Sophie1536 said:

Just wondered what everyone's opinion is of this?
Was Anne Boleyn maternal?

The world of babies and children are so different today, in Royal cirlcles of that time children were to some useful p*rns in a constant game…..we knew Anne desparately wanted to have a son as the stakes were of the highest degree but was she actually maternal and was she a loving caring mother to Elizabeth?

Was Anne a good mother?

Interesting question.

Firstly, what constitutes a good mother? You will find a range of answers today and certainly back in the early modern period. But I suppose there are several issues we can all agree on – a mother is should be entirely concerned with her child’s welfare, is a protector and, above all, loves her child unconditionally.

During Anne’s lifetime, all these things mattered to. However Anne was not just a mother – she was a queen and mother to an heir to the throne. And royal mothers faced other expectations, all of which I think Anne achieved.

Anne, along with Henry, were fierce supporters of the legislation that legitimised their marriage and thus ensured Elizabeth’s position as heir. Safeguarding your child’s inheritance was one of the most important duties a noblewoman – some of whom had to fight incredibly hard to protect this – and certainly a queen, had. It is a major factor why Katherine of Aragon challenged Henry’s actions so passionately. Anne’s zeal matched Katherine’s, and for that alone both women can be commended.

There is evidence that Anne was already giving some consideration to Elizabeth’s education. We know she spent lavishly on her daughter, to the degree that immediately after her death Henry, or Cromwell to be more precise, had to pay off debts for clothes and other sumptuous items for the baby. Clearly Anne was utterly concerned with presenting her daughter as the monarch’s legitimate child and potential heir, and concerned that her daughter be educated to a standard suitable for someone of her status.

Even if Anne had not married the King, she would have still been expected to make a very good marriage and fulfil the important duty of bearing her husband a male heir. Motherhood was deeply attached to the idea that prolonging a family line was absolute necessity, along with the belief that marriage was specifically for the procreation of children. These may not seem maternal notions but to Anne, and women of her status, they were. Of course early modern women loved their children, took joy in being around them and were devastated when any harm came to them. But there were so many elements behind motherhood and being a ‘good mother’. I would argue that Anne did well by the standards of her age and for the brief time she had. Her wish to have a son was entirely understandable; daughters, though welcomed, were not desired as heirs and Anne must have known that she would not have got to where she did if her predecessor had bore a son. Plus, like Henry, Anne was a staunch supporter of the Royal Supremacy and the belief that the King had pleased God by removing the ‘corrupt’ power of an unlawful Pope and thus attempting to return the Church to its true form. A son would be an excellent indication of God’s pleasure and a great thing to throw back at their enemies – a sort of ‘we have a son; God must be very happy with us thus we were right to do what we did!’ Anne like all her contemporaries saw the hand of God in everything, so having a son must have meant so much to her and to Henry.

It is sometimes forgotten that Anne was indirectly accused of having committed treason against her child in May 1536. By supposedly sleeping with several men she ran the risk of becoming pregnant by someone other than her husband, bearing a bastard which, if male, could unlawfully usurp the true heir’s position (Elizabeth). And this to challenge the 1534 Act of Succession that sought to defend Elizabeth, and her sibling’s, rights to succeed. Given Anne’s fierce defence of her daughter’s rights, this was a devastating accusation. She died, officially, an enemy of her king – her husband – and her child. Fortunately, Elizabeth doesn’t appear to have credited these charges and spoke incredibly well of her mother, even going as far as claiming her mother was a virtuous woman who would not have slept with her father whilst unmarried. So at least there was that.

She was definitely a god-awful stepmother, which wasn't a smart move or a kindness to her daughter. 

Nasim said:

There is evidence that Anne was already giving some consideration to Elizabeth’s education. 

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The people that Anne chose to surround her daughter with convinces me she was a good mother who truly loved Elizabeth and took care for her future. She also asked her chaplain AND Archbishop Cranmer to watch over Elizabeth if something happened to her. Those aren't the actions of a disinterested parent, IMO.

I think she was…but i definately think she could of been a better mother if Henry let her. From the beginning of the marriage the only thing that mattered was having a boy and after Elizabeth was born the only think Henry cared about was getting that boy and Anne obviously was also very determined to get a boy a secure her and Elizabeth's safety.