merlinstolethetardisfrombakerst:
Anne Boleyn (?1501/1507 – 19/05/1536)
Queen:
1533 – 1536
Other titles:
- Marquess of Pembroke
Parents:
Sir Thomas Boleyn (later Earl of Wiltshire) and Lady Elizabeth Howard
Siblings:
- Mary (mistress to Henry VIII, married Sir William Carey and later Sir William Stafford)
- George (later Lord Rochford)
Marriages:
- underwent a form of pre-contract with George Percy (later Earl of Northumberland), some sources say they married. The relationship was broken up due to the mismatch of birth
- King Henry VIII
Children:
- Queen Elizabeth I
- miscarried a son at four months
- two other possible still births/miscarriages have been suggested but not proven
Fate:
Henry fought for several years for his annullment to make him free to marry Anne, yet within three years this woman he had been fascinated with for so long had her head on the block. How did this happen? It may simply be because “the grass was greener on the other side” - after Henry had received what he wanted (Anne as a bedfellow), he was no longer interested. His ardour certainly cooled when she failed to give him a son quickly. Anne was also quite different from the mild mannered and regal Catherine of Aragon, who had indulged Henry and turned a blind eye to his affairs. What Henry tolerated in a paramour he found unacceptable in a wife. Anne’s fall from power was quick and brutal. She was arrested and sent to the Tower with no prior warning. Three of her friends (Francis Weston, Henry Norris and William Brereton), a court musician (Mark Smeaton) and her own brother were found guilty of being her lovers and executed. It is extremely unlikely that accusations were true, and there is now evidence to suggest that it was a plot masterminded by Thomas Cromwell. Anne followed them to the block on 19th May 1536, innocent of the crimes she was accused of (incest, adultery and witchcraft), leaving behind her almost three year old daughter.
My opinion:
It cannot be denied that Anne Boleyn is one of the most talked about women in history, and polarizes opinion. I admire Anne, as she doggedly pursued what she wanted and managed to hold onto a spoilt King for several years. I also feel sorry for her as once she has achieved what she has so desperatley wanted, the success turned to ashes in her mouth. She had a mere three years of being Queen, the majority of which she spent looking over her shoulder fearing for her position. I believe that Anne was without a doubt a modern woman trapped in a backward age and that eventually lead to her downfall.
(via wannacumbermybatch)
