Chronicler Edward Hall describes Anne’s entrance:
“After supper came in the Marchiones of Penbroke, with. vii. ladies in Maskyng apparel, of straunge fashion, made of clothe of gold, compassed with Crimosyn Tinsell Satin, owned with Clothe of Siluer, liyng lose[loose] and knit with laces of Gold: these ladies were brought into the chamber, with foure damoselles appareled in Crimosin satlyn[satin], with Tabardes of fine Cipres[cypress lawn]: the lady Marques tooke the Frenche Kyng, and the Countes of Darby, toke the Kyng of Nauerr, and euery Lady toke a lorde, and in daunsyng[dancing] the kyng of Englande, toke awaie the ladies visers, so that there the ladies beauties were shewed.”
And Wynkyn de Worde corroborates this, also naming Anne’s ladies:
“And after souper there came in a maske mylady marques of Penbroke my lady Mary [Carey] my lady Darby my lady Fitzwater my lady Rocheford my lady Lislie and my lady Wallop gorgyously apparayled with visers on theyr faces and so came and toke the frensshe kynge by the hande and other lordes of Fraunce and daunced a daunce or two. And after that the kynge toke of theyr visers and than they daunced with gentylmen of Fraunce an houre after.”
Anne then conversed with Francis I before he was escorted back to his lodgings by Henry VIII.
Notes and Sources
- Hall’s Chronicle, Edward Hall, p792-793
- The Maner of the tryumphe of Caleys and Bulleyn and The noble tryumphaunt coronacyon of Quene Anne, wyfe unto the most noble kynge Henry VIII, Wynkyn de Worde, p12-13
The glitter of gold, satin and beautiful women under torchlight, what a spectacle!
Ah, to be a French fly on the wall and hear what was said between Anne and Francis I when they conversed privately.
Just watched this scene again in the Tudors and loved it. Words alone cannot bring such a beautiful scene to life; the visual is needed and I think the drama captured the dance wonderfully. What a scene; grace and charm and beauty all rolled into one. Lovely costumes and beautiful ladies, all alluring the young men and the two Kings; wow! The music and the feast must have been great too. Later, of course, Anne and Francis seem to have found time to speak in private; and what it would have been to know what they said. I think the drama has it right; Francis warned Anne that her new role would not be easy and they talked of her time in France; but just what secrets did the lady hide? Did Anne learn the art of love in France? We have no evidence of this, in fact we know very little of her time here; in any real detail; she was assigned to the strict court of Queen Claude so it is more likely that she learnt to be pious than a sexual being, but then again, who knows that she learnt when the schoolroom was closed? If the rumours about her sister are true, and again we have only the boasts of an over sexed King Francis to go on; no real evidence; Mary was the lover of the King of France; could Anne also have been? Did Anne learn her sexy ways in France or is it just as many suspect; mere gossip and speculation?