Anne Boleyn was born in 1501. She was the daughter of Sir Thomas Boleyn and Elizabeth Howard and her maternal grandfather was the Duke of Norfolk. The Norfolks were always close to the crown and aimed to continue to be so. Thomas Boleyn, having climbed high in society from a mere mercer, was very ambitious for all his children and wished to raise the family status higher through marrying his children into influential and rich families.
Anne's parents had sent her at seven years old, to be educated at the French court. At thirteen, she became a maid of Honour to the French queen, giving her the opportunity meet the nobility and make a good marriage. In 1521, Anne's father ordered her home because Britain and France were on the verge of war. Thomas Boleyn wanted to get her to The English court as a maid of honour to queen Katherine of Aragon but she had to wait five years for her post.
When Anne finally arrived at court Henry viii was much taken with her dancing, demeanour and her dark good looks, unusual at a time when fair, pink and delicate were the ideal of feminine beauty. Anne was a good musician and was very intelligent and had been well-educated at the most cultured court in Europe. She had lots of lively conversation and a ready wit.
Henry's Queen, Katherine, had borne Henry six babies five of whom had died within days or months, their daughter, Mary, was the only one who survived to adulthood. Henry was obsessed with getting a male heir. Katherine, always a dutiful wife and a devout catholic, had become very religious and she was getting too old to bear another child. Henry had already been looking for light relief. Anne's sister Mary Boleyn had been the King's mistress, and she had borne him a child, but the affair had not brought The Howard and Boleyn families the expected advancement and power. The lively, vivacious, and younger, Anne must have been a breath of fresh air to Henry.
Henry fell deeply in love with Anne, but she would not consent to be his mistress. Anne did not intend to be yet another discarded mistress and her Father and Grandfather sought the prestige and power that Anne's marriage to the King would bring them. Henry needed to divorce Katherine. Henry appealed to The Pope who refused to consent to an annulment, on the grounds of affinity; Katherine had been previously married to Henry's elder brother who had died a short time after the wedding.
Henry broke with Rome, and declared himself head of the Church of England. Speed was of the essence Anne had finally become the King's mistress, and was expecting Henry's child. The child, who they were certain was a boy, must be born legitimate. With Henry now Head of the church, a divorce case followed and the King was free to marry. Anne and Henry were married secretly within days of the divorce. The marriage was not announced until some months later. In the event, the expected child was a daughter, Elizabeth.
Forthright, and intelligent, Anne would not back down to Henry, and the marriage was a stormy one. Anne had another son who was born dead and deformed. At that time, deformed children were thought to be a mark of witchcraft. In Henry's mind, the fault could not possibly be his; therefore, Anne must be to blame. Anne had made many powerful enemies at court, who now stepped to the fore.
The powerful and rival family, the Seymours had their own rival candidate for queen. Jane Seymour was a demure, quiet, very religious and submissive girl, totally opposite to Anne. Henry found her restful and was intrigued and delighted when she sent back his first note and present, with a regretful, respectful, gracious note that she could not besmirch her family honour by dallying with gentlemen, even if this gentleman was her king.
Anne was arrested and taken to The Tower of London via traitor's gate. One contemporary account says she was hysterical, and had to be carried to her quarters. She was unaware of the actual charges against her, until she got to court. Her own Father and Grandfather took part in the enquiry into her behaviour and indeed, her grandfather, Norfolk read out the charges against her. They accused her of adultery with five men, who included her own brother. Anne's sister-in-law, Jane Rochford, a spiteful gossiping woman, ignored by her husband and jealous of her husband's close relationship with Anne, gave evidence against them. Thomas Boleyn had made that marriage for dynastic reasons and not George Boleyn's inclination. When your husband is the king, adultery is treason.
The "evidence", against Anne, was probably fabricated; her real crime was not providing Henry with a male heir. The pressing need for a legitimate male heir was driving Henry to believe that he must get rid of Anne and so it was easy for Anne's enemies to manipulate Henry. It was very easy then for Anne's enemies to pour poison and gossip into the King's ears. The deformed child and the sixth finger that Anne had surely must make her a witch. If Anne was unable to have a son, she was expendable. Although the real fault, as later events show, probably lay with Henry, possibly due to syphilis, contracted in his roistering youth.
Henry acceded to Anne's request to be beheaded by a French swordsman, rather than the traditional English axe. On the scaffold at her execution, Anne read a brave and loving speech, which commended Henry to the people. She was thirty six years old when she died.
Her enemies, who fabricated the evidence against her, were her murderers. Her own Father and the Duke of Norfolk, also betrayed Anne because of their overweening family pride, and need for power, must bear some of the blame. They had encouraged and manipulated the match with Henry; Anne was acting on their instructions much of the time. When she was in trouble, however, they all deserted her to save their own skins.
Anne Boleyn's daughter Elizabeth after many dangerous times eventually acceded to the throne, ruled England wisely, and well for many years. Elizabeth's reign is now seen as a "Golden Age", one of the most successful and stable reigns in England's history.