Why was the swordsman ordered before Anne’s trial?
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Thanks for the question, it's an interesting one. In short, Henry had to order the swordsman before Anne's trial for Anne to be executed quickly. For the executioner to arrive on the 18th, the planned date of execution, he would have had to have been ordered by around the 12th or 13th and even as early as the 9th or 10th. He had to cross the channel and then make his way by horse from Dover to London. Weir is of the opinion that Cromwell wanted everything to move fast so that Henry didn't have the time to think about things and change his mind.
The fact that Henry ordered an expert French swordsman has been seen as an act of mercy because Anne could have been burned or beheaded in the usual way. Burning was an awful death as the victim could suffer quite a long time, particularly if the wood was damp. Beheading could also be a slow way to die if the axeman missed the neck and it took a few blows to finish you off. Death by sword, however, was very a very quick and clean death, so it could be seen that Henry was being merciful to Anne by letting her die in this manner.
However, the fact that the swordsman must have been ordered before Anne's trial even took place does call into question Henry's mercy and shows that Anne had been pre-judged as guilty and had no chance of being found innocent. Alison Weir points out that the ordering of the French swordsman before the trial shows that it had always been planned that Anne would die this way and that Henry actually showed cruelty in making Anne wait in suspense to find out how she would die. It is also likely that the promise of a more merciful death was used as a bargaining chip to get Anne to agree to the marriage annulment.
Anne's death by sword may also have been a political move. Anne was Queen and her execution was going to stir up a lot of controversy around Europe. If Henry could be seen to be acting in a merciful manner and giving her a dignified death then perhaps Europe would not be so horrified!
The swordsman was ordered over before Annes execution because he was a french swordsman from France and it would have took him over a days sail to get from France to England.Apparently Anne Boleyns execution had been ordered to take place on the 18th of May but the executioner had arrived by noon that day so thus it had to be resheduled until the 19th of May.
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I believe after pondering this for many years that this was Henry’s was of saying “Sorry about the false guilty verdict”. I truly believe he knew she was not guilty. Of course the executioner was called for before the trial. The trial was just a formality. Anne defended herself so well, debunking much of the evidence against her that even the crowd (whom hated her for the most part) was starting to doubt. But when Henry wanted you dead…you were dead. Regardless of whether or not you were actually guilty.
And didn’t she sign a paper saying the she and Henry were never married just before her death? That paper alone should have saved her neck because technically, she was not married to him so she could not have committed adultery. So unfair..
BTW, I have spent the better part of last night and this morning on this site just reading. It is so nice to find a place that takes an in depth look at the woman. Thank you so much!
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Hi Zephra,
Thank you so much for your comment and I agree with you about Henry’s motivation regarding the French swordsman and I think it was his way of showing Europe that he could be merciful to a woman who had betrayed him.
I’m so glad that you have found the site and that you have been enjoying reading it. Do get involved in the forum too as we have some great discussons there too. x
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I don’t know that I agree the “early order” of the French executioner proves Anne’s case was already decided (although it probably was.) It seems to me that, in a time when travel delays had to be taken into account, it made sense to order the executioner because he could always be paid off and dismissed if, for whatever reason, the executio did not take place.
I’ve often wondered if ordering the French swordsman was also a subtle attack upon Anne’s know pro-French politics. Sort of another effort to strip her of her Enlgish identity and queenship. She favored French fashions, spoke French, and promoted French interests, and was executed by a Frenchman via a French (non-English) method. That just seems more compelling to me than the possibility Anne would sign off on the annullment if she were bribed with a “merciful” death. Anne lacked the power and backing to successfully fight Henry, and Henry’s officials would have nullified her marriage after her death. It seemed more a way of singling her out and distancing her. It could be Cromwell feared a “messy” execution might grieve Henry while a “cleaner” one would comfort him should Henry experience one of his mood swings.
I doubt it was intended to be a show of mercy or dignity to Anne’s rank. Catherine Howard got the axe.
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La Belle Creole- I wonder if Catherine Howard got the axe because she was definitely guilty, whereas Anne possibly wasn’t guilty of her charges, and the sword was the Kings way of easing his guilt too (if that makes sense!)
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