On 1st June 1533, a pregnant Anne Boleyn was crowned queen at Westminster Abbey. She was crowned by Archbishop Cranmer with the crown of St Edward, which had previously only been used for crowning the reigning monarch.
You can read all about the coronation ceremony and banquet in my article Queen Anne Boleyn’s Coronation.
You may also want to read Wynkyn de Worde’s contemporary account of the coronation and coronation processions. You can read this at http://archive.org/stream/maneroftryumpheo00goldiala#page/18/mode/2up.
The coronation, while elaborate and intended to enforce the idea of mystic on the new Queen must still have been tiring and uncomfortable. Would she have had any breaks or would the entire service have gone on without taking into account the heat and the need of a pregnant woman for rest breaks, water, some refreshment and so on. It was a hot day and she was wrapped in loads of heavy clothing and heavily pregnant. It is all very well having to go through this service and experience but the poor woman must have been exhausted. In these ceremonies duty seems to come first over human need. The poems and songs and dances by the children on the procession yesterday were beautiful and honoured Anne in a special touching way. Even if many people did not accept her as true Queen, still people seem to have loved a day out and a ceremony and there would have been free wine and food for everyone. Anne must have been radient and excited and adrenaline itself probably took her trhough these four exhausting days. I am glad the coronation today would only be one day: it must have cost a fortune all of this. But well people do like a good day out and a spectacular sight would make a lot of people happy, no matter how much it cost. This was Anne’s finest hour; she was looking forward to what she believed to be an even greater triumph to come; she looked forward to the birth of a son. That thought must have been with her at that time as she went through this gruelling but triumphant ceremony that turned her from Anne Boleyn, daughter of a knight and commoner mystically into an annointed Queen; a person whose sanctity was made with the crown and annointing. To the people of the day these symbols were profound and Henry knew it: the public sight of Anne being crowned; in his book would lessen at least the opposition to their marriage.
Anne may have commented to Henry that few people cheered or took off their hats, but secretly she must have felt very special and proud, and excited and enjoyed the day and its meaning.
Hello, I am a frequent reader of your blog, and I think it is full of rich information. I just had a dream last night, about Anne Boleyn, played by Natalie Dormer in the Tudors series. I remember seeing Anne seated, surrounded by some courtiers; she wore a light purple gown, a very peculiar gown I remember, as if made with petals or pieces of cloth, and she had a beautiful hairdo; her hair in curls, down to her back and shoulders. She was watching a group of orphan girls; the girls wore a brown simple dress and were guided by their teacher, a woman; dressed also in a brown dress . They were doing a little dance to her, like a school demonstration. The Queen seemed very joyful when seeing the girls dancing, and she later joined them in their dance, the girls and the Queen holding their hands and dancing in circles. And here my dream ended; I hope I have been clear with my words, I wanted to share this nice dream I had. Regards.
What a lovely dream to have, much nicer than my one about her execution!
Thank you for your response, I am glad. Oh, the execution; may I know the details of your dream? Regards.