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1:59 pm
December 17, 2009
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Found Anne’s page on findagrave.com and noticed that one of the contributors (Donald Greyfield) has posted a picture of Anne with the title “Anne Boleyn – The hapless second wife of King Henry VIII”
There are many words to describe Anne – negative and positive, depending which side of the fence you’re sitting on – but ‘hapless’ wouldn’t be one of them!
SarahD x
9:55 pm
January 9, 2010
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She was way too smart and strong to be considered ‘hapless’!
Jane Seymour on the other hand…. 
8:25 am
February 24, 2010
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Maybe he was describing her death as being unfortunate? If that is what he meant, then he should also have said that Katherine of Aragon the first wife, Jane Seymour the third wife, and Catherine Howard, the fifth wife were also hapless. They all had unfortunate deaths.
1:48 pm
August 22, 2010
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I don’t find the term so inappropriate. After all, Anne surely could expect a brilliant future when in 1533 she married the king, only to realise very soon it was all just deception in the end. And it might all have turned out differently had she only been able to give birth to that bloody son.
4:22 pm
February 24, 2010
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I Don’t find the remark inappropriate either. Anne had great hopes when she and Henry married. They were in love. I’m sure she thought he was going to love and protect her and her children. Instead she came to a dreadfull, unexpected end.
4:50 pm
August 3, 2010
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I don’t find it so offensive either, and I see Sharon and Iguazu’s points…but I still don’t think ‘hapless’ is the correct adjective to describe Anne.
"Grumble all you like, this is how it's going to be"
3:22 pm
August 3, 2010
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Definitely, wreckmasterjay. Because while the word ‘hapless’ can be applied to her, there are some words that can be applied only to her! 🙂
"Grumble all you like, this is how it's going to be"
8:55 am
February 24, 2010
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If we are talking hapless wives, as I said before, Henry had many. I wouldn’t use the word hapless to describe any of them…well maybe Catherine Howard. Although we would never choose this adjective to describe Anne, it is an ok word. However, it certainly doesn’t sum up who Anne was. Wo is David Greyson anyway?
12:17 am
December 30, 2009
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But wasn’t Anne hapless in the sense that she could not escape the fate that Henry decreed for her? She had no supporters to fight on her behalf – they all caved in to the Royal power. She had no army. She could not physically escape from the Tower and avoid her fate. Her whole life depended on the King’s whim.
Henry wanted rid of her. He was willing to put her through a trial and an execution. She could only react to that by proclaiming her innocence which she knew would not be believed.
Therefore, I believe the term “hapless” fits her very well.
8:15 pm
August 12, 2010
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I just think she is again too strong to be hapless. Hapless just isn’t a word that fits with Anne. I think it is a hapless thing that happened to her but I do not think It was very intended especially based on her strong character.
12:53 am
February 16, 2009
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“Hapless”? I’ve never heard of Anne being described in that way before and it just isn’t fitting or appropriate.
Debunking the myths about Anne Boleyn
12:34 pm
February 24, 2010
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Sharon said:
If we are talking hapless wives, as I said before, Henry had many. I wouldn’t use the word hapless to describe any of them…well maybe Catherine Howard. Although we would never choose this adjective to describe Anne, it is an ok word. However, it certainly doesn’t sum up who Anne was. Wo is David Greyson anyway?
Wow did I get his name wrong or what? Who is Donald Greyfield, anyway? That’s what I meant to ask.
Hapless means unfortunate. Maybe that’s all he meant by it. She did have an unfortunate end.
3:50 pm
June 19, 2009
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Hapless, my dictionary puts it as “unlucky; luckless; unfortunate.”
On the morning of the 19th of May 1536, I would like to think that Anne would as the advert goes
“rather be having a bowl of Co-Co pops”
I would not call Anne “hapless” not to her face anyhow, so mind yourself when you go back to the Tower Mr.G
If it was not this, then it would be something else?
5:13 am
September 22, 2010
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I think it is just a misused word…He uses it as to say that she was unlucky,in a tragic way.Which she was if you think that she had everything and lost them,she died young,actually she was murdered.But hapless strikes more like saying that she was pitifull which seems bad consideringher pride, the way she lived and even died.I believe he used hapless for her fate(dying young and without justice)but the word he used seems misplaced
11:09 am
August 3, 2010
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I agree, Anne. She was definitely unlucky in a tragic way, but maybe hapless is slightly off the mark. And really, who is this writer? I’ve never heard of him, I don’t believe…
"Grumble all you like, this is how it's going to be"
7:31 pm
September 22, 2010
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I think that anyone who writes something like an epitaph about Anne(and about any historical face at this matter)should know a bit about the life they lead and the death they followed.I don’t think there is anything on Anne to say she was helpless,in fact she went pretty stoically to her death,so why call her hapless?Yes,she was proved not to be the Most Happy(I’ve read somewhere that it also standed for the most fortunate),in fact everything turned against her in the most horrid way.I guess dear Boleynfan,our dear writer was aiming for a pompous comment but failed to get through his message(neither I have ever heard of him!)
3:52 pm
August 3, 2010
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Anne: I agree 100 percent!! Our writer, as you said, tried to be pompous but ended up being wrong. Plus, I think you can afford to be a bit more pompous when anyone has actually heard of you…
"Grumble all you like, this is how it's going to be"
