little_miss_sunnydale
Anne Boleyn - seventeenth century portrait
A posthumous portrait of Anne Boleyn, probably painted in the C17th. Anne was the second wife of Henry VIII but was also in her own right a patroness of religious reform and the arts and was Marquess of Pembroke (a title of which was granted to her by Henry in 1532). She was also the mother of Elizabeth I of England.
Anne is the most controversial of Henry’s wives and tends to incite great sympathy or fierce criticism. Unfortunately many positive aspects of Anne’s character have not been dwelled on by many historians including her extensive private charitable incentives and her notable role in saving and attempting to save the lives of various European reformers.
Anne’s relationship with her stepdaughter Mary has proved one of the most controversial aspects of Anne’s character. However this area has been much magnified and imbalanced. Whilst Anne and her stepdaughter certainly clashed and both would speak out against the other it appears that Anne had no say as to what occurred to Mary. Instead direct decisions concerning Mary’s welfare were taken by Henry and to a large degree Cromwell. Whilst Mary and her supporters perceived Anne as being the cause of the bad treatment, this was proven to the contrary when following Anne’s death in May 1536 Henry’s treatment of Mary grew worse. It was he who forced Mary to sign a document recognising her parent’s marriage as invalid, herself as illegitimate and her father as the Head of the Church of England. We also know from a report of the Spanish ambassador Chapuys, who detested Anne that decisions regarding Mary were being taken by the Council, Henry and Cromwell, with no reference to Anne Boleyn. The allegations that she was involved in Mary’s ill treatment become even harder to believe when we know that when Anne did threaten her such threats were ignored by others and were therefore never implemented.
It is notable how in the 1540s Henry once remarked that he loved his daughter (Mary) but he loved himself and his position more. This was certainly the case in the 1530s when he cast his daughter into disgrace – until she relented to his demands and therefore relinquished being an active political threat, she was to be treated severely. This even included actively ignoring her when he came to visit the household she was staying in. Henry’s selfishness and his own absolute detachment from those he loved whether they be friends or family when they displeased him, is seen repeatedly throughout his reign.
Anne Boleyn - seventeenth century portrait
A posthumous portrait of Anne Boleyn, probably painted in the C17th. Anne was the second wife of Henry VIII but was also in her own right a patroness of religious reform and the arts and was Marquess of Pembroke (a title of which was granted to her by Henry in 1532). She was also the mother of Elizabeth I of England.
Anne is the most controversial of Henry’s wives and tends to incite great sympathy or fierce criticism. Unfortunately many positive aspects of Anne’s character have not been dwelled on by many historians including her extensive private charitable incentives and her notable role in saving and attempting to save the lives of various European reformers.
Anne’s relationship with her stepdaughter Mary has proved one of the most controversial aspects of Anne’s character. However this area has been much magnified and imbalanced. Whilst Anne and her stepdaughter certainly clashed and both would speak out against the other it appears that Anne had no say as to what occurred to Mary. Instead direct decisions concerning Mary’s welfare were taken by Henry and to a large degree Cromwell. Whilst Mary and her supporters perceived Anne as being the cause of the bad treatment, this was proven to the contrary when following Anne’s death in May 1536 Henry’s treatment of Mary grew worse. It was he who forced Mary to sign a document recognising her parent’s marriage as invalid, herself as illegitimate and her father as the Head of the Church of England. We also know from a report of the Spanish ambassador Chapuys, who detested Anne that decisions regarding Mary were being taken by the Council, Henry and Cromwell, with no reference to Anne Boleyn. The allegations that she was involved in Mary’s ill treatment become even harder to believe when we know that when Anne did threaten her such threats were ignored by others and were therefore never implemented.
It is notable how in the 1540s Henry once remarked that he loved his daughter (Mary) but he loved himself and his position more. This was certainly the case in the 1530s when he cast his daughter into disgrace – until she relented to his demands and therefore relinquished being an active political threat, she was to be treated severely. This even included actively ignoring her when he came to visit the household she was staying in. Henry’s selfishness and his own absolute detachment from those he loved whether they be friends or family when they displeased him, is seen repeatedly throughout his reign.