It is not known exactly when Anne returned to England from France, although she was recalled in late 1521, but she was at the English court by 4th March 1522.* Records show that it was on that date that Anne took part in the Shrove Tuesday “Château Vert” pageant, playing the role of Perseverance.
The pageant was brought to life in “The Tudors” series and you can see this in the following video. However, there is absolutely no evidence that this was the moment that Henry VIII noticed Anne Boleyn and it is thought that it was actually her sister, Mary, who had caught the King’s eye at this time. Henry VIII’s relationship with Anne does not appear to have started until around Shrovetide 1526.
You can read the chronicler Edward Hall’s account of the Château Vert pageant in my article The Early Life of Anne Boleyn Part Six – The Château Vert Pageant
You can read more about historians’ thoughts about when Henry VIII actually fell in love with Anne Boleyn in my article Henry VIII Falls in Love with Anne Boleyn.
Here is the Château Vert scene from “The Tudors”:
*Eric Ives dates the Shrovetide celebrations as starting on 1st March 1522, hence my original dating of this event to 1st, but I’ve since found that the pageant actually took place on 4th March. Edward Hall has an entry for 3rd March and then his account of the pageant.
Great post! I did enjoy that scene from the Tudors but the costumes were really off. Pity they didn’t follow Hall’s costume details more closely. The sheer corsets with Elizabethan ruffs not good but at least they got the colour right! Love the pageantry though
Denise,You are very correct on the costume’s and I take that The Tudor’s series as nothing but fic!Made for TV nonsence ,I saw it and had to cancell It.They made the intire Boleyn family look sleasy and did know justuce to Queen Anne,but made her out to a krafty little climber! Just my thoughts on that made forTV also TOBG somemore nonsence!!! King Regards Baronessx
I liked it too, but do wish the costumes could have been closer to the originals — it’s not like you’d lose anything by doing that (or by including Jane Parker and Mary Boleyn, for that matter). The actual masque must have been something to see — though I wonder if it would look as splendid to us as it did to them, as drama has changed so much in the intervening centuries.
Sonetka,If you want to see true to life costumes whatch, Anne Of The Thousand Days,the flim is excellent and took Awards at the OSCARS for costumes.I also am very into remakes of the gown they wore back in the day have a colset full of them. Kind Regards Broness x
Sonetka,In the flim ,Anne Of The Thousand Days you can see true to life costumes and the mask ball,if you have’nt, I really reccomend it!!The costumes won OSCAR, for the flim as they where so Factual unlike ,The Tudors series.You can get it on Amazon,also you can get Claires books on the same site,great as true to life and love between, Henry and Anne and Claires book are aswell. Kind Regards Baroness
Denise,The Elizabethian ruff around there necks, looks like something around a clown suit,and also at that time, they didnot wair that Elizabethian ruff with there gowns,that came about when Elizabeth1 ,became Queen in 1600’s.Elizabeth 1,changd fashion in that era as we do to date ,with fashion now.They to had designers for the Royals in England France,Germany ,Scotland all were different. Henry V111 hated the way Anne of Cleves gowns,but that was the fashion in Germany,very different then England,he even made mention to the way Cleves dressed,he disliked it very much. Regards Baronss
I wish I could go back in time and see that pageant! But I have read that both Mary Boleyn (as kindness) and Jane Parker (as constancy) were in the pageant, wich are not in the Tudors serie…
Yes, that’s right.
Claire good read,Can you tell The AB Friend if you hope to make a Factual flim one day from your Novels???? I wish you would consider it and perhapes for those who base what they saw on THE TUDORS and THE OTHER BOEYLN GRIL we can enjoy the FActual events that what we see and what , I have read in your books is well researched,If anyone can do this it would be you!!THX Baroness X
Claire,Would you ever consider a flim on Queen Anne,or just maybe know reply???Just a Qs, love your novel and all the research that you have done for us. Kind Regards Baronee X
Marie,I really think that we all would like to go back to the days of Henry V111, but we can’t,and there for we read history books and novels,flims ect;We at Claire’s site are the ones ,really trying to put the puzzle togther,offten times I thnk Claire and alot of the AB Friends, were born at the wrong time and that makes us urn for more info that are truely Facts and not Fics.I would have loved to live in that time of Henry V111 and Queen Anne,of croase at the Royal court,and all of what happen ,we would know what really happen.But we live now and can olny read history and see flilms that show us some wha,truely did happen. So I myself am so greatfull Claire has this site to us,so we can get factual things that did happen. THX Baroness x
As I don’t speak French (so looked it up) am I right in thinking Chateau Vert means ‘Green Castle/House?’, and is this Chateau Vert Pagent something that was always done on Shrove Tuesday, (pancake day, yum!!), or was there different themes used on this feast day?
I am French and yes, Chateau vert would mean Green Castle!!! 🙂
Merci…Marie 🙂
Can someone tell me if “Shrovetide” are the days (how many?) leading up to Ash Wednesday, or does the word mean Shrove Tuesday? Thanks!
Shrovetide is three days: Shrove Tuesday and the Monday and Sunday before it. Hope that helps.
What does Shrovetide mean? And What is Shrovetide? Is it kind of a holiday?