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12:16 pm
January 9, 2010
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Oh I think Anne had a pretty good sense of humour, after all you needed one if you were to survive the French court!! I've always imagined Anne as having a very clever, worldly-wise, sarcastic sort of humour and I can picture her delivering some really classic one-liners!
Of course the flip side of that is that sort of humour can seem to verge on the cruel at times and it wouldn't surprise me if most people at court felt the sharp side of Anne's tongue at times. Especially if she were under stress. I think in the early days of their marriage Henry and Anne were extremely happy and I can see them laughing a lot – they were finally married, finally secure and awaiting the birth of that long hoped for prince.
Nothing ever lasts though and in Anne's final days in the Tower it was noted that she veered from being completely hysterical to oddly accepting of death. That was when she made her famous remark of having “a little neck” so I like to think her sense of humour didn't totally desert her, even if it was dark and somewhat twisted. Not surprising though given the circumstances.
12:51 pm
July 9, 2009
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I'm with Bella44-Anne had a dark sense of humor that came out when she was in the tower with that comment about having a little neck. She also was trying to think of a nickname for herself and declared that people in future would refer to her as “Queen Anne Lack-Head.” Sounds to me like she was at least trying to retain some humor about the situation.
Ainsi sera, groigne qui groigne.
2:05 pm
April 20, 2010
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Bella44 said:
Oh I think Anne had a pretty good sense of humour, after all you needed one if you were to survive the French court!! I've always imagined Anne as having a very clever, worldly-wise, sarcastic sort of humour and I can picture her delivering some really classic one-liners!
Of course the flip side of that is that sort of humour can seem to verge on the cruel at times and it wouldn't surprise me if most people at court felt the sharp side of Anne's tongue at times.
This is what I think…..I always thought she was witty from the books I've read…..
5:20 pm
March 12, 2010
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I think Anne definitely had a sense of humor. However, I think it was intelligent and offbeat and, especially when coupled with her temper, misunderstood by some. I think she was very ahead of her time in every way, including her humor and the way she spoke her mind.
4:48 pm
May 16, 2011
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Oh Anne definately had a sense of humor. The little neck remark, and Queen Lack head, Laughing about craving apples, laughing about when Henry forget to find & speak to someone and instead got caught up in flirting with a woman, etc etc. Granted it may have been a dark and somewhat twisted humor, but she had one. And the trait i actually have in common with her, i find some things hilarious that most people would find either disturbing or just not funny at all. But what i don't share with her is that i wouldn't have been laughing about death like she had, i would've been terrified or been crying hysterically every second. She was very very very brave for being content and happy about death and actually looking forward to it.
If Anne were here today or i there back then, i'm sure we woulda had a very interesting time together retorting back and forth with our sarcastic and twisted sense of humors. 
• Grumble all you like, this is how it’s going to be.
8:38 pm
November 18, 2010
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Absolutely..
Word-play was an accepted part of the Cult of Courtly Love and Anne undoubtly was an expert of the art of twisting words and thier meanings.
It's always bunnies.
12:40 pm
February 10, 2010
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Then there was also her laughter when she entered the Tower and Kingston told her every subject of Henry's had justice…
She was known for having a 'ready wit' – I think I remember reading that the connotation was wider in 16th Century English and referred to being good company generally rather than just applying to a sense of humour. I doubt she'd have captured Henry's heart if she hadn't been able to make him laugh.
5:39 pm
June 9, 2010
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Most people do have a sense of humour, but sometimes it can be an inappropriate kind of humour that others might find annoying. Combine this with the fact that most powerful men have wives who see them in their private world behind closed doors not as powerful, but – on the contrary – often as weak or vulnerable individuals, and you have a potentially catastrophic situation. Tyrants typically are insecure people – and if they become the target of jokes or innuendo, they might well react violently. The question of whether Anne had a sense of humour, therefore, might possibly lie at the very heart of what might have gone wrong in the relationship. It is tempting to speculate on how perhaps just one seemingly innocuous, throw-away remark might have lead to one of the greatest tragedies of the Tudor age.
1:33 am
May 19, 2011
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Definitely had a sense of humour- though I agree a twisted and dark one- but the court was a twisted and dark place! I too think she was way ahead of her time and often misunderstood- perhaps through jealousy more than accident!
"A fresh young damsel, who could trip and go"
3:49 pm
August 12, 2009
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That's the way I see her, too, E!
"Don't knock at death's door.
Ring the bell and run. He hates that."
11:00 am
February 24, 2010
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I think Anne had a funny but sarcastic sense of humor. If you were in good standing with her, you would think she was very funny. If you were on the receiving end, however…not so funny.
3:15 am
May 19, 2011
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Oh, I don't know, if you can laugh at yourself I think being on the receiving end would not be so bad… Not many at court could laugh at themselves tho!
"A fresh young damsel, who could trip and go"
7:54 am
August 3, 2010
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I agree, Sharon. I believe that Anne's sense of humor was dark, witty, facetious, and dry. Her comments were, I'm sure, biting if you were on the receiving end, because, like you said, E, not many at Court would have laughed at themselves! And Anne's sense of humor was very provoking, so I'm sure she alienated many people and made them angry that way.
"Grumble all you like, this is how it's going to be"
8:29 am
December 5, 2009
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7:58 pm
May 19, 2011
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She was definitely ahead of her time, wasn't she?
"A fresh young damsel, who could trip and go"
3:57 pm
May 16, 2011
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I definitely wouldn't be laughing if i knew i was going to die within days. I'd be crying and probably end up having a heart attack which would save me the fear of my neck being cut off. That just shows how brave Anne really was.
• Grumble all you like, this is how it’s going to be.
4:54 am
May 19, 2011
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Another thought occurs.. Anne is quoted as saying “I thought the executioner would be here by now, and I would be past my pain..” I don't think she was referring to her execution, but the pain of life after what Henry had done to her.. You've probably already thought of this though?
"A fresh young damsel, who could trip and go"
6:24 am
June 7, 2011
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E said:
Another thought occurs.. Anne is quoted as saying “I thought the executioner would be here by now, and I would be past my pain..” I don't think she was referring to her execution, but the pain of life after what Henry had done to her.. You've probably already thought of this though?
Yeah I agree, I think Henry broke her heart, so death was a way to end her emotional pain. As far as everyone knew – being beheaded by sword didn't hurt…
"It is however but Justice, & my Duty to declre that this amiable Woman was entirely innocent of the Crimes with which she was accused, of which her Beauty, her Elegance, & her Sprightliness were sufficient proofs..." Jane Austen.
5:46 pm
May 16, 2011
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I honestly never thought of it that way. I thought she meant like all the drama and just wanted everything to be over with and to finally have peace. I never put that quote in a romanticized way but i guess she coulda been referring to her broken heart and of course she had one, i mean, a man she loved wants her dead…what's not heart breaking about that?
• Grumble all you like, this is how it’s going to be.
