoned their husbands, seduced recklessly, obtained information through bed, and so on (by the way, she began to be called my lady after marrying Lord Winter. She really wanted to have titled children). All the more valuable for her was the opportunity to communicate with a man just like that - for the soul. And bodies. In short, none other than D’Artagnan showed up on a date with de Wardes, with whom she was infatuated at that moment. The cute mischief-maker spent the night with her on behalf of de Wardes. The next day, having come to see her on a date on his own behalf, our prankster could not resist and announced: yesterday, they say, it was me too! Surpriiiiiz! But this did not cause delight in the deceived mistress. Yes, she had intrigued against him before. But the desire to strangle the prankster, perhaps, arose only then. And when Milady rushed at the deceiver with her fists, that very mark was revealed. After which the hunt began for D’Artagnan as a dangerous witness. Which, in fact, is understandable.
And finally, what good did D’Artagnan and his friends do, besides drinking, partying, working at the whim of the dissolute queen, putting a spoke in the wheels of the clever Richelieu?
Perhaps the only thing worth admiring them for is the fact that they were faithful to each other, and did not change the “master” (whoever he was).

And now - I’ll go and watch the film))))))))) And for some reason, as in childhood, I will be happy with the cry “One for all and all for one!”

14 August 2011, 12:03

The execution of Anne Boleyn has been interpreted differently by biographers and historians. Some say that the English king Henry VIII sent Queen Anne to the scaffold because she, at that time, fully deserved it: she was an intriguer, a hysterical woman, an arrogant and arrogant “plebeian,” as Henry himself called her after the passion. And she also tried to conduct her own politics right under the king’s nose, and this was more than palace intrigue. Others present her as a victim of the morally flawed Henry VIII, a usurper and tyrant. But, probably, the truth is somewhere in the middle. And most likely, Anna and Henry were worth each other. Thomas Boleyn, Anne's father, was a noble courtier, while her mother Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey, belonged to one of the oldest English families. In terms of her origin, Anna, born at the end of 1501 (or 1507 - the exact date is unknown), stood at a higher level than the three subsequent English wives of the king. But this fact will not prevent Henry VIII from subsequently calling her a plebeian, unworthy to take the royal throne. Thomas Boleyn knew better than all the courtiers French, Latin and corresponded with Erasmus of Rotterdam, from whom he even bought several excerpts from his works. Henry once said that he had never met a more dexterous and cunning negotiator. His son George, an Oxford graduate, inherited his father's diplomatic talents and was a good poet, having begun his court career as a page. In 1513, Anna was sent abroad - and she lived in Europe for nine years. First at the Habsburg court in Brabant as one of the 18 ladies-in-waiting of Margaret of Austria (she was regent for her nephew Charles of Burgundy). This courtyard was considered the center for the education of future princes and princesses. The European elite sent their offspring to special trainings with Margarita, famous for her education. It was difficult to think of a better start for the beginning of a court career. Anna knew her father's demands - to learn not only manners, but also the ability in the future, when she became a maid of honor to Catherine of Aragon, daughter-in-law of the most powerful king in the world, Charles V, to put in a good word at court for members of the Boleyn family. She easily mastered the French language, the secrets of court social and political life and the art of intrigue, without which, as well as without knowledge of the language of courtly love, the court would have looked like a withered garden. At the same time, her mentor Margarita was known not only as an adept at court games of love, but also strictly guarded the morality of her young ladies-in-waiting. Chastity and inaccessibility - great ways for a woman to achieve her goal, much more effective than promiscuity. Anna also learned other lessons from her mentor - kings do not marry for love, and women should not let love for men into their hearts too deeply. It was then that Anna decided that her motto would be “all or nothing”... Flanders at the beginning of the 16th century was considered the heart of the cultural life of Europe. The maid of honor learned to understand painting and the art of book design, music. She learned a lot about expensive fabrics and jewelry; in total, Anna spent seven years in France and returned to England only at the end of 1521. Beautiful black hair and bright eyes are the most attractive thing about Anne Boleyn's appearance. Her figure was not very impressive - short, with small breasts. High cheekbones, prominent nose, narrow mouth, strong chin. They often mention a large wen on a slender long neck and a very unpleasant defect - something like the sixth finger on the right hand, although in fact it was a small process similar to an ingrown nail. But for many in those days, and even now, such a detail is very eloquent: they say, this is all from the devil, normal people cannot have extra, ugly and fused fingers, an eyesore, etc. That is why it is often considered a witch. However, in portraits she does not have a sixth finger, which does not mean anything, because before Cromwell portraits were painted without all the sores. Anna behaved more like a Frenchwoman: she knew how to be a witty conversationalist, her movements were distinguished by grace and liveliness, her outfits were elegant, which certainly made her stand out in the company of other ladies. Anne's first admirer at the English court was Henry Percy, heir to the Earl of Northumberland, who served with the powerful Cardinal Wolsey, the main and all-powerful minister of Henry VIII. Anna reciprocated the passion that Percy showed her, not at all within the framework of courtly worship. They secretly decided to get married. But then Wolsey, who did not like Thomas Boleyn, intervened. He considered his daughter an unworthy bride for one of the most noble aristocrats in England and convinced the king of this. Henry did not give permission for the marriage. The Earl of Northumberland, in turn, threatened to deprive his son of his title and inheritance. Percy held on steadfastly and even drew up a marriage contract, according to which he undertook to marry Anna. But lawyers found a way to cancel the document. Anna vowed to take revenge on the cardinal - he dared not only to hinder her passion by belittling her origin and dignity, but also dared to resist the independence that she put at the forefront of her life position. After all, only she herself will decide who she marries. There was another enemy against whom she swore revenge - the king himself. It must be said that Anna knew how to love and hate with all her soul - the future will show this - and there is a lot of evidence of this that Henry Percy remained her love almost for the rest of her life. And the king, for better or worse, prevented them from being together. And Anna played back as best she could. Well, at least in the heat of passion she could imagine her lover in the place of the king - and not be afraid that she would mix up the name. Anne's next admirer was Thomas Wyatt, the first great poet of the Tudor era. At first, conversations with her simply brought delight to the poetic ear, but soon Thomas was captivated by the very sensuality that nature endowed Anna with in abundance. Although Anna was flattered by Wyatt's passion, it was more likely an episode than a separate chapter in her love book. He was married, and she was not ready to lose her head over a man who could only offer her the role of “mistress” of his heart, so common at court. Moreover, the king himself drew attention to her in 1527 (immediately after he lost interest in her older sister Mary). 26-year-old Anne Boleyn disappeared from the bride's fair, setting herself a seemingly impossible goal - to become Queen of England. And the king, hoping only to spend the night with the woman who arouses such interest among his courtiers, encountered unexpected resistance. The chronicle of the relationship between Anne and the king is best traced in the 17 love letters of Henry VIII - it is known that the king did not like the epistolary genre. One of the first is full of reproaches that Anna not only did not answer his love call, but also did not deign to write a letter. (How cunning and far-sighted Anna was - to resist the temptation to answer the king!) The message was accompanied by a gift - a duck killed the day before. In the third letter a year later, Heinrich insists on an answer: does she love him as much as he loves her? But he still doesn’t offer her his hand and heart. And this is exactly what Anna is now waiting for, more than confident in her feminine power. Without waiting for offers more serious than the status of “the only mistress to whom he will completely devote himself to service,” she disappears for a while, forcing him to experience a hitherto unfamiliar feeling of guilt and loss. For the first time, Henry was forced to build a relationship with a woman with his own hands. At this time, he was already trying to find a way to divorce Katerina, who, having lost her charm and gentle disposition by the age of 40, was unable to bear him an heir, and Henry had long since stopped visiting her bedroom. Then he came up with an undeniable, from his point of view, argument in favor of divorce - the Pope made an unacceptable mistake by allowing him to marry the widow of his brother Arthur (he died almost immediately after his wedding to Katerina). It is said in the Bible: a man who marries his brother’s wife will have no heirs. Katerina gave birth to his daughter, and she had 6 miscarriages. This means that now he must get married like the first time, for real. In response to the marriage proposal, Anna confessed her love back and sent the king a gift. A toy boat with a woman and a diamond carved on the bow. The ship is a symbol of protection, the diamond is a heart filled with the same strong intentions as a precious stone. Along with the gift, she promised to give him her innocence - but only when she became his wife. From then on, Anna would check and calculate her closeness with the king with the accuracy of a calculator. Henry wrote to his bride: “My heart will forever belong to you alone, seized by this desire so strongly that it will be able to subordinate to it the desires of my body.” Henry Is it worth commenting on this “novel” and can it be called love? Probably possible, but with one caveat: each participant in this story had their own plans. The king has an heir and, of course, the satisfaction of what is commonly called “lust.” And Anna has the fulfillment of her cherished desire: to become a queen. And on this path - all means are good. The divorce process began and lasted about seven years. While waiting for the decision of the Pope, Henry was exhausted from passion, and Catherine of Aragon hoped that Clement VII would not allow the marriage to be annulled, because Rome was under the influence of her nephew Emperor Charles V. For the time being, Catherine showed wisdom: as long as the wife is tolerant of the lady of her heart, threats seem to and does not exist, and even helped Anna repel the king’s love attacks. Anna allowed herself to create scenes for Henry: her youth was passing aimlessly, the wait was too long, she was in danger of becoming an old maid. And living under the same roof with the queen also infuriated her. In response, Henry broke loose - no one dares argue with him, much less reproach him for anything. He can return her to the place where he took her from, he has already done too much for her, others would be happy. But the anger subsided as quickly as it flared up. The king, like, in fact, anyone else in his place, was aroused by Boleyn’s inaccessibility, as well as by the fact that she was not afraid to challenge him, known for her indomitable and cruel temper, - a magnificent maneuver of a far-looking woman. Well, the courtiers expected a “reasonable step” from the king - a marriage with a French princess. France had always been England's ally against Spain and Charles V, and therefore this marriage would have strengthened the country's international position. But Henry seemed omnipotent even without this. Although, being a despot, he needed from time to time the decisions he made to be prompted by someone or approved. Until now, it was Cardinal Wolsey, a man who had a magical (according to the courtiers) influence on the king, who knew how to solve both domestic and international problems to the benefit of England and the king. Anna was too cunning and resourceful to limit herself to scenes and female hysterics. A skilled politician, she was able to create a faction (the most effective behind-the-scenes method of court warfare at that time) from a circle of people close to the king, but who supported her plans and bet on her future. Now access to the king's mind was completely blocked by his bride. She even opened the hunt, like the goddess Diana, not one step behind Henry, and during important backstage meetings her figure was visible in the shadow of the window opening. Therefore, neither Wolsey nor Thomas More managed to convince the king to abandon his decision to dissolve his marriage with Katherine. Thomas More was defeated. Anna used not only her feminine power over Henry, she in every possible way exploited his idea that the king, as the highest sovereign over people, has power not only over their bodies, but also over their souls. He, Henry VIII, is able to prove to Rome and the whole world that he can become higher than the Pope and lead the Anglican Church. This meant the realization that he was the only monarch in the world who dared to give himself such a status. Warming up Henry's mood, Boleyn delivered him anti-clerical literature. She even organized a kind of propaganda, ordering heretical manuscripts to be brought from abroad and distributed in England. Heinrich and Anna hunting At the end of 1528, Henry finally ordered Katerina to leave the court, although he left her with 200 servants and 30 ladies-in-waiting. But she continued, which especially angered Anna, out of a long-term habit of keeping an eye on Henry’s linen and clothes, giving orders to wash, clean or throw away his nightgowns or camisoles. “...I don’t care about her or her family members. Let all the Spaniards sink to the bottom of the sea!” - Boleyn raged at Katerina. At the same time, she was implementing her plan for revenge against Wolsey, who, in fact, not wanting to quarrel with Henry, had long been trying to turn the divorce case entrusted to him in favor of the king and his lady of the heart. But Anna convinced the king that Wolsey was sabotaging the divorce case and negotiations with the Pope. When the king, having dinner with Anna in her apartment, was informed, according to tradition, of the cardinal’s arrival, Anna said contemptuously: “Is it worth announcing this so solemnly? To whom else, if not to the king, should he come?” And Heinrich nodded his head in agreement. The Cardinal begged the King not to send the Pope a radical petition, provoked by Anne's faction, in which Rome, in essence, was accused of refusing to annul Henry's marriage to Katherine, depriving the English people of hope for the future. But she was sent. The king, under the influence of Boleyn, decided to secretly complete the matter in England, entrusting the relevant work with the parliament to Wolsey and the papal legate Campeggio. But the hearings failed. And in 1530, Henry received a decree from the Pope “to remove Anne Boleyn from the court.” Here is evidence of Wolsey's double game - Anna's rage mixed with triumph. Now the cardinal will not be able to use his famous “magic”. He was removed from business and deprived of all property in favor of the king, and soon the latter signed a decree on his arrest. Wolsey died on the way to his first interrogation. His overthrow is Boleyn's first serious victory. And Henry for the first time publicly declared himself “the sole protector and head of the Anglican Church and clergy.” And Boleyn received the title of Marchioness of Pembroke, a patent to belong to the highest English nobility, along with lands. For the first time in history, this title went to a woman, and Anne not only convinced the king that, as a last resort, she wanted her children to be the legal heirs, but also had a hand in composing this ambiguous decree. ...A storm in the Strait of Dover turned ships into splinters. The wind did not allow passers-by to stick their noses out into the narrow streets of Calais. Recently, a meeting between Henry VIII and the French king ended here. In London, in St. Paul's Cathedral, they prayed for the monarch's safe return to his homeland, but he was in no hurry: while the bad weather was raging, Boleyn finally “gave herself” to Henry. The right moment has come. In November 1532, she realized that the king was ready to disobey the Pope. And then one day, in the company of courtiers, she said: “Somehow I fell in love with apples.” - “Darling, this is sure sign pregnancy." On January 25, 1533, the lovers secretly got married. Henry simply dared to fool the priest who performed the sacrament of marriage. Does he really believe, the king said in response to a request to show the necessary papers with the Pope's permission for marriage, that he, Henry VIII, is a liar? The king acted quickly. The lawyer Thomas Cromwell and Archbishop Cranmer, armed with the necessary bills, managed to obtain permission from both houses of parliament to declare the previous royal marriage invalid.
Courting Anna But Henry’s victory could not be considered complete without the coronation procedure of the now official “most precious and beloved wife.” Boleyn was 6 months pregnant, and the king was in a hurry - in just two and a half weeks, unprecedented celebrations were prepared. On May 29, 1533, the coronation took place. 50 barges, accompanied by countless boats, set off from Billingate to the Tower. Flags, bells, gold foil and golden banners shimmered in the bright glow summer sun . And the number of guns probably exceeded safety on such a congested waterway. Leading the procession was a ship with an iron dragon on its prow spewing flames, and with Boleyn on board. It turned out symbolically... On September 23, 1534, Anna gave birth to a healthy girl, Elizabeth. The knightly tournament in honor of the birth of the heir had to be cancelled, but Henry took the news about the girl surprisingly calmly. Well, sons will certainly follow their daughter. The christening was organized by Cromwell with the same deliberate pomp as the coronation. The young mother, recovering from childbirth, participated in political affairs, strove for what would later be called humanitarian Christianity - she encouraged education and learned men, and was the patroness of many students and educational institutions, especially Oxford and Cambridge. Anna understood that the correct creation of the image was the little that could help her win people's trust. After all, she was still considered a woman of easy virtue, a “thief” who stole the king from his wife. Katerina would never have dared to despise all laws and split the country into two parts - conformists and true believers, and sow confusion among the aristocrats and clergy. In vain Cromwell tried to control the situation, stopping all conspiracies and attempts to denigrate the queen. A special decree was even issued commanding all men, regardless of their origin, to take an oath of allegiance to Anna. And those who did not want to obey were poisoned on the chopping block. The situation became especially aggravated after the execution of Thomas More - she allowed innocent blood to be shed only because More refused to appear at her coronation. Moreover, he dared to declare that on that day the entire English nobility and all adherents of the true church were “publicly deflowered.” Boleyn tried to make friends with Mary, Henry's daughter from Katherine. But the princess refused to recognize the new queen. Boleyn, unlike Henry, who was enraged by his daughter’s disobedience and known for his attacks of cruelty towards her, wanted to see Mary at court. Of course, on the condition that she renounces all claims to the throne and becomes only the stepdaughter of the new queen, obedient as a lamb. ...The queen's new pregnancy ended in miscarriage. Anna blamed her husband for this, who dared not only to sleep with one of her court ladies, but also to show her courtly signs of respect. Soon she became pregnant again. And at the beginning of 1536, Catherine of Aragon died. There was even a ball held at court to mark the occasion. Well, Henry continued to wait for the heir, disappointed and amorous, he had already turned his attention to Jane Seymour, the former maid of honor of Catherine of Aragon, who only recently, thanks to her influential brothers, had the opportunity to return to the court. Boleyn saw with her own eyes how one day this unremarkable person sat on her husband’s lap and he played with a necklace around her neck. Then the queen tore off Jane's necklace. Then Henry made peace with his wife and she became pregnant again, instilling in him yet another hope of an heir. Anna during pregnancy...Usually Henry stayed with Anna if she could not accompany him on the hunt. But this time he did not give up his favorite entertainment. During the trip, the king stayed at the house of Jane's parents. And on January 24, 1536, Henry Norris burst into Anna’s apartment (he occupied one of the most prestigious and important positions of “groom at the king’s stool” and was his close friend) with terrible news - Henry fell from his horse and had been unconscious for several hours. Boleyn screamed, convinced that Henry was dead. The king recovered with difficulty, but his wife again gave birth prematurely - this time with a dead boy. Henry's anger was all the more terrible because what happened again returned his thoughts to humiliating suspicions about his own male inadequacy. Women who dealt with the Tudors often had problems with childbirth - miscarriages, difficulty getting pregnant and the rare birth of boys. These problems were associated with Henry’s illnesses - they suspected either syphilis, which was fully explained by the monarch’s love of love, or genetic abnormalities, but how could the all-powerful Henry VIII know about this? Therefore, he preferred to return to the already tested model - since God did not want to reward him crown princes and in this marriage, it means that it must be recognized as invalid and the woman who has not fulfilled her destiny must be replaced. This is the will of the king. In the spring of 1536, Anne had a serious quarrel with her patron, Thomas Cromwell. This quarrel became the decisive moment in her fate. Cromwell, having already realized that the current queen had no future, enlisting the support of the Seymour family, supporters of Princess Mary, promised to overthrow her from the throne and help the king take Jane as his wife. To convince the king of this, Boleyn should be accused of treason - in the literal sense of the word, because the queen’s betrayal of her husband is tantamount by law to treason to the crown. It is no coincidence that soon after the loss of the child, rumors appeared - was the unfortunate 6-month-old “male fetus” the result of the queen’s adultery with one of her courtiers? Didn't her brother's wife boast that Anne complained to her about Henry's inability to make love? And on April 29, Anna loudly and furiously quarreled with Henry Norris. That same day, the entire court and the king were aware of a suspicious scandal. And Anna’s carelessly thrown phrase “Don’t count on being able to take the king’s place in the event of his death” became key in her indictment process. On this same sad day for Anna (and so lucky for Cromwell) Mark Smeaton, a young musician of “low” origin, expansive by nature, allowed himself to behave too freely in her chambers. Anna loved music and called Mark to calm down a little after her quarrel with Norris. Cromwell immediately ordered the musician to be taken into custody, he was brought to the house of the royal secretary, and at the 24th hour of torture he admitted to adultery with the queen, after which he was taken to the Tower. The next day, May 1, right during the knightly tournament, the king showed himself more than ever: he personally ordered Henry Norris and George Boleyn to confess their affair with his wife. Despite protestations of innocence, they were sent to the Tower after Smeaton. Boleyn was charged with incest - his wife had long argued that he spent too much time with his sister. Henry, known for his capacity for self-pity - one of the most repulsive traits of his personality - declared that Anne had cheated on him with more than a hundred men, and even immediately tried to compose a tragedy dedicated to his grief. After which he went for consolation to the Seymours' house. There, sobbing, he complained about the queen, assenting to his owners, who had long been trying, at Cromwell’s instigation, to feed him the version that she poisoned Katherine of Aragon and only an accident prevented her from sending him and Princess Mary to the next world. Jane, meanwhile, charmed Henry with her inaccessibility (a technique that Anne herself successfully used) and the fact that she was the complete opposite of his current wife. At dawn on May 2, Boleyn, accompanied by hostile guards, arrived at the Tower along the same waterway as three years earlier on the occasion of the coronation. Having passed through the gate, she lost courage and, falling on her knees, begged to be taken to the king. "Will you send me to prison?" - Without getting up from her knees, she asked Kingston, Const:) Tower in a trembling voice. “No, madam, you will go to the royal apartments.” The feeling of relief provoked a nervous release - Anna began to go into hysterics for many hours. Kingston, at Cromwell’s request, with the pedantry of an experienced jailer, conveyed all the words, phrases and even interjections that, along with screams, tears or laughter, came out of her mouth. A nervous breakdown of a woman who had lost control of herself turned Cromwell’s impromptu into a brilliant accusation that deprived Boleyn of her last hope of salvation. And at the same time he brought to the Tower two more hostages of the conspiracy from the Boleyn faction - the king’s courtiers and her friends Francis Weston and William Brereton... Henry compensated for the feeling of guilt and pity with a touching permission not to send his wife to the stake. He ordered a French executioner from Calais, who masterfully wielded a sword. Having learned about this, Boleyn burst out laughing and, clasping her throat with her hands, said: “I heard he is a good master, but I have such a small neck.” Anne Boleyn and her brother George were put on trial on 15 May 1536. In the Royal Hall of the Tower, special stands were built for 2,000 invited spectators and a separate bench with a high back for the judges - 26 peers led by the Duke of Norfolk, the queen's uncle. Anna, holding up right hand, declared her innocence. No, she did not cheat on the king and did not promise to marry Henry Norris if the king died, no, she did not poison Katherine of Aragon and did not try to poison her daughter Mary. Not to mention the fact that she could not have had so many lovers (according to the articles of the prosecution) during her three years on the throne. But the verdict, which, according to tradition, the peers passed on to each other, consisted of one single word - guilty, guilty, guilty... Count Norfork announced the verdict. He cried as he sent his niece (and then his nephew) to her death - but weren’t these tears of relief because the tip of the ax was not aimed at him? In her last word, Anna said that she was ready to die, but she regretted the loyal servants and friends of the king who would die because of her, and asked not to execute the innocent. Suddenly, a small incident attracted everyone's attention. Henry Percy, Duke of Northumberland, Anne's former lover, fainted after delivering his verdict. Anna in the Tower Shortly before the queen was allowed to die, the king declared the marriage to her invalid. Elizabeth became illegitimate. The formal announcement was made by Archbishop Cranmer on June 17, the eve of the queen's execution. The basis for it was the old story with the Earl of Northumberland, as well as the king’s relationship with Anne’s sister Mary (by law, this was also contrary to the marriage of both parties) and, finally, an argument drawn from the latest “evidence” - the king’s doubt that Elizabeth - his daughter, and not the already executed Norris. The royal lawyers tried to ensure that the king got what he wanted - now neither Anna, nor her daughter, nor Maria, nor the first wife stood in the way of a new marriage and the appearance of heirs. Henry, in the event that his new wife did not give birth to the desired prince, had the right to name his successor in a special decree before his death.
Anna's execution The scaffold was covered with black cloth, and the sword was hidden between the boards. Spectators - about a thousand, only Londoners (no foreigners) - under the leadership of the mayor of the city came to witness the first execution of the queen in the history of England. She, in a dress of gray damask trimmed with fur, climbed to the first step of the scaffold and addressed the crowd: “I will die according to the law. I am not here to accuse anyone or talk about what I am accused of. But I pray to God that he will save the king and his reign, for there never was a kinder prince, and to me he has always been a 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.” ...Boleyn fell to her knees and repeated: “Jesus, accept my soul. O almighty God, sorrow for my soul." Her lips were still moving when it was all over. The ladies covered the queen's body with a simple, rough sheet and carried it to St. Peter's Chapel, passing along the way the fresh graves of her “lovers” executed a few days earlier. Then they stripped her and put her in a small, carelessly put together coffin, barely able to fit the severed head there. Henry, who received news of the execution, immediately ordered Jane Seymour to be brought to him. 11 days later, on May 30, 1536, they got married. Jane Seymour died, giving birth to the king's son, for whom he entered into a deal with the devil so many times. And in 1558, the unexpected happened, as often happens in history - fate smiled on Elizabeth, Boleyn’s daughter, who looked like her father and fully inherited from her mother her character and ability to influence people, manipulating their thoughts and feelings. The people called the princess to the throne, and to the cheers of Londoners and the roar of the Tower artillery, Elizabeth occupied the fortress as Queen of England and remained so for many years. Elizabeth. future queen

In the early morning of May 19, 1536, a young woman in an ermine robe climbed onto the scaffold, erected opposite the White Tower of the Tower. This was the dethroned wife of Henry III, Anne Boleyn, whose biography became an example of how short the path is from the love of august persons to hatred and from the throne to the chopping block.

The childhood that never happened

The future queen, born in 1501, and so sadly ending her life on a platform damp from the morning dew, came from an ancient and influential family, which included the famous Plantagenets. This alone obliged her to meet the requirements that were presented to the lucky ones, whom fate had prepared to enter the circle of the highest aristocracy. That is why Anna’s childhood, spent in the family castle of Hever, was filled not with games and amusements characteristic of this happy time, but with endless classes with the best mentors of that time.

Anna was eleven years old when she and her younger sister Maria received an invitation to continue their education in Vienna, at a privileged school patronized by Empress Margaret of Austria. After studying for two years and succeeding in studying arithmetic, grammar, foreign languages, dancing and many other disciplines required for girls from high society, which also included horse riding, archery and playing chess, the sisters went to France.

Life at the court of Philip I

They arrived in Paris as part of the retinue of Mary Tudor, sister of Henry VIII. Here the girls complete their education, studying not only the French language, but also comprehending the intricacies of court flirting. Very soon, Anna’s sister, Maria, became so carried away by this science that she did not notice how she ended up among the mistresses of the ardent but fickle King Philip I.

There is reason to believe that Anna herself was faced with the temptation to respond to the love of the crowned seducer, but, as the future showed, she had far-reaching plans, and the role of one of the king’s countless concubines did not at all seduce her. We must pay tribute, she did not waste the years she spent in Paris. Communicating with the most enlightened people of that era, Anna not only acquired a taste for high poetry and literature, but also became imbued with the ideas of religious reformation. Subsequently, it was she who took the initiative to translate the Bible from Latin into English.

Return to London

When relations between England and France deteriorated due to political differences in 1522, Anne returned to London. Here she receives a marriage proposal from her cousin, the Irish aristocrat James Butler, and spends some time as his bride, but then the wedding is upset. Obviously, the reason for this was the exorbitant ambitions of the young girl. By this time, fate is preparing a sharp turn in Anna's life. At the court masquerade, held on March 1, 1522, she was invited to dance by King Henry 8 himself.

King's family problems

By this time, the English monarch was married to. Having ascended the throne after the death of his younger brother Arthur, Henry was forced for political reasons to inherit his wife, the daughter of the King of Spain. However, the marriage was not only unhappy, but also unsuccessful in dynastic terms. During the years of marriage, Catherine was unable to produce an heir to the throne. All of her children died in infancy, with the exception of her only daughter, Mary, the future Queen of England, Mary I.

It is known that King Henry 8th Tudor, who received the throne after a long and bloody War of the Roses, was extremely scrupulous in the matter of succession to the throne. Therefore, even before meeting Anna, he was full of desire to retire his wife, who did not live up to expectations, and enter into a new marriage. This idea was very difficult, since according to church canons, divorce was not allowed, and the Pope would not give his blessing.

Then, having found a formal, but, in his opinion, convincing pretext, the king tried to recognize the marriage itself as illegal and to achieve its annulment. This, to put it mildly, ugly story lasted for several years, and by the time Anne Boleyn danced with him at a festive masquerade, King Henry 8 had managed to send his unfortunate wife to a distant castle and was consoled in the company of several young favorites.

Ambitious maid of honor

He intended to include Anna among them. Recently arrived from France and distinguished by graceful manners, she knew how to captivate the male gaze with the thoughtfulness of her outfit, combining puritanical stiffness with sophisticated coquetry. But, to his amazement, she rejected the gifts and did not allow him to get closer than etiquette allowed. In him, accustomed to female submissiveness, this caused amazement.

However, everything was explained simply: Anna did not want to share the fate of her younger sister Mary, who stood on a short time mistress of Philip I and soon abandoned by him. This woman knew her worth and played big. When the king spoke to her about his wife’s childlessness, she realized that fate was giving her a chance. Poor Anna, she had no idea that she would become just another chapter of the tragedy, which can be roughly called “The Villain Henry 8 Tudor and his Wives”...

An intrigue that succeeded

Once in France, observing the morals of the Parisian court, Anna was a good student and perfectly mastered the “science of tender passion.” She understood: nothing inflames male ardor more than the visible coldness of the chosen one and the danger of losing her irrevocably. Anna takes a risky, but justified step - she secludes herself in her ancestral castle of Hever for a long time.

When she finally appears in the palace again, the king, exhausted by separation and jealousy, becomes her easy prey. Having lost hope of limiting her presence in the palace only as another favorite, the king in love makes Anna an offer to become his legal wife, and she agrees.

Illegitimate but beloved wife

However, before Henry 8 and Anne Boleyn could marry, the issue with Catherine of Aragon must be resolved. Sent by her husband to a distant estate, she still remains his legal wife and is not going to make any concessions. As mentioned above, the case of recognizing her marriage with the king as invalid dragged on for several years, and for a number of reasons could not be resolved in the foreseeable future.

Meanwhile, Anna, introduced into the royal chambers, albeit on illegal grounds, behaved like the true arbiter of the destinies of the state. Having unlimited influence over Henry, she unceremoniously intervened in all state affairs, reshaping them in her own way. Letters from Spanish and French diplomats have been preserved, in which they warned their colleagues that before resolving issues in the English Parliament, it was necessary to obtain Anna's approval.

Church Reformation and its consequences

At this stage, the newly appointed First Advisor to the King, Thomas Cromwell, played an important role in her life. A staunch supporter of the Church Reformation, he managed to convince Henry to free himself from the supremacy of the Pope and proclaim the priority of secular power over ecclesiastical power. This step had far-reaching consequences both for the state, which was no longer under the control of the Holy See, and for the king himself, who was no longer obliged to seek permission to annul the marriage in Rome. Soon the desired document was received.

After the royal marriage was officially declared invalid, Henry 8 and Anne Boleyn got married. At first, this ceremony was performed in secret from outsiders, but on January 25, 1533, when Anna announced her pregnancy to her husband, an official coronation took place, the purpose of which was to give legitimacy to their marriage. A description of the celebration left by one of its participants has been preserved. In it he tells how a wedding procession moved through the streets of London. The bride sat in a gilded palanquin, and the most noble barons held a snow-white canopy over her head.

Thirst for the heir to the throne

From that day on, Henry 8 and Anne Boleyn were busy with one thing - waiting for the birth of an heir to the British crown. In order to remove his wife from the bustle of the court as much as possible, the king settled her in his favorite residence in Greenwich, where she was surrounded by the care of numerous servants. All doctors and astrologers unanimously predicted the birth of a son, but, contrary to expectations, on September 7, 1533, Anna gave birth to a girl named Elizabeth.

This was a considerable disappointment for the spouses and the first step on Anna’s path to the terrible platform that would be built for her opposite the White Tower of the Tower. By this time, Henry’s passion that accompanied the first days of marriage had given way to satiety, followed closely by boredom and hostility towards the woman who had once occupied all his dreams. In addition, the issue with the heir to the throne remained unresolved, and this left an imprint on their relationship.

The story of Anne Boleyn and Henry 8 is entering a completely different phase. The queen understands that she will not be able to return the love of her husband, and therefore she only bets on the opportunity to give birth to his much-desired son. A year later she is pregnant again. The king surrounds her with the same care and showers her with gifts. It seemed like we were back better days their love. But suddenly everything ends. At the end of December 1534 she had a miscarriage.

The death of the last hopes

Having lost hope, he begins to speak openly with those close to him about the divorce. Another misfortune awaits Anna: at this time, a young lady-in-waiting, Jane Seymour, appears at court, taking her place in the king’s heart. The last hope was a new pregnancy, which she informed her husband about after they spent the summer of 1535 together. A few months later, news came of the death of Henry VIII's former wife, Catherine of Aragon.

On a cold January day, during the funeral ceremony for her predecessor, Anna suffered another miscarriage. Perhaps its reason was in the excitement she experienced when, a few days earlier, the king fell from his horse during a tournament, or in the despair that gripped her when she saw the hated Jane Seymour sitting on her husband’s lap. But in any case it was the end.

After the misfortune that happened during the funeral of Margaret of Aragon, Henry 8 and Anne Boleyn actually ceased to be spouses. She was evicted from the royal chambers, which were occupied by a happy rival. Soon Henry declared that he was forced into marriage by the power of witchcraft, and therefore considers it invalid.

Alone among countless enemies

Here it is appropriate to recall the name which, according to researchers, could provoke the fall and subsequent execution of the queen. It was he who initiated the Reformation of the Church, which was then carried out by Henry 8. England left the influence of Rome, and as a result, significant church revenues were confiscated. Anna demanded that they be used for charity, and Cromwell demanded that the money be transferred to the treasury, with significant amounts retained in his favor. On this basis, a deadly enmity arose between them.

To eliminate the disgraced queen and gain the opportunity to enter into a new marriage, Henry 8 Tudor accused his wife of treason. Since the king was the personification of the nation, in this case adultery was legally equated with high treason and punishable by death. Men from her inner circle were named as lovers. Their confessions were not the issue - they were obtained with the help of experienced executioners.

At the beginning of May 1536, Anne Boleyn was also taken to one of the Tower cells. England reacted to her arrest without sympathy, since she did not enjoy the slightest popularity among the people. The prisoner understood that the upcoming trial would be demonstrative and formal, so she had no doubt about the sentence that would be given to her.

The last morning of her life

The execution of Anne Boleyn was scheduled for May 19, but two days before that, Tower constable William Kingston reported to the king that the condemned woman was ready to humbly accept the fate in store for her. It is difficult to say whether mercy stirred in the chest of Henry VIII or whether he was guided by other feelings, but at the last moment he replaced the burning at the stake, customary in such cases, by cutting off his head with a sword. Humanity sometimes has the most unexpected manifestations.

Early in the morning of that fateful day when the sentence was to be carried out, there was excitement under the arches of the Tower. Bishop Boleyn arrived here, despite the inopportune hour, and confessed Anna in the presence of the constable. In the face of imminent death, she swore on the Bible that she had never committed adultery. But this could no longer affect her fate. Those who admitted to being her lovers in the hands of the executioner were executed two days ago. Following them, Anne Boleyn was to die. The biography of this woman was coming to its sad end.

So, let's return to the scene with which this story began. A woman in an ermine robe climbed onto the scaffold built near the White Tower of the Tower. It was, now already former queen England Anne Boleyn. The Tudors, when cutting off the heads of convicts, carried out this procedure with the ax adopted in such cases, but in this case, Henry VIII ordered chopping with a sword. I had to call a specialist from France, since there was no such skill among my executioners.

When Anna said goodbye to several ladies-in-waiting who had found the courage to accompany her on her final journey, her robe was taken off and her hair was tucked under her headdress. The constable blindfolded Anna and helped her to her knees. The Frenchman did not disappoint and completed his job with one swift blow. The members of the Council of State, led by Thomas Cromwell, who were present as witnesses to the execution and standing around the platform, began to silently disperse. As a contemporary wrote, some of them looked like people who had just committed a crime.

The death of the old schemer

Henry 8, whose biography is replete with marital tragedies, outlived Anne Boleyn by eleven years. In 1547 he died, suffering from excessive obesity. and the voluptuous man became so fat that he could only move with the help of special devices. They say that this was retribution for everything he had done during his life.

Henry 8 Tudor and his wives, of whom he had six, subsequently became the material for the plots of countless novels and plays. This is not surprising, because he divorced two of them, executed the other two, one died herself, but under very strange circumstances, and only the last of them was destined to outlive her husband.