James Butler
James Butler

When Anne Boleyn was first recalled home from France it was because her Father was in talks to marry her to her Irish cousin, James Butler, in order to secure the Earldom Ormond which their cousin, Piers Butler, had hijacked for himself upon the death of Anne’s grandfather. At this time her sister, Mary, was both married to William Carey and had, under the direction and guidance of their Father and Uncle, become the mistress to King Henry VIII. With the Butler-Boleyn marriage talks still in progress Anne settled into court life as Maid-of-Honor to the Spanish born Queen, Katherine of Aragon, and made her offical debut into society in a masque called Chateau Vert playing the womanly virtue of Preserverence. The Masque was apart of celebrations for the marriage talks between the King and the Emperor of Spain for the six-year-old Princess Mary Tudor.

The marriage between Anne and James never came to pass and Anne found herself head-over-heels in love with another striking, and very welathy nobleman: Lord Henry Percy, who was the son and heir to the Duke of Norththumberland. Henry himself, although 6-years-engaged to Lady Mary Talbot, was smitten with Anne. The two played a game of courtly love that ended in a secret bethroal service and Anne being sent to her family home in Kent to think about what she had done. Henry Percy was made to marry Mary Talbot, who later gave evidance to a pre-contract between the two to wiggle out of her loveless, unhappy marriage and to possibly bring down Anne’s marriage with the King. when Anne returned from Hever after the Percy affair she once again set herself up to be the rising star of Henry’s court. She dressed in the latest French fashion, could sing beautifully and dance with much elegance. She held herself as if she were princess-born, excuting tremendous amounts of sex-appeal driving half the young male coutiers mad with lust. When she spoke it shone with confidence, intelligence, charm and sedution all in a pretty, French accent that the Boleyn girl had picked up from her days in the French court. She enchanted half the court and eventually drew the King of England to her and played him like she would a lute.

When Henry Tudor first made his pursuit of the noble-born girl she made it clear she’d not consent to be his mistress, not wanting to share her sister’s fate. She returned his gifts, and refused his advances, causing the King to become quite angry. After he got over the inital shock of being turned down, for the first time in his life, he came back in his pursuit at full speed, proclaiming he’d not lie with Anne until they were legal married. He than set off on a seven-year-mission that changed England forever and shook it to its very core. It took the couple seven years to get what they wanted, or so they thought they wanted. Shortly before they departed for Calais in the winter of 1532 the King bestowed Marquess of Pembroke on his future wife, befitting her with an aproiate title, before they left to meet the French King, Francis I and his sister. Even though Francis couldn’t directly defy the Pope he did give the couple his blessing and held a private meeting with Anne. It is rumored that they married directly upon returning to Dover. They married again, in another ceremony shouded in secrecy in London, and it became apparent that Anne was already carrying the King’s child.

June 1st, 1533 Anne recieved her reward for her wait and was crowned Queen consort of England, with King Edwards crown. She was showing her pregnancy as she sat in the traditional cloth of gold and white, her long & dark hair flowing to her waist. The seven year wait for marriage turned into a fiasco due to Anne’s unwillingness to conform to the submissive role expected of her, and her jealous nature surfaced whenever Henry would look at another girl. The birth of Elizabeth was a disappointment to both, even though Henry claimed he loved the girl anyways. Anne than suffered in the same way Katherine had, she miscarried and Henry started courting one of her own Maid of Honors, Jane Seymour. It is never been established what Anne felt for Henry, or if the King held more than simple lust for the beautiful Boleyn girl. If she didn’t love Henry for himself it is very likely she loved the persona he’d built up of the adored King and white knight. Henry admired his second wife’s intelligence, strong will and strength because they would’ve been what drew him to her. However, while those things were looked for in a mistress they didn’t fit into the mold for a wife.

Weather or not they loved each other, which I will forever believed that they did. Their relationship, though passion driven and ending in death produced one of the greatest monarchs to ever rule England: Elizabeth I

By AG Foucault-Wickman.