I apologise for the silly nature of this post, but I just happened to be watching “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” (“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in the US) yesterday with my children and I thought I’d look out for Anne Boleyn’s portrait at Hogwarts.
A Cameo in Harry Potter
I’d read Harry Potter trivia about Anne Boleyn’s portrait being on the wall at Hogwarts, but had always forgotten to look. My children spotted it (yes, I have indoctrinated them so that they know exactly what Anne Boleyn looks like!) and I’ve managed to get this screen capture so that you can all see Anne Boleyn’s cameo appearance in Harry Potter.
If you follow Hermione’s gaze to the right, you will see Anne Boleyn’s famous portrait in full view.
So, was Anne Boleyn an ex-pupil at Hogwarts?
Well, we’re obviously meant to assume that Anne Boleyn was either an ex-pupil or a famous witch, and popular opinion once believed that Anne was a witch. Anne was said to have a wen ( a type of cyst or growth) on her neck, three breasts and a sixth finger on one hand – all possible signs of her being a witch. She just needed the green skin, broomstick, black pointy hat and black cat, didn’t she?!
Anne a Witch? No Way
If you have read my blogs to date, you will know that I’m totally against the idea of Anne being a witch and that this was a story spread by her enemies. Here are some of the reasons why I believe that Anne was far from being a witch or being deformed:-
- Anne Boleyn went to the Hapsburg court as a girl, then the French Court and finally the English court – If she had been deformed, her family would have kept her hidden for fear of her being burned as a witch.
- Henry pursued her for 7 years and was married to her for 3 years – There is no way on earth that Henry would have pursued Anne for this long if she had been unattractive or had any deformities. She could not possibly have hid her wen with a necklace and her finger with long sleeves all of the time! This monarch had the pick of any woman in Europe and certainly would not have pursued a possible witch.
- Anne Boleyn was religious – Historical evidence shows us that Anne was a true believer in the Reformation. Her father brought home Reformist literature from his diplomatic trips and Anne read them and even shared them with Henry VIII. She also encouraged her ladies to read the newly translated Bible. Witchcraft just does not fit in with her religious beliefs.
- Anne was intelligent – Anne was educated and intelligent. She would not have risked her life or marriage by dabbling in witchcraft.
****Newsflash**** ****Newsflash**** ****Newsflash****
While we’re on the subject of Anne Boleyn’s portrait, I have just partnered with a top class art company to offer you your very own hand-painted, oil-on-canvas reproduction Tudor portraits.
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