The Rise and Fall: Anne Boleyn

Updated: Jul 5, 2020

Anne Boleyn (1501-1536)

Rise:

1501: Anne was born into the Norfolk line of nobility.
1513: at 12 years old Anne was sent to the Netherlands to learn French and proper etiquette.
1519: Anne's sister, Mary, bore King Henry his illegitimate son, Henry Fitzroy (1519-1536).
1522: Anne was welcomed at Henry's court where she was courted by numerous men; her assertiveness and boldness made her attractive compared to other demure women. Additionally, throughout this time, her family gained much as a result of Anne's position. Her father became Earl of Wiltshire, her brother was titled Lord George Rochford and appointed to the Royal Privy Chamber, her brother-in law, and William Carey (Mary's husband) also benefited.
1520s: King Henry VIII began writing love letters to Anne.
1527: as a result of Anne's manipulation of Henry, he began divorce proceedings against Catherine of Aragon (his first wife). Anne was ambitious to become more than Henry's mistress, unlike her sister Mary, which led to her denying his indulgence in her until he would make her his Queen because she had observed how Henry had disregarded her sister and lost respect for his wife.
1529: Henry charged Wolsey of praemunire, referring to exercising Papal powers in England at the expense of the King and his subjects, and exiled to York. This was largely a result of the Boleyn factions' desire to remove Wolsey from power because he had been delaying the annulment process.
1533: Henry broke from Rome and declared himself the head of the Church in England once Anne was discovered to be pregnant. Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, quickly married them in secret in 1533 so that the child would be seen as legitimate; her coronation took place on 29th March.

Fall

Lack of Heirs,1533: Anne gave birth to Elizabeth on 7th September. This devastated Henry who had longed and yearned for a male heir to inherit his throne and provide stability and security for the nation; following pregnancies ended with miscarriages or stillbirths thus she failed to fulfil her promise to Henry. Anne had not proved to be worth the trouble she caused as Henry had difficulty establishing himself in England after the break from the papacy. For instance, Sir Thomas More, Henry's close friend for years, refused to swear the oath of supremacy and accept Henry's rule as the Supreme Head of Church in England legitimate.
Accusations at Court, 1536: Anne was accused of committing adultery with six members of court, including her brother, George, along with Sir Francis Weston, William Brereton, Mark Smeaton, Sir Henry Norris. This was an act of treason and she was later found guilty at court of adultery, incest and conspiracy against the king.
Factional rivalry, 1536: Factional rivalry played a role in the above accusations. Anne was accused of having an affair with political opponents of Cromwell, her rival faction, therefore leading to the assumption that these men were likely targets for more political agendas.
Popular Superstitious Beliefs, 16th century: many believed that witchcraft was associated with the birth of deformed babies which made people question Anne. Her looks made her further susceptible to this judgement as she had six fingers and a prominent neck mole. Additionally, many believed as a witch Anne would be able to materialise at any moment and defy the logic of time, hence why despite the affairs not being plausible due to the timeline, people believed the affairs nonetheless.
Jane Seymour, 1536: Henry had taken a keen interest in Jane Seymour and had grown tired of Anne's outspoken ways instead desiring a submissive wife.
19th May, 08:00 AM 1536 Anne Boleyn was executed in London and instead of denying her guilt she devoted her dying words to praising Henry.