Claire | October 11, 2016
On this day in history, 11 October 1532, at just before dawn, Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Marquis of Pembroke, set sail from Dover in the King’s ship The Swallow. Their destination was Calais and the purpose of their trip was to gain King Francis I of France’s support for their relationship and their quest […]
Claire | June 12, 2016
On this day in history, Sunday 12th June 1530, Queen Catherine of Aragon got rather cross with her errant husband, Henry VIII, telling him to “quit the evil life he was leading and the bad example he was setting”. Here is an account of the confrontation from Eustace Chapuys, the imperial ambassador: “On this same […]
Claire | March 4, 2016
On Shrove Tuesday 1522, 4th March, Anne Boleyn took part in the pageant of “The Château Vert” at York Place, a property owned by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. This was her first recorded public appearance at court since her return from France in late 1521. The pageant was part of the Shrovetide celebrations which began on […]
Claire | February 14, 2014
We have the gift of hindsight, we know how Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn’s relationship ended, and so we can be quite cynical about their relationship and Henry’s feelings towards Anne. But Henry pursued Anne for seven years and was married to her for over three, and he broke with his beloved Church, the Church […]
Claire | January 5, 2014
On this day in history, 5th January 1531, Pope Clement VII wrote to Henry VIII forbidding him to remarry, and threatening him with excommunication if he took matters into his own hands and disobeyed Rome: “At the request of the Queen, forbids Henry to remarry until the decision of the case, and declares that if […]
