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Elizabeth missed Anne?
January 17, 2011
12:07 pm
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spearson
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I was just wondering if there is any evidence that Elizabeth 1 ever missed her mother? I know she was very young when Anne died did she ever mention her?

January 18, 2011
3:10 am
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Impish_Impulse
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Elizabeth had a depiction of her mother as Queen during her coronation procession, she favored her Boleyn relatives at court, and she wore a jewelled ring with her initial “E” in diamonds, that turned out to be a secret locket ring with a portrait of herself facing a portrait of Anne! I'd say she respected and honored her, even if her personal memories might have been hazy.

                        survivor ribbon                             

               "Don't knock at death's door. 

          Ring the bell and run. He hates that."    

January 18, 2011
11:10 am
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spearson
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Very interesting, thanks for the reply Impish!  I don't know anything about Elizabeth's depiction of anne as queen in her coronation procession? I love thinking that the daughter of 'the wh*re' who nobody would talk about ended up being such a fantastic Queen! Im so glad that there is evidence that Elizabeth didn't just accept what horrible things were said about her mother and obviously did hold a special place for her in her heart. Are there any known portraits in which Elizabeth is wearing the ring which had Anne's picture in it? I've seen pictures of the actual ring but seeing as Elizabeth was said to never take it off, I was wondering if there is a painting of her wearing it?

January 18, 2011
11:31 am
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DuchessofBrittany
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I always felt that, when Queen, Elizabeth must have wished her mother was there. Not just to see Elizabeth in triumph, but as a confident and source of comfort and support. Many monarchs still had their mothers when they ascended to the throne, and Elizabeth must, at times, have felt a sense of loss and loneliness.

However, all the little things that Elizabeth did to remember her mother are touching, intimate tributes to a women that was so violently taken from her. For me, Elizabeth knew the risks of publically declaring anything about her mother (unlike Mary I, who attempted to resurrect her mother's legal marriage to Henry), Elizabeth created small tributes to Anne, one's that were personally important.

It must have been hard for Elizabeth since she did not really know her mother. They did not have the luxury of years together, laughing and talking. However, everything that Anne did to help cement Elizabeth's legacy must have allowed Elizabeth some insight and real affection for Anne.

Elizabeth kept Boleyn relatives close to her. A sense of family and support that was so necessary in Tudor times, especially when a friend could be an enemy indeed. In some small ways, Elizabeth secured a Boleyn inheritance for her relatives, if not for herself.

"By daily proof you shall find me to be to you both loving and kind" Anne Boleyn

January 18, 2011
11:36 am
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Sharon
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Elizabeth wasn't Queen yet, but in the Whitehall family portrait of Henry, Edward, Jane, Mary, and Elizabeth, she is wearing her mother's famous “A” necklace.  She wore the ring with the portraits of her and her mother until the day she died.  Although she is not known to have tried to rehabilitate her mother's reputation in the eyes of the public, she showed her respect for Anne in these small, subtle ways.

January 18, 2011
6:11 pm
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Anyanka
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Also Anne was shown in one of the coronation tableaus.

It's always bunnies.

January 19, 2011
12:39 am
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Impish_Impulse
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Sharon said:

Although she is not known to have tried to rehabilitate her mother's reputation in the eyes of the public, she showed her respect for Anne in these small, subtle ways.


I actually find that more touching, that knowing she couldn't make the big gestures, she still insisted on making as many small ones as she could. That shows love and respect, right there. It makes me think that the men Anne asked to look after Elizabeth (Archbishop Cranmer and her chaplain, Matthew Parker), did indeed tell Elizabeth the good things about her mother, and how much she loved her daughter, and that her mother hadn't been guilty.

                        survivor ribbon                             

               "Don't knock at death's door. 

          Ring the bell and run. He hates that."    

February 5, 2011
7:46 am
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Nasim
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spearson said:

I was just wondering if there is any evidence that Elizabeth 1 ever missed her mother? I know she was very young when Anne died did she ever mention her?


 

Elizabeth did mention her mother on a number of occasions. One of the first times (that we know of) comes during the reign of Mary I, when Anne Boleyn’s reputation was further attacked. We know that Elizabeth was aware of this, and naturally very touchy on the subject, for the Venetian ambassador reported that she was rather open about her view that her mother would never have cohabited (namely slept with) her father had the pair not been lawfully married. This can be seen as a direct challenge to Mary’s decision to have her own parents’ marriage declared valid in her first parliament, meaning Anne’s union with Henry VIII was one again dismissed as invalid. We are also told by the same ambassador, that Elizabeth was rather proud about how much she looked like Henry – and her proud claims meant she was snubbing those at court who gossiped that she was the result of one of Anne’s supposed liaisons.

 

We also know that during her reign, Elizabeth asked her archbishop of Canterbury (Parker), to find a papal bull that had allowed her parents to marry. Cleary she believed, however erroneously, that there existed paperwork that proved the Church’s acceptance of her parents’ marriage. Parker discovered this in 1572, but Elizabeth never used the information to establish Anne’s position as legitimate queen through legislation. Perhaps this was just done to confirm her existing private belief that she was born in wedlock.

 

Saying that, we do know that Elizabeth referred to her mother as ‘queen’ in letters to foreign dignitaries. This is evident in letters to rulers, asking for them to suppress the publication of materials in their lands that attacked her parents’ marriage and thus her own legitimacy. Anne is often referred to as her father’s ‘consort’ and ‘queen’.

"Much as her form seduc'd the sight,
Her eyes could ev'n more surely woo;"

February 7, 2011
9:02 pm
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Chrystinamarie123
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What child wouldn't miss her mother? Especially a daughter. Sadly there isn't much to be found about Elizabeth's feelings towards Anne, I think she saw it would cause too much controversy to display the real emotions and opinions she subtly hinted at. I think the proof lies within the locket ring though. I like to imagine when times were their hardest she opened the ring and thought about what Anne would do or maybe even asked her mother's miniature for guidance. Have you guys seen the painting of Anne and Elizabeth in Alison Weir's book “The Lady in the Tower”? It's such a powerful piece.

 

By the way Nasim, I really like your reply!

March 13, 2011
12:30 pm
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La Belle Creole
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I think Elizabeth's feelings toward Anne had to be very ambivalent at times.  It was obviously in Elizabeth's best interest to promote the concepts that her mother's marriage to Henry VIII was legally binding and that Anne was a moral, chaste lady.  Both concepts benefit Elizabeth's claims to the English throne. 

Beyond good politics, though, I'm sure Elizabeth felt her mother's loss at times throughout her life.  Generally, youngsters bereaved of their parents at a young age are pretty resilient to the loss.  It's doubtful Elizabeth had conscious memories of Anne.  I'm sure she missed her in the sense she wondered what she was like and wished Anne present for many of Elizabeth's more triumphant moments.  I'd guess there were times Elizabeth loved and hated Anne.  Perhaps, at times, she even blamed herself for Anne's downfall (i.e., not being born male.)   

On the other hand, given all we know about the characters of both women, I imagine Elizabeth and Anne might not have gotten along very well.  Both were willful, high-strung women.

One thing's for sure.  Anne would have made a fantastic Queen Mother.

March 14, 2011
8:56 am
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Sharon
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Nasim you said it all and quite beautifully!

March 22, 2011
3:08 am
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Toucansandpugs
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La Belle Creole said:

I think Elizabeth's feelings toward Anne had to be very ambivalent at times.  It was obviously in Elizabeth's best interest to promote the concepts that her mother's marriage to Henry VIII was legally binding and that Anne was a moral, chaste lady.  Both concepts benefit Elizabeth's claims to the English throne. 

Beyond good politics, though, I'm sure Elizabeth felt her mother's loss at times throughout her life.  Generally, youngsters bereaved of their parents at a young age are pretty resilient to the loss.  It's doubtful Elizabeth had conscious memories of Anne.  I'm sure she missed her in the sense she wondered what she was like and wished Anne present for many of Elizabeth's more triumphant moments.  I'd guess there were times Elizabeth loved and hated Anne.  Perhaps, at times, she even blamed herself for Anne's downfall (i.e., not being born male.)   

On the other hand, given all we know about the characters of both women, I imagine Elizabeth and Anne might not have gotten along very well.  Both were willful, high-strung women.

One thing's for sure.  Anne would have made a fantastic Queen Mother.


La Belle Creole said:

I think Elizabeth's feelings toward Anne had to be very ambivalent at times.  It was obviously in Elizabeth's best interest to promote the concepts that her mother's marriage to Henry VIII was legally binding and that Anne was a moral, chaste lady.  Both concepts benefit Elizabeth's claims to the English throne. 

Beyond good politics, though, I'm sure Elizabeth felt her mother's loss at times throughout her life.  Generally, youngsters bereaved of their parents at a young age are pretty resilient to the loss.  It's doubtful Elizabeth had conscious memories of Anne.  I'm sure she missed her in the sense she wondered what she was like and wished Anne present for many of Elizabeth's more triumphant moments.  I'd guess there were times Elizabeth loved and hated Anne.  Perhaps, at times, she even blamed herself for Anne's downfall (i.e., not being born male.)   

On the other hand, given all we know about the characters of both women, I imagine Elizabeth and Anne might not have gotten along very well.  Both were willful, high-strung women.

One thing's for sure.  Anne would have made a fantastic Queen Mother.

 

I'd like to believe that Elizabeth remembered something of her famous mother, although she was just 3 years old. I mean – what if she had a blurred memory of a woman with dark hair, or a particular lullaby, or the feeling of Anne's hands? I think it's worth considering after all, Anne Boleyn (though looking quite different compared to the common young ladies at court) clearly wasn't insipid. Elizabeth could have had flashbacks of Anne in different parts of her life. At Towern, for an example. Knowing that her mother had been there – and certainly feeling the fatal atmosphere – must have brought some kind of memory.  

July 3, 2018
12:55 am
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I love that Elizabeth wore the locket ring with her and her mother’s picture. That single gesture shows she must have missed her mother. It must have been very hard to reconcile the loss of her mother with the man who sent her to her death. Elizabeth seems to have tried to accentuate the best of both of her parents. She certainly wanted to be a respected, sometimes feared, capable monarch like her father was. She certainly wanted to believe good things about her mother namely that she was born in wedlock. Elizabeth was generous to her Boleyn relatives and they, unlike some relatives, were faithful to her. This was another clear way Elizabeth showed her love of her mother.

I think it is an plausible thought that Anne may have blamed herself for her mother’s downfall. As so many have guessed Anne’s shortened life may have been the reason Elizabeth never married. She never wanted her life to be controlled by a man.

Why was Elizabeth advised to not have herself declared legitimate by parliament as Mary had done?

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