On this day in Tudor history, 19th May 1536, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer uttered the words “she who has been the Queen of England upon Earth will today become a Queen in heaven” and wept in front of his friend Alexander Alesius.
Cranmer was talking about Queen Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII, who was executed at the Tower of London on this day in 1536.
Anne had been condemned to death after being found guilty of seducing five courtiers: Sir Henry Norris, Sir Francis Weston, William Brereton, Mark Smeaton, and her brother, George Boleyn, Lord Rochford. She’d also allegedly plotted with them to kill her husband the king.
The five men had been beheaded on Tower Hill on 17th May, but Anne had to wait an extra two days and her execution was a private one in the confines of the Tower of London. She died with dignity and courage, and was laid to rest in the Tower’s chapel royal, the Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula.
Here’s my video on Anne Boleyn’s execution:
I was having my morning cuppa when I suddenly realised today is the anniversary of the death of Queen Anne Boleyn, our most notorious queen consort, and the day is Friday to just as it was hundreds of years ago when she walked out of her apartments in the Tower of London, and made her last journey across the soft grass to be publicly executed, her story has been told many times, yet it never fails to catch the imagination, this was a woman who had so enchanted a king he had annulled his marriage to a once beloved queen of over twenty years, he had risked war from abroad he had split from Rome and in doing so made himself supreme head of his own church, and heralded in the new reformation, all because of this slight woman with doe like eyes and that elusive quality which was hers, and hers alone, the story of Anne Boleyn and Henry V111 is a love story like many others, yet unique in the way it ended so dramatically and in bloodshed, they had both waited for seven years to marry to be together, yet within three short years her reign was over and she went to her death in disgrace, the king her wronged betrayed husband had already her replacement lined up and on the next day, the dispensation was allowed for him and his new love, Jane Seymour to become engaged, never in the history of mankind had a man king or no become engaged twenty four hours after his wife had died, but this was Henry V111 a king as unique as was his second wife, he cared nothing for convention and in two weeks he was married again, to say the people muttered is an understatement and his brother kings and sister queens must have gasped in wonder, the Londoners heard the booming of the guns and whilst some may have danced in joy, others must have prayed for her soul, there had been a tide of sympathy towards Anne during her arrest and her death must have been a great shock even to her enemies, no king had ever sent his queen to her death before, especially one whom the world knew he had adored, the king and his new queen were seen to be dancing on her grave and it was very very distasteful, whilst he blithely went on with his life and his po faced queen held court over her former mistresses household, there were families who had had their hearts ripped out and for them, life would never be the same, Thomas Boleyn returned to his country estate in Hever and with his wife grieved for his son and daughter, maybe Mary their eldest with her children and husband joined them, the men who had died two days before left families, Norris and Weston had children, Weston’s parents had offered the king a vast amount of money to spare his life and Norris also left a fiancée the dead queens cousin, the queens sister in law had promised to petition the king on George’s behalf in a letter she wrote him, and I believe she had but we hear no more and so we can feel for those people who lost loved ones, just so the king could begat a prince on a new wife, the kings actions made him out to be a revolting murderer not once but five times over, yet we also have to take into account the head injury he suffered which must have caused catastrophic brain damage and altered his personality somewhat, medical science could explain his personality changes but would it excuse multiple murder ? RIP Queen Anne Boleyn.
RIP Queen Anne Boleyn, forever in my heart. This tragic day will be forever remembered just like Anne Boleyn.
I always wake up at 8am exactly on this date, unless already up and remember. I then do a ridiculously long post on social media. This has to be one of the saddest and most tragic days in history. I was lucky enough to get the digital version of Elizabeth and Anne the duel bio of mother and dtr just published by Dr Tracy Borman and was reading it until 6 am. I can’t wait to meet her in four weeks time to her her live talk in Boston on 10th June and get a signed copy. It really is a delicious book and beautifully written.
I really can’t understand Anne calling Henry a merciful Prince. Well, no, I do understand. She was being conventional and was concerned for Elizabeth. I doubt Henry would harm his child but I can understand Anne as a mum being very concerned. A very sad day.
RIP and Godspeed Queen Anne Boleyn.