(© Unknown Artist – The National Portrait Gallery)
Anne Boleyn is one of the most infamous names in not only Tudor history but history as a whole. The second wife of Henry VIII, most individuals will remember Anne for her brutal downfall and execution at the Tower of London. Even myths and legends surrounding Anne, appear to be at the forefront of people’s minds when they see or hear her name; six-fingered, a witch who seduced the king. But Anne is an extraordinary woman with a few details that appear to be forgotten from her story.
Who is Anne, aside from a king’s wife and alleged “traitor”?
Today, this blog will explore some of the lesser-known facts surrounding Anne Boleyn and the life she lived, instead of her tragic ending.
Anne had royal descendancy
Anne Boleyn is somewhat viewed as a random up starter who caught the king’s eye and claimed her place as Queen of England from nowhere. Despite the humble origins of the Boleyn name, Anne’s great-grandfather Sir Geoffry Boleyn was a merchant, traces in her family link to royal descendancy. Anne’s mother Elizabeth Howard is the eldest daughter of Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey and second duke of Norfolk and his wife, Elizabeth Tilney. Elizabeth Howard’s great-grandfather is a descendant of King John’s son, Richard 1st Earl of Cornwall and her great-grandmother descends from Henry III and Edward I. With royal blood lingering in her veins, it’s no wonder Anne was an ambitious young woman.
Interestingly, Anne is also related to another infamous figure in British History. The 12th century Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket, who notoriously enraged Henry II, is related to the Butler side of Anne’s family tree, after a Becket sister married into their noble, Irish family.
Was Anne Boleyn a feminist?
The idea of feminism unfortunately did not exist in sixteenth-century England, but from a modern perspective, Anne Boleyn may be viewed as expressing feminist views.
In 1513, Anne was sent to Margaret of Austria’s court in Mechelen. During her time here, Anne thrived in Magaret’s intellectual, Renaissance court. Not only was she excellent at French, music and dance but Anne was introduced to the works of female scholar, Christine de Pizan. Born in Venice 1364, Christine became a renowned poet and author at Charles VI of France’s court. Her work The Book of The City of Ladies, published in 1405, was widely celebrated and Christine’s name has been stamped out as one of the earliest feminists in history, despite the term’s non-existence. Christine’s work argued that women were just as intellectual as men, encouraged female education, advocated for women’s rights and argued against misogyny. As Margaret held two copies of this book in her court and was heavily influenced by these ideologies, it’s incredibly likely that Anne would have read, discussed and been inspired by Christine’s writing. Anne was known for her witty and confident nature, which marked her out in the English court; the complete opposite of the obedient way women were expected to behave. Furthermore, Anne chose a white falcon as her emblem once crowned; a bird of prey in which the female is larger than its male counterpart. This is incredibly fitting for such an ambitious woman and is an incredible example of female empowerment in a patriarchal society.
Anne was set to marry an Irish lord
Before Henry VIII, Anne was set to marry an Irish lord named James Butler. Anne’s father, Thomas Boleyn, was connected to the family from his mother Lady Margaret Butler and laid claim to the earldom of Ormonde in Ireland. However, he was not the only contender; the cousin of the late Earl, Piers Butler also had a potential to claim the title. Thomas Boleyn’s brother-in-law, Thomas Howard, suggested that Anne marry Piers’ son, James Butler in order to negotiate the matter. In 1520, the Irish Council proposed the match to Henry VIII, who approved and sent for Anne from France. The plans followed into 1521 and 1522, yet still no marriage occurred; to this day it’s unknown why it never took place. Perhaps Thomas Boleyn wanted to pursue the title in his own way or Anne had new marriage plans of her own. By 1529, the negotiations were completely called off; not a major issue for Anne, who was the subject of the king of England’s infatuation.
Anne's first love
Before an Irish lord and before a king of England, Anne had already met her sweetheart. The man was named Henry Percy, and the pair fell in love whilst Anne was lady-in-waiting to Catherine of Aragon. In 1523, Henry became betrothed to Anne; she must have been overjoyed. Yet this was not to last. Henry was under the employment of Cardinal Wolsey, who forbade the engagement and called the entire arrangement off. Henry’s father also refused permission for their marriage, as Anne was viewed as a humble Knight’s daughter. It’s no surprise that Anne held a supposed grudge towards Cardinal Wolsey and interestingly, Anne appears to get her own “revenge” on him for ruining her engagement. In 1529, Anne played a part in Wolsey’s downfall, believing that his allegiance was with the Pope and not the English crown. Plans were created to execute the Cardinal for treason, however, he died of natural causes before any trial could take place. It appears Anne was highly successful in ruining the man who took away her chance for a happy marriage.
Anne was a charitable woman
Anne is known for her ambitious and confident character; marking her as power hungry and cold hearted. But Anne was an incredibly charitable woman throughout her time as queen of England.
Although she used the royal treasury to expand her exquisite tastes in fashion, she used it also to generously express her religious faith. Anne donated £15,000 a year to charity; an extortionate sum in Tudor England. During the dissolution of the monasteries in 1536, Anne highly supported the cause and wanted to abolish such religious houses in order to convert them into educational sources. She fiercely argued that all profits taken from monasteries should be donated to charity instead of the royal coffers. Anne strongly believed in donating and supporting the poor and alongside her reformist views, she believed in translating the bible to English in order to distribute it easily amongst society. Ambitious she may be, Anne was a kind woman and passionately expressed her opinions.
Anne and Purkoy
Anne Boleyn had her own lapdog that she was incredibly fond of. He was called Purkoy, named after the French term ‘pourquoi’ meaning ‘why?’.
The dog was already given to Sir Francis Bryan, Anne’s cousin, by Lord and Lady Lisle as a New Years gift, but as soon as Anne Boleyn saw the dog in court, she had to have him. In this letter written by Sir Francis Bryan to Lord Lisle in 1534, we can see how Purkoy appealed to Anne:
“I beseech your Lordship, after my most hearty recommendations made unto my very good lady your wife – unto whom and to your lordship, because ye be both but one soul though ye be two bodies, I write but one letter – that it may please your lordship to give her hearty thanks on my behalf for her little dog, which was so proper and so well liked by the Queen that it remained not above an hour in my hands but that her Grace took it from me. Nevertheless, her ladyship and any friend of hers, for the same, and her kindness therein, shall be assured of such pleasure as in me at any time shall be. As our Lord God knoweth, who have our lordship, with my said good lady, in his blessed preservation”
Sadly after 12 months of having him, Purkoy died after falling out of a window. Anne must have been devasted at losing her “little” dog. And no one dared tell her of Purkoy's death, that task was ultimately left to the King. It’s clear that Anne was fond of dogs, as she also had her own greyhound.
Anne's sarcastic sense of humor
Right to the very end, Anne displayed her sarcastic sense of humour. When hearing of who her executioner would be, Anne joked: “I hear he’s quite good. I have but such a little neck”, whilst putting her hands around her throat. During the “Great Matter” when people protested against Anne becoming queen, Anne reportedly stated “Grumble all you like, this is how it’s going to be”. This is not to be confused with Anne being arrogant but instead another example of her dry and strong sense of humour.
Anne nearly died from the Sweating Sickness
In 1528, Anne caught the dreaded “sweating sickness”, a disease that was annihilating its way through Tudor England. To this day, many historians can’t quite put a diagnosis on the sickness, but its symptoms involved a severe headache, immense body heat, aches and pains, dizziness, fatigue and intense thirst; leading to death very soon after one becomes infected. After Anne contracted the disease, the king sent the best and most well-regarded physician to tend to her and miraculously, Anne made a full recovery and survived.
Anne's relationship with her daughter Elizabeth and its lasting effect
The Chequers Ring. The locket that Elizabeth I kept with her until her death in 1603, containing the alleged portrait of her mother Anne Boleyn.
Anne Boleyn gave birth to her daughter Elizabeth on the 7th of September 1533, yet Anne’s life fatally ended in 1536. Despite being in her daughter’s life for only 3 years, the impact she had on her was outstanding. Many believe that Anne was not of a maternal nature or did not care for her daughter, but this is far from the truth.
When Anne returned to court after her safe delivery, she brought her daughter alongside her, instead of leaving her in the nursery. This sparked resentment amongst many courtiers and those who viewed Elizabeth as a “bastard”. Yet Anne wanted to proudly show her daughter off in court and was even reported to have placed a pillow beside her for her baby daughter to sit on.
“Day and night she would not let this daughter of hers out of her sight” stated the author of the Spanish Chronicle.
When Elizabeth was two-and-a-half-years-old, she was invited to the court of Greenwich. Anne was stated to have spent hours of the day playing with her daughter and dressing her in gorgeous, elaborate frocks. It’s evident that Anne adored Elizabeth, and her legacy lived on through her.
Whilst on the throne, Elizabeth displayed Anne’s falcon emblem wherever she desired such as on her virginals and banquet tablecloths, even wearing Anne’s preferred style of jewellery and patterning in various paintings. The greatest piece of evidence for Elizabeth’s adoration for her mother is the Chequers Ring; a locket style ring that contains the miniature portrait of Elizabeth and the alleged portrait of Anne. Elizabeth kept this ring on her till her death in 1603, a remarkable artefact that proves the loving relationship of mother and daughter.
It’s a beautiful and fitting tribute to a woman so incredible, passionate and completely ahead of her time.
References:
https://historycollection.com/18-unknown-and-tragic-facts-about-the-life-and-times-of-anne-boleyn/
https://historycollection.com/30-unforeseen-facts-about-anne-boleyn/
Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth, I: The Mother and Daughter Who Changed History. Tracy Borman. Hodder & Stoughton.
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