The Mysteries of History (May 19 Edition)
Anne Boleyn Beheaded, &c
1536 — Anne Boleyn Executed
public domain images from wikimedia commons
King Henry the 8th of England (1491-1547) had six wives; three named Catherine, two named Anne, and one called Jane (Seymour).
Hank #8 rid himself of his first wife, Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536), due to his strong desire to have a male heir, which Catherine and he had been unable to accomplish together. Henry abandoned Catherine for her lady-in-waiting (personal assistant/valet) Anne Boleyn (1501 or 1507-1536). Anne, although not infertile, also gave birth to no male children (but the fetus from a miscarriage she suffered would apparently have been a male).
For her “failure” to produce a male heir for King Hank, Anne, too, was ultimately rejected by Henry for her lady-in-waiting, Jane Seymour (1508-1537). Ironically, although Jane did give birth to a male heir, Edward (King Edward the Sixth, 1537-1553), Edward only reigned as King from 1547 to 1553 until his early death from illness, and it was Anne and Henry’s “illegitimate” daughter Elizabeth the 1st (1533-1603) who reigned far longer, being Queen of England from 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth never married, and was called “The Virgin Queen.”
In order to rid himself of Anne in favor of Jane Seymour (as he had done previously with Catherine of Aragon being replaced by Anne), King Henry accused Anne of adultery with a court musician as well as incest with her brother. It is now widely believed that Anne was innocent of these trumped-up, politically motivated charges.
Nevertheless, those accused of having committed these crimes with Anne were executed, as was Anne, who made the following statement immediately before being beheaded on this day in 1536:
Masters, I here humbly submit me to the law as the law hath judged me, and as for mine offences, I here accuse no man. God knoweth them; I remit them to God, beseeching Him to have mercy on my soul.
Then, addressing herself to Jesus Christ in prayer-like fashion, she asked him to “save my sovereign and master the King, the most godly, noble and gentle Prince that is, and long to reign over you.”
Anne’s motive for speaking in that manner about the person who betrayed her and had her executed may be understood and explained in that Anne was probably attempting to save her daughter Elizabeth from future repercussions, hoping to soften Henry’s heart by means of her humble and conciliatory expressions.
Within a day of Anne’s execution, Henry and Jane were engaged, and they formalized the union eleven days after that.
Jane was Queen only until her death the next year; next up was another Anne, known as Anne of Cleves (1515-1557).
Chart of Hank #8 and his six wives
Note: Parr’s child was the son of her fourth husband, Thomas Seymour, who was the brother of Hank the 8th’s wife #3 Jane Seymour. The year after Parr died, Thomas was executed for treason. Their daughter Mary Seymour, then a full orphan, apparently died as an infant.
Questions: Who reigned after Henry the 8th and before Elizabeth the 1st? Whose life story in this fascinating web of intrigue do you find the most interesting? Have you heard the song I'm Henry VIII, I Am by Herman’s Hermits?
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