On this day in history, 11th April 1533, Good Friday, King Henry VIII ordered his council to recognise his second wife, Anne Boleyn, as his rightful wife and queen, and to accord her royal honours.
While the king was ordering his council to do this, his new Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, was working on the king’s “Great Matter”, i.e. the annulment of Henry VIII’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon.
Today is also the anniversary of the birth of Marguerite of Navarre in 1492. You can read more about her in Heather R. Darsie’s article over at the Tudor Society – click here.
That Henry Viii had to order his Council to acknowledge Anne Boleyn as Queen speaks volumes because no King should have to order his subjects to accept his wife as Queen. Anne wasn’t liked by many people and some still resisted even at Court. Henry was having none of it and now made certain everyone supported his decisions and this was the first step to acknowledging Anne in public as Queen. Katherine of Aragon was his Queen by right and her birth and nobody blinked at Henry’s marriage to her because of her nobility and the natural match between them and their love and power together. Katherine had been a true Queen, the people loved her and Anne was taking her place. The majority of Henry’s Courtiers and Council were loyal to Katherine. They were reluctant to accept Anne in her place. Henry now took steps to ensure they did accept her including making it high treason to speak against her. However, until that legislation went through Parliament all he could do was use his own personal power and authority to command them.