Was Anne nice?
Rating: +4
That is such a hard question to answer and it all depends on your perception of "niceness". In my opinion, based on my research, Anne was all of the following:-
* A virtuous woman who wanted to keep her virtue even if this meant saying "no" to a king.
* A good friend to those she loved
* An obedient and loving daughter
* A kind and charitable woman who was known for the large amounts of money she gave to the poor and needy
* A woman who exuded a kind of sexual magnetism - Although she wasn't a typical English Rose, she was said to exude sexual attraction and she used her eyes to tease and tempt.
* A loving mother - Anne hated the fact that as Queen she was meant to give Elizabeth up and not spend time with her. Anne fought to spend as much time as possible with her daughter. At her execution, Anne also did not speak out against the King or the conspirators because she wanted to keep Elizabeth safe.
* A feisty and determined woman who fought for what she wanted.
* A courageous woman who risked arrest to show Henry books like Tyndale's "The Obedience of a Christian Man".
* A quick tempered woman - She was quick to anger, like the King, and the couple were known for their huge rows which were quickly made up. She also faced death courageously and with real dignity.
* An ambitious woman - She was determined to be Queen and woe betide anyone who stood in her way e.g. Wolsey.
* A vulnerable woman - I think Anne was always worried that Henry would stop loving her. While Catherine of Aragon had turned a blind eye to Henry's affairs, Anne felt that she couldn't. It is also said that she was not very nice to Mary and I wonder if this stemmed from jealousy and insecurity.
* A patron of the arts and of the "New Religion"
* A cruel woman - She definitely could be cruel at times - when she refused to help her sister, when she celebrated Catherine of Aragon's death (although it is also said that she broke down in tears later), when she was unfriendly to Mary (although she did try to make peace at certain times), when she encouraged the King to get rid of Wolsey etc. There are many actions which can be seen as cruel and I don't doubt that Anne had her nasty side.
I guess what I'm saying by this list is that she was a complex woman who had many sides and characteristics. If you've read my recent posts on Anne Boleyn: The Witch, Anne Boleyn: The Whore and Anne Boleyn: The Martyr, you will know that I don't believe that she was any of those things, but it is so difficult to know exactly who she was when she is still such a mystery.
Anne Boleyn was amazing. A woman that held her own, and was strong.
A woman that produced the second best Tudor, Elizabeth I.
A woman that was never the Great Whore, for if she was a whore, she wouldn’t have produced the best heir to the Tudor Dynasty. Anne Boleyn is an extraordinary woman, whom in my opinion, is a rolemodel for all women to follow. To follow her strenght, and her beauty proceeded her.
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I think Anne was ‘complicated’, as many intelligent, open-minded people are. It’s a mistake to pigeon-hole her into categories of ‘nice’ vs ‘bitch’. As with most people, some people think you’re great and others can’t stand you. She was an enigma; a contradiction. She was loving and generous, but she could be haughty and scolding, she was fragile yet strong, friendly yet could be vindictive when crossed. She craved power and money, yet was generous in giving to those in need, and believed in establishing schools and hospitals for the poor.
[Reply]
Annie B Reply:
December 14th, 2010 at 7:26 am
I agree with Carolyn. I find it hard to believe that she could be considered “nice” when she would stop at nothing to get rid of Catherine of Aragon and marry Henry. That being said, she was driven and intelligent and those are characteristics to be admired.
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