Anne Boleyn: From Queen to History

1536: The Year that Changed Henry VIII By Suzannah Lipscomb
One of the best-known figures of British history, collective memory of Henry VIII presents us with the image of a corpulent, covetous, and cunning king whose appetite for worldly goods met few parallels, whose wives met infamously premature ends, and whose religion was ever political in intent. 1536 - focusing on a pivotal year in the life of the King - reveals a fuller portrait of this complex monarch, detailing the finer shades of humanity that have so long been overlooked. We discover that in 1536 Henry met many failures - physical, personal, and political - and emerged from them a revolutionary new king who proceeded to transform a nation and reform a religion. A compelling story, the effects of which are still with us today, 1536 shows what a profound difference can be made merely by changing the heart of a king.

This is one of the best books that I have ever read in regards to the personality of Henry VIII. Suzannah Lipscomb claims that the accumulated effects of 1536 worked together to deeply affect the personality and behaviour of Henry VIII and from this year onwards we can see the affects of these events in his tyrannical behaviour. Personally I have always felt that there was so much going on for Henry VIII during the year 1536, from the death of Katherine of Aragon to the fall of Anne Boleyn to the death of Henry’s son Henry Fitzroy, and then the Pilgrimage of Grace; that surely all these dramatic events must have played heavily on the aging Tudor King. Lipscomb looks into each of these events and others and uses a great deal of evidence to show the changing personality of one of England’s most famous Kings.

First Lipscomb looks at the difference between Henry’s personality and behaviour before 1536 and after 1536. Before this infamous year Henry VIII was described as a handsome and excellent King, he was beautiful to look at and full of energy and vigour. He was friendly and could be kind and loving and most gracious. Henry VIII was a glorious King who the people seemed to greatly love and admire. Lipscomb does point out that at times the King could be stubborn and did have a temper but these characteristics were not as prominent as they were after the events of 1536. After 1536 Henry’s temper always seemed to be on a knife edge and he was known to hit his councillor Thomas Cromwell about the head. He was wary of others and constantly looking and worried of those that might betray him. And if one did betray him or Henry perceived a sense of betrayal he was quick to act with such wrath that often meant the persons death. He was also prone to bouts of depression and rages and was, behind his back, referred to as a tyrant.

After this Lipscomb starts to look at the events of 1536 which affected Henry’s mental state. She looks at how a fall during a joust on the 24th of January not only reopened the wound on Henry’s leg but also knocked the king unconscious for two hours. The blow to Henry VIII’s head may have caused him some psychological damage in itself but what Lipscomb focused on was the ulcer that burst on Henry’s leg. The wound became so bad that Henry could no longer joust. This was a major blow to the King’s honour and pride. Lipscomb explains how participating in the joust was a great honour for men and it was a pompous show of masculinity and dignity. Jousting was also a way to train for war and battle during times of peace. To be unable to participate in the joust and sports was hugely significant for a man who in his younger years loved all sorts of Tudor sports and would often be out enjoying sports from dawn to dusk. No longer was Henry VIII the fit robust man of his youth, now he was a man with a painful ulcerated leg who was often in pain and unable to participate in many masculine sports.

Another blow to Henry’s masculinity was the fact that he turned forty five in 1536. For us in today’s society that might not seem like a significant age but during the Tudor period this age was the time that signalled the beginning of old age. At forty five Henry was now a man entering the final years of his life. Lipscomb describes how during the Tudor period there were many myths about old age including a sense of powerlessness, disease, weakness and a lack of respect. This year Henry was moving further away from the young, strong, energetic man of his youth towards a man who was unable to participate in many sports and was entering old age.

Next Lipscomb moves on to talk about the huge impact that Anne Boleyn’s betrayal had upon Henry. Henry had done so much to marry Anne; he had broken with Rome, transformed England’s religion and created a magnitude of waves which were felt right across Europe – all for a woman. Anne had promised Henry a son and yet all she had given him was a daughter. Then on the day that Katherine of Aragon was buried Anne miscarried a son of about three and a half months. This was a huge blow for Henry as the son he was so desperate for was dead. Henry was now a man entering old age and still he had no son to be his heir.

The events that happened next were a severe blow to Henry’s masculinity, pride and sense of power. Anne Boleyn was accused of having multiple affairs with men at court, one who was Henry’s close friend. She was also accused of plotting Henry’s death. Anne Boleyn’s alleged adultery (I say alleged because I do not believe that Anne was guilty and neither does it seem does Lipscomb) was the greatest sense of betrayal for Henry. He had given up almost everything for Anne and now she had betrayed him. Yet not only had she betrayed him but she had attacked Henry’s sense of masculinity. For a man it was their duty to keep their wives in line and to make them conceive. For Anne to cheat on Henry with multiple men and gaining sexual satisfaction from others was humiliating for Henry. His wrath was swift and severe and on 19th of May 1536 Anne Boleyn lost her life and Henry had his revenge.

Then on the 23rd of July 1536 Henry’s ill legitimate son Henry Fitzroy died. Although Henry Fitzroy was illegitimate he was still treated like a Prince and given great power and titles. Now with his death Henry VIII had no male children and only two illegitimate daughters. And with no sign of Jane Seymour being pregnant the prospects of Henry having a son and heir were growing slim.

After this blow to Henry’s masculinity, sense of power and honour by Anne Boleyn’s alleged affairs Henry VIII decided to take some action. Lipscomb details how Henry commissioned a portrait to be painted by Hans Holbein. The portrait was designed to that Henry appears to be ultra masculine and strong. Lipscomb describes the qualities of the portrait, how Henry seems to be looming out of the frame, he is looking at the viewer and his chest and shoulders are broad. He is richly dressed and his facial appearances are of strength and power. No longer does Henry appear to be a man betrayed by his wife, whose masculinity and age is passing him by. In this portrait he is a man of great power, masculinity and strength. The famous Whitehall mural was used for the same purpose. Within this mural is painted Henry VII, Elizabeth of York, Jane Seymour and Henry VIII. The mural is a full body painting and again Henry is staring straight back out at the viewer. He is standing with legs parted, elbows out as though emphasising his size and strength. There also appears to be a great focus on Henry’s codpiece which could be a sign to emphasise his masculinity and virility – even though he was an aging man he was still capable of fathering a son and heir. Lipscomb describes how these portraits were used as a tool for Henry to assert his strength, power, virility and rightful place as King of England. 

The next event that Lipscomb looks at is the Pilgrimage of Grace and she delves into the theology behind Henry VIII’s religious beliefs. After separating from Rome and the Pope Henry asserted himself as the Supreme Head of the Church. During 1536 he used parliament to enforce the Ten Articles of faith which were used to further his own religious beliefs. Lipscomb looks at these articles and Henry’s underlying beliefs regarding religion and the Christian church and how it was not only his rule, but his duty as the King to teach and guide the common people in their daily and religious lives. As the King of England he was anointed by God as God’s representative on earth. Henry took this role very seriously and truly believed that it was his responsibility to guide, teach and help all English people. When the Pilgrimage of Grace started many thousands of commoners rose up against the dissolution of the monasteries and believed that there were corrupt people within the King’s council who were ill advising the King. Lipscomb shows how Henry took this as a personal attack not only upon his religious beliefs but upon his person – after all it was his job to love and guide the people and now they were rebelling against him. This was an extremely dangerous time as the number of people in the rebellion greatly outnumbered those of the King’s army and if the rebellion wanted they could march against London and take the King by force.

Henry managed to quash the rebellion but his methods were underhanded and although he promised pardons to many of the leaders he betrayed them and their fates were merciless and cruel. Henry certainly did not take kindly to those that challenged him and tried to go against his laws and beliefs. How Henry responded to the pilgrimage of grace was just another example of the extremity of his cruelness which seemed to escalate from 1536 onwards.

As well as taking the commoners rebellion personally Lipscomb shows how Henry reacted against the monasteries. Instead of the dissolution of the smaller monasteries Henry reached further and began to pull down the greater monasteries, absorbing the money and wealth for the crown. Lipscomb argues that this is another example of Henry’s punishment against what he perceived was a personal attack upon him by those that disagreed with his beliefs in the Reformation.

She also makes mention that from 1536 onwards the number of people being arrested and judged guilty by attainder rose dramatically. This means that instead of having a fair and just trial people could be accused of a crime, arrested and the parliament would pass a law which found them guilty. These people were condemned to death (often a painful and merciless death) without any sense of justice. Lipscomb describes that Henry VIII often did this to avoid the humiliation and disgrace that could come from a public trial – as in the case of Anne Boleyn. She also states that ‘Injuries to the king’s pride became commensurate with treason, which expanded both in its legal definition and in the range of behaviours it covered in practice. Treason was no longer just a case of threats to the Crown; it also meant letting the king down or failing to conform to his will.’ (p. 208).

Lastly Lipscomb sums up all the events throughout 1536 and looks at the changing personality of Henry VIII. She gives countless examples of how these events affected Henry and how his personality changed from a once gracious and loving King to a King who was constantly suspicious, saw betrayal everywhere and was a man without mercy and showed great cruelty to those who he believed had offended or betrayed him. As Lipscomb writes, ‘The consequences of so many disasters in quick succession in this year was to condition Henry VIII and install in him a morbid fear of, and an obsession with, betrayal.’ (p. 208).

As I said in my opening statement Suzannah Lipscomb’s book is one of the best that I have ever read about Henry VIII. She gives us a wonderful insight into the mind and actions of Henry VIII and how all the events of 1536 rolled together to forever affect the personality, emotions and beliefs of Henry VIII. I agree with Lipscomb, from 1536 Henry VIII did become a tyrant and his actions towards the people of England speak louder for this than any words can. I thought this was an absolutely brilliant book and I would recommend it to anyone interested in Henry VIII – it is defiantly a must have for the bookshelf!

I read this book over a year ago and wrote a review but lost it on my computer and only just found it now!

How Fat was Henry VIII? By Raymond Lamont-Brown
Ever wondered how fat Henry VIII really was? Or what made Mary I Bloody? Over many hundreds of years royalty has had its fair share of accidents, rumours, scandals, misrepresentations and misconceptions. For instance, was George IIIs madness caused by porphyria, or was it due to arsenic poisoning? Or what really happened between Queen Victoria and her Highland servant John Brown? In todays world, where newspapers clamour to report new revelations about the Royal Family, this informative and quirky book gives the inquisitive reader an in-depth look at the secrets of our past royals. For anyone interested in royal matters, or curious about what went on behind the palace walls, Raymond Lamont-Brown helps answer all those intriguing, confusing, mysterious and entertaining questions we might have about our monarchs.

I purchased this book as a laugh from Hampton Court and ended up finding it quite enjoyable. The book is basically filled with random facts not just about Henry Tudor but other famous British monarchs throughout history. Each chapter of the book covers a different topic from history including:

1) Royal Conundrums
2) Pretenders and Usurpers
3) Royal Marriages and Romances
4) Murders, Plots and Assassinations
5) Farms and Fads, Values and Vinegar Bibles
6) Courtiers, Crowns and Coronations
7) Quaint and Quirky
8) Places, Castles and Love Nests
9) Rumour and Scandal

This book was a lot of fun to read! Each chapter tackles a range of questions about different British monarchs throughout history. Thee information provided is not only well written and easy to read but it's kept brief and to the point. The book is filled with lots of interesting facts and I learnt quite a lot about the British monarchy. The questions in this book range from informative and factual to the completely crazy and absurd – seriously who was the first monarch to install a flushing toilet?! Great little book for anyone who loves quirky and interesting facts about British Kings and Queens!

I found these clips via the Tudortudor and I just had to share because the clips are so bloody hilarious!!!



  Ghastly Facts About Life in the Middle Ages...

Part One



Part Two



After watching these facts I have to say that I am ever more grateful for toilet paper, hospitals with surgeons and toothbrushes and toothpaste! These are great clips which highlight in a funny way that not all aspects of life within the Tudor era were glamour and courtly chivalry!

Anne Boleyn: Fatal Attractions By G.W. Bernard
In this groundbreaking new biography, G. W. Bernard offers a fresh portrait of one of England’s most captivating queens. Through a wide-ranging forensic examination of sixteenth-century sources, Bernard reconsiders Boleyn’s girlhood, her experience at the French court, the nature of her relationship with Henry, and the authenticity of her evangelical sympathies. He depicts Anne Boleyn as a captivating, intelligent, and highly sexual woman whose attractions Henry resisted for years until marriage could ensure legitimacy for their offspring. He shows that it was Henry, not Anne, who developed the ideas that led to the break with Rome. And, most radically, he argues that the allegations of adultery that led to Anne’s execution in the Tower could be close to the truth.

Before I write this review I have to admit that I have quite mixed feelings about this book. The first half of the book I thoroughly enjoyed and felt that Bernard did a wonderful job detailing the life of Anne Boleyn. The second half of the book though I felt that Bernard undid all of his excellent writing and left me feeling quite disappointed. My review reflects this change in attitude as I read.

Bernard states that ‘The greatest shortcoming of the surviving sources is that we are short of information about what people thought and why they did what they did. Consequently a good deal must be inferred from actions: a reasonable proceeding, but one to be undertaken carefully and openly.’ Here I agree wholeheartedly. I think all too often historians and writers about Anne Boleyn make assumptions and make facts about information that is not quite clear. No one will ever know exactly what Anne Boleyn thought about different events during her life. For example no one will ever know exactly what Anne thought and felt towards Henry as she was locked in the Tower of London awaiting her execution. One can guess, can make assumptions, but unless some new piece of evidence turns up from the pages of history no one can say for certain what Anne felt or thought. I think one of the greatest flaws an author can make is to claim an assumption as fact. It tears me to the core and I hate to read books about Anne where people state her feelings or thoughts as facts. I was overjoyed when I read the above statement by Bernard, finally an author who clearly states that he does not know everything about Anne simply because all the information is not there. We can guess and infer but never claim as fact.

The first part of the book briefly covers Anne’s early years, from her birth until her arrival at court. Since there is not a great deal of information during this period he keeps the information short and precise, stating the facts and giving what information historians do know.

Bernard then goes onto looking at the period when Henry VIII was courting Anne Boleyn. He suggests that during the long years that Anne and Henry courted it was in fact Henry who was holding Anne back from having sexual intercourse and not the other way around. Many historians suggest that Anne was ‘holding out’, not giving herself fully with her body to Henry in the hopes that they would be married. If she gave in and had sex with Henry she ran the risk of becoming just another mistress of the King – but if she held out, denied Henry what he wanted then perhaps he would marry her. Bernard suggests a completely different story.

He proposes that it was Henry who was holding Anne back, and that he did not want to have full sexual intercourse with her for fear of how it would look against his attempt to annul his marriage from Catherine of Aragon. He was trying to annul his marriage on the grounds that he was going against Gods most holy laws by marrying his dead brother’s wife. How would it look if he were sleeping with another woman? Even though most people at court knew that Henry was in love with Anne, the King had to keep up appearances for the sake of his marriage annulment. Also if Henry did want to marry Anne and have children with her the only way those children would be legitimate and future heirs of the thrown were if they were born in wedlock. To have sexual intercourse before marriage could have ended up with Anne falling pregnant and a possible son being illegitimately born. History tells us that Henry wanted a legitimate son and so to have sex with Anne before marriage could have risked this all.

I can see a lot of merit in Bernard’s proposal. Henry had a lot of reasons for not engaging in full sexual intercourse with Anne, but I think towards the end Anne had just as many good reasons also. To give in and have sex with the King might have lead to her becoming nothing more than another in a line of mistresses, but if she held out as Henry fought so desperately for an annulment of marriage, she might become his wife. But just as plausible on the other hand if Henry had sex with Anne it could have lead to rumours and cracks in his plans for an annulment, not to mention the risk of an illegitimate son being born. Since we will never know if Anne and Henry slept together during their seven years of courting one can only make up their own minds as to what really happened based on the little facts time has left us. 

I was disappointed with the chapter attaining to Henry’s great matter. Bernard writes that Anne did not have much sway in the great matter and was not behind much of the political happenings at this time. He writes that it was Henry who was wholly behind the great matter and he was the driving force. I was disappointed as I do not believe Bernard gave Anne enough credit. Yes Anne during these years did not have a great deal of political sway nor was she able to directly influence Rome or other leading church people or politicians but who she did have access to was Henry himself. She had the King’s ear – the greatest influence possible. While Anne might not have directly consulted with Rome or the Pope or other influential people it would be completely absurd not to think she spoke to Henry. Yes I do agree with Bernard that initially the great matter and Henry’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon WAS Henry’s idea – but I also give Anne more credit for her role in the proceedings. While she was not directly involved with letters, dispositions, meetings etc. she did have access to Henry and could have spoken constantly with him about her thoughts and feelings. Having the ear of the King, during Henry’s reign, could be far more powerful than any letter or meeting with the Pope. To have the King’s ear was to have access to Henry’s emotions and all his decisions. I think Bernard did Anne an injustice by not giving her more – behind the scenes – credit in the great matter.

Next Bernard looks at the varying reasons as to why Anne Boleyn fell. First he looks at Anne miscarrying Henry’s son in January 1536 as the final straw in which Henry finally  had enough of his wife. Unable to bear him a son he tires of Anne, finds love with Jane and wants rid of Anne. He then looks at the possibility of a “Pro Aragon” faction who work together on behalf of Catherine of Aragon to see Anne Boleyn removed as Queen. Next he looks at how it could have been Cromwell and his weakening relationship with Anne in which he works to bring down the Queen. Bernard goes through and disproves each of these singular theories and in some ways I can understand his points of view. I also do not think it was a singular person, event or faction which brought about Anne Boleyn’s fall. But what I was really surprised not to read was the idea that it was an accumulation of events, people and feelings which all played a role in seeing Anne Boleyn executed. I think that instead of trying to lay the responsibility onto one person or group Bernard should have stepped back and looked at the bigger picture and examined how a lot of people, a lot of events and a lot of personal feelings all rolled together like a giant snowball with Anne Boleyn as its target. I agree with Bernard that we cannot simply blame one person or group, but unlilke Bernard I think it was a multitude of events and people which all played roles in Anne Boleyn’s fall.

What I found most disappointing was that Bernard’s claims that Anne Boleyn was guilty of adultery rest on a poem written in French by Lancelot de Carles, dated 2nd June 1536 (Note: AFTER Anne Boleyn’s trial and execution). The poem claims that one of Annei’s ladies had been caught out by her brother as having an affair with another man and was now pregnant (obviously her husband didn’t know!) Trying to deflect the claims she accused the Queen (Anne) of having an affair with Mark Smeaton. The brother then goes to tell his friends who tell the King and thus Anne’s affairs are discovered.

The woman in this poem is Elizabeth Browne wife of Henry Somerset and she was one of Anne’s ladies and was pregnant. What I find utterly astonishing and completely baffling is that up to this point throughout his book Bernard repeatedly claims that one should not base theories or ideas on here say or singular letters or notes because they may have bias or may not be accurate. But as soon as there is a poem, a poem! Stating that Anne Boleyn was guilty of adultery he jumps right on board. He singles out this ONE piece of writing – which was written AFTER Anne Boleyn was tried and executed and uses it as evidence, as proof that she was guilty. It is as though everything Bernard said before about not judging and not reading into what a single piece of writing says just went out the window. How can we be sure that this poem is the truth? How can we be sure that Lancelot de Carles did not hear this story and put it into a poem? We are told not to judge to deeply on a single piece of evidence and yet Bernard does exactly the opposite of what he advises! This utterly astounded me!

I was utterly disgusted to read that Bernard does not think that Anne swearing her innocence on the sacrament TWICE does not prove her innocence. In fact Bernard suggests that it was a ploy by Anne, a final hope that if she lied and said she was innocent in front of God that Henry would forgive her and send her to a nunnery, and thus those that were accused with her would also be freed. I am sorry but that is utterly disgusting! Bernard writes that: “To deduce that because Anne did not confess but rather swore her innocence means that she was indeed innocent is a step too far’ (p. 172). I’m sorry Bernard but to suggest that Anne used this as a ploy to get Henry’s sympathy is a step to far!

Throughout her life, especially as Queen ,Anne Boleyn had shown that she was in fact quite a religious woman. Even Bernard showed this in his chapter where he talked about Anne’s faith. Anne attended mass, she gave money to the poor, she went on visits to holy relics, she had a bible, she read it and she had religious scriptures. Religion and faith played a huge role in a person’s life in the Tudor times; we can see this with Catherine of Aragon and her dedication to her faith. Just because Anne was not like Catherine in personality does not mean that she was not a religious person. All evidence indicates that Anne as a religious woman and believed in God and heaven and such. To swear something on the holy sacrament was one of the ultimate acts a person can do and to swear your innocence, knowing that if you were lying you could be damned to hell, that was a huge risk to take. I’m sorry Bernard but Anne Boleyn swore her innocence TWICE upon the sacrament, knowing that she was going to die. There is no way she would have lied. She was a religious woman and wanted to go to heaven; she wouldn’t lie and damn her soul!

Bernard concludes that he believes that Anne Boleyn was guilty of adultery with Henry Norris and also possibly with Mark Smeaton and Mark Weston. All of this based on a poem written by a man after Anne’s death, on assumptions made because Smeaton confessed, because many people referred to Anne as a whore and of the dates given in approximations of the times/locations that Anne carried out these affairs. Throughout the early parts of his book Bernard tells us not to make great leaps and assumptions yet this is exactly what he has done here. Just because Anne loved music and dancing and entertaining does not mean that she carried out affairs. Just because a poem was written about her does not mean she had affairs. Just because a man, who was most likely tortured admitted to sleeping with the Queen does not mean it is the truth. Just because people did not like Anne and called her a whore (keeping in mind she was replacing the very favourite Catherine of Aragon) did not mean she slept around. Once again Bernard warns the readers not to make wild jumps in meaning and this is exactly what he has done here. He makes assumptions based on very flimsy evidence, evidence in which I truly believe he has made assumptions about and just does not hold up.

He states that the jurors at Anne’s trial found her guilty because she was guilty – erm no, they probably found her guilty because they were loyal to the king and knew which side their bread was buttered on. The King wanted Anne out of the way and they were the men that could do that for him. They had the evidence right in front of their faces with the trials as to what would happen to one that would anger the King! Of course they found Anne guilty; they wanted to save their own skins! By the jurors declaring that Anne was guilty is NOT proof that she was guilty!

He also forgets to note that Henry ordered for the executioner BEFORE Anne was found guilty at her trial. This in itself says something for Henry’s intentions – he wanted Anne dead, be she guilty or not. Yet Bernard does not even look at this in his book.

I am not saying that Anne was a completely pure woman. She had a temper, she was jealous, she loved music, loved dancing, loved beautiful things and happy past times. She was vibrant, outgoing, bold and had a great temper. She did flirt and participate in courtly life and she dared to walk to close to the edge, especially in a time when women were to be seen and not heard. But NONE of this proves, nor does the supposed evidence that Bernard puts forward, prove that Anne was guilty of adultery, incest or plotting Henry’s death. Anne Boleyn was not perfect, but she most certainly was not guilty of the crimes brought against her as Bernard suggests she was.

I honestly think that in this book Bernard does not give Anne enough credit. While I do not believe she played the lead role in the decision of Henry’s to break from Rome or his annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, I do believe Anne played a constant role. Her role however was probably more that of someone close to Henry, able to whisper in his ear and listen to him while he spoke and suggested ideas. She was with him often and I would imagine shared her own ideas and thoughts. She was not a silent woman, history tells us that, so to assume she was would be a great understatement to the character of Anne. Bernard completely underestimates Anne’s strength and subtle power and this is disheartening.

But what really broke my heart was this line in the epilogue: ‘Anne lived too long ago, and her circumstances were so extraordinary, that they can have little direct bearing on the lives we lead today.’ (p. 195) Anne Boleyn is my idol and my hero. I think she was an extraordinarily amazing woman, a woman who I can learn from. To say that she has little direct bearing on my life is saddening and completely incorrect. I look at the qualities Anne had in her life and try to have those in mine. I try to have Anne’s strength, her knowledge, her boldness and her love of life in my life also.

Bernard’s book started out so wonderfully but ended up being so utterly disappointing. I do not think this is a book for someone just coming into the knowledge of Anne Boleyn or the reign of Henry VIII. There is so little detail covered about Anne’s life, so little detail about her marriage to Henry and even less detail about all the factors that played a role in her fall. Bernard just seems to gloss over everything without going into any real detail. The only sections that he does go into detail are the very limited sources of evidence he uses to try and prove Anne’s guilt. Everything else, her time in the Tower, her execution, her relationship with Henry, Jane Seymour, Thomas Cromwell, Elizabeth, her father, Anne’s personality and temperament – everything else is either forgotten or barely mentioned.

Although Bernard’s book does give a different view of the accusations brought against Anne Boleyn I simply do not think he provides enough convincing evidence to prove her guilt. Bernard warns against making assumptions or inferring information from limited sources, and yet that is exactly what he does to try and prove Anne Boleyn’s guilt. As I stated I think this book starts off wonderfully but I ended up being extremely disappointing. There is just not enough detail and Bernard constantly undervalues Anne and does not seem to look at the broader picture. Bernard failed to prove anything to me except that I was very, very disappointed with this book.

Please help save Anne Boleyn’s Portrait!

A few weeks ago I posted an entry about the desperate need to raise funds to help the conservation work wanting to be done on the famous portrait of Anne Boleyn at the National Portrait Gallery in London.

According to the London National Portrait Gallery:
This important portrait of Anne Boleyn is in urgent need of conservation treatment.  It is in a particularly vulnerable and unstable condition as a result of structural problems with the wooden panel.  Vertical cracking has occurred across the picture causing minor paint loss where the wood has split (see the photograph taken in raking light alongside).  We need to act now as the damage is being caused by the long term effects of an unsuitable cradle (an applied wooden panel support) which must be removed. Therefore this important and much loved painting needs urgent conservation treatment to ensure it can be put back on public display.
The Gallery hopes to raise £4,000 for conservation work on this picture, and with your help we very much hope to be able to undertake this work in early 2011.



   

The image on the left is how Anne Boleyn's portrait is supposed to look. The image on the right shows under raking light what a disastrous state the portrait actually is in. Already £1800 has been donated, but the gallery still needs more!

My dear friend who runs the wonderful site: On The Tudor Trail has created a Facebook page to help raise awareness of the desperate plight of this famous portrait of Anne Boleyn. She has kindly and very touchingly asked me to help out where I can and spread the word.



The Facebook page can be found here: Save Anne Boleyn’s Portrait

Even more excitingly the page has been officially endorsed by the incredible author Alison Weir! (Who I will admit is my favourite author!) It is not only a great honour to have Alison Weir endorse this website but it is a truly kind and wonderful gesture on her part.

Alison writes:
“I am delighted to endorse this page, and to lend my support to the fundraising for the restoration of this important – indeed, the definitive – portrait of Anne Boleyn. It has entranced and intrigued me since I was a young teenager and first became aware of Anne’s story. Even though it is only a copy of a lost original, it is the portrait by which most people identify Anne, and it captures the charm and wit of which contemporaries spoke. It also bears testimony to the famous ‘little neck’ and the eyes that were ‘black and beautiful’ and ‘invited to conversation’, as well as to Anne’s famed elegance in dress. In short, the portrait captures the essence of Anne Boleyn, despite rogue theories that it was painted to make her look like her daughter, Elizabeth I, from whose reign it probably dates. The proliferation of other versions, as well as an image on a medal struck in Anne’s lifetime, proves that this portrait type is an accurate representation of what she actually looked like.
We must save this important and iconic portrait so that future generations will not know it only from photographs.”

Also the wonderful Elizabeth from Everything Tudor has most kindly offered that all profits from the sale of a handcrafted Anne Boleyn B necklace will be donated to help the conservation work! What an amazing gesture! It is just so wonderful to see lovers of Anne Boleyn and Tudor history rallying around to help out this importance cause.

I ask anyone that is interested in Anne Boleyn, Tudor history or beautiful portraits please join this webpage. Please help us spread the word about the desperate need for conservation work to be done on Anne Boleyn’s portrait. It would be a great shame to lose such an amazing painting of an incredible woman. I have had the great honour of standing before this portrait and while it is a copy of a lost original the sheer power of this portrait is breathtaking. To stand before those dark piercing eyes as they stare back at you… it would be a great shame to lose such an experience.



 

More books to be released this year that I am looking forward to reading:

Henry VIII: A Life by David Loads
A major new biography of the most infamous king of England. 'Means to be God, and do as pleases himself' Martin Luther observed. It was a shrewd comment, not merely on the divorce in which the King was then embroiled, but upon his whole career. Henry VIII was self righteous, and convinced that he enjoyed a special relationship with the Almighty, which gave him a unique claim upon the obedience of his subjects. He subdued the church, sidelined the old nobility, and reorganised the government of his realm, all in the name of that Good Lordship which was his God-given responsibility. As a youth, he was a magnificent specimen of manhood, and in age a gargantuan wreck, but even in his prime he was never the 'ladies man' which legend, and his own imagination, created. Sexual insecurity undermined him, and gave his will that irascible edge which proved fatal to Anne Boleyn and Thomas Cromwell alike. Several times during his reign he took out his frustrations in warfare, but succeeded only in spending vast sums of money. Henry VIII dominated England during his lifetime and for many years thereafter, as a warrior, as a renaissance Prince, and as Supreme Head of the Church, but his personality is as controversial today as it was in his own lifetime. He is a figure impossible to ignore. Professor David Loades has spent most of his life investigating the remains, literary, archival and archaeological, of Henry VIII, and this monumental new biography book is the result. His portrait of Henry is distinctive, he was neither a genius nor a tyrant, but a man' like any other', except for the extraordinary circumstances in which he found himself.
Release Date: March 11th 2011

Anne Boleyn: In Her Own Words & the Words of Those Who Knew Her by Elizabeth Norton
The complete letters, dispatches and chronicles that tell the real story of Anne Boleyn. Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII, caused comment wherever she went. Through the chronicles, letters and dispatches written by both Anne and her contemporaries, it is possible to see her life and thoughts as she struggled to become queen of England, ultimately ending her life on the scaffold. Only through the original sources is it truly possible to evaluate the real Anne. George Wyatt's Life of Queen Anne provided the first detailed account of the queen, based on the testimony of those that knew her. The poems of Anne's supposed lover, Thomas Wyatt, as well as accounts such as Cavendish's Life of Wolsey also give details of her life, as do the hostile dispatches of the Imperial Ambassador, Eustace Chapuys and the later works of the slanderous Nicholas Slander and Nicholas Harpsfield. Henry VIII's love letters and many of Anne's own letters survive, providing an insight into the love affair that changed England forever. The reports on Anne's conduct in the Tower of London show the queen's shock and despair when she realised that she was to die. Collected together for the first time, these and other sources make it possible to view the real Anne Boleyn through her own words and those of her contemporaries.
Release Date: April 1st 2011

The French Queen’s Letters: Mary Tudor Brandon and the Politics of Marriage in Sizteenth-Century Europe by Erin A Sadlack
A fresh biography of Mary Tudor which challenges conventional views of her as a weeping hysteric and love-struck romantic, providing instead the portrait of a queen who drew on two sources of authority to increase the power of her position: epistolary conventions and the rhetoric of chivalry that imbued the French and English courts.
Release Date: May 13th 2011

*Makes grabby hands* I want, I want, I want!!

OH MY GOSH!





Mary Boleyn: The Mistress of Kings/The Great and Infamous Whore By Alison Weir



Taken from Alison Weir’s Website
In this book, the first full-scale, in-depth biography of Henry VIII's famous mistress, Mary Boleyn, the sister of Anne, his second queen, Alison Weir explodes much of the mythology that surrounds Mary Boleyn and uncovers the truth about one of the most misunderstood figures of the Tudor age. Her extensive, forensic research has facilitated a new portrayal, in which she reveals, for example:

* The probable nature of the relationship between the Boleyn sisters.

* New evidence about the reputation of Mary's mother, Elizabeth
  Howard, who was rumoured to have been an early mistress of
  Henry VIII.

* Why we do not know what Mary looked like.
  The portrait above, right, might, just possibly, be a likeness.

* The truth about Mary's much-vaunted notoriety at the French
   court, and her relations with King Francois I.

* What happened to Mary after she left the French court.

* Mary's role at the English court.

* Why Mary's first husband, William Carey, was not an insignificant
  and complacent nobody, as is often claimed.

* The less-than-romantic truth about how Mary became Henry VIII's
  mistress, and when.

* The truth about Mary's reputation in England, and why
  Henry's queen, Katherine of Aragon, did not complain about her
  being his mistress.

* New evidence that has a strong bearing upon the paternity of
  Mary's two Carey children, whom many people believe were
  fathered by the King.

* Evidence to show that Henry VIII had more than one bastard child.

* When Mary's affair with Henry VIII probably ended.

* How Mary was treated, and regarded, by her family.

* Where Mary lived after her disastrous second marriage to William
  Stafford and their banishment from court.

* Why there is barely a mention of Mary at the time of Anne Boleyn's
  fall in 1536.

* How Anne's daughter, the future Elizabeth I, may have been
  helped to regard her executed mother in a sympathetic light.

* The truth about Mary's tenure of Rochford Hall, where she is
   said to have lived for the last years of her life.

* The truth about Mary's reputation.

And an abridged extract from the book:
Mary Boleyn has gone down in history as a 'great and infamous whore'. She was the mistress of two kings, Francois I of France and Henry VIII of England, and sister to Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII`s second wife. She may secretly have borne Henry a child. It was because of his adultery with Mary that his marriage to Anne was declared invalid. It is not hard to see how this tangled web of covert relationships has given rise to rumours and myths that have been embroidered over the centuries, and particularly in recent years, so that the truth about Mary has become obscured. In all my years of writing women's histories, I have never tackled a subject who has been so romanticised, mythologised and misrepresented.

Everyone knows Henry VIII as the King who married six times. His matrimonial adventures have been a source of enduring fascination for centuries, and the interest shows no sign of abating. Yet comparatively little is known or understood about Henry`s extra-marital adventures, and most people have the wrong idea about the woman who is now the most famous of his mistresses, Mary Boleyn. Was she really a 'great and infamous whore' with a notorious reputation? Is it true that Henry VIII was the father of her children? I am often asked these and numerous other questions about Mary, and am constantly being made aware, not only of various misconceptions that are accepted as facts by many, but also of the views of many others who are well-informed on the subject and are wondering why Mary Boleyn is so misrepresented. It is for these reasons - and because I have done a lot of unpublished research on her over four decades - that I have written a biography of Mary.

Mary Boleyn represents only one short episode in Henry VIII`s chequered love life; all we can say with certainty is that she was his mistress for a short period while he was married to his first wife, Katherine of Aragon. Mary`s true historical significance - and importance - lies in the implications of her royal affair for her more celebrated sister, Anne Boleyn.

My interest in Mary, and my research, goes back to the 1960s, when she was regarded as little more than a footnote to history. Since then, I have written about her briefly in three books, 'The Six Wives of Henry VIII', 'Henry VIII: King and Court' and 'The Lady in the Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn', while my unpublished research comes from my extensive original version of 'The Six Wives of Henry VIII', completed in 1974.

There is no escaping the fact that an air of mystery pervades every aspect of Mary Boleyn`s life. There is so much that we don`t know about her, and only so much we can infer from the scant sources that have survived. She is in the shadow of her famous sister in more than one way.

It is the persistence of the mythology surrounding Mary Boleyn that has been the most disconcerting aspect of my research. For much of what we might read about Mary, even in history books, should be treated with caution, based as it is on false assumptions and what might be termed 'urban myths'. For this reason, this book is not only a biography but also a historiography of Mary Boleyn.

What follows is a tale that has never fully been told, a rigorous assessment of what we know - and don't know - about Mary Boleyn, which hopefully will enrich our understanding of this much–misrepresented lady and her relations with Henry VIII.

Publish Dates:
• America: 4th October 2011
• UK: 6th October 2011

Seriously… OH MY GOSH!!!!! My favourite author has written a book about my second favourite woman in Tudor history! I have been a fan of Alison Weir since I started reading about Anne Boleyn – the first book I picked up of hers I fell in love with. She is not only a talented historian but she also has an easy and captivating style. Anne Boleyn will always be my most beloved woman in history, she has captivated my attention from the first time I ever read her name. Anne is my idol and I just adore reading and learning about her and through reading everything I can about Anne I began to grow a deep interest in Mary Boleyn. There has been so little written about Mary Boleyn – she seems to be the unknown Boleyn (like her mother). We know that she was the mistress at one time of King Francis of France and King Henry VIII and that she bore two children while she was Henry’s mistresses, but after Henry VIII fell for Anne Boleyn there is little written about Mary. There are pieces here and there but she seems to fade into history. I have always wanted to learn more about this amazing woman who was often overshadowed by her more famous sister and now Alison Weir gives us the opportunity! I am SO excited about this book! Now the only downside is that we have to wait eight long months until it’s finally released! (Noooooooooooo!!!)

I also find this really exciting as a few weeks ago I wrote a short piece about Mary Boleyn and my thoughts on how she compares to Anne Boleyn (I will have to post this one day!) Such exciting news, I cannot wait for this book! Alison Weir is amazing and I have no doubt this book will be another fantastic read!