The Woman Who Ruled a King: Anne Boleyn

Anne Boleyn was born sometime between 1501-1507 (the specific year is still up for debate amongst scholars) at Blickling Hall in Norfolk, England. Her parents were Elizabeth Howard and Thomas Boleyn. Thomas was knighted by Anne’s soon to be husband, King Henry VIII, and was one of his favored courtiers. Anne had two siblings, one sister and one brother. The family moved into Hever Castle, which Thomas inherited from his father, in 1504. For a brief look into the family’s home, please watch “Inside Hever Castle” to the right. With the video, you are able to see what Hever Castle looks like from the exterior and interior, as well as the diffferent features the castle has to offer if you were to visit. 

In 1513, Anne was sent to the court of Margaret of Austria, where she was taught many skills and proper court behavior. While there, Anne quickly became proficient in French. As she had demonstrated her excellent way with court life, she was moved to the French court in 1515. Anne was accompanied by her sister, Mary Boleyn, who can be seen in the painting to the left. It is believed that Mary Boleyn was Henry VIII’s mistress for a short time in France before their true affair in England. Unlike her sister, Anne stayed at French court for seven years working as an attendant for the French Queen Claude.

Thomas wanted Anne to return to England in 1521, as he had arranged a marriage for her. Once she returned, Anne gained a position as a lady for Catherine of Aragon. She chooses to accept it instead of going through with the arranged marriage. At English court, Anne found out her sister was having an affair with King Henry VIII, which had been going on for two years. Whilst there, Anne caught the attention of one of Cardinal Wolsey’s men, Henry Percy. He was young, attractive, and the son of the Earl of Northumberland. However, it was around this time when Anne started to catch the king’s eye as well. Between the Cardinal and the King’s interference, poor Anne and Percy’s infatuation for one another never stood a chance. The Cardinal can be seen in the image to the left titled The Banquet of Henry VIII in York Place (Whitehall Palace) as he welcomes Anne and Henry to his court. In the painting, the Cardinal is the foreground with the king and Anne. The painting captures the Cardinal's large presence as he is wearing his traditional red dressing robes. The way young Anne is depicted in the painting shows her as being shy, or even embarrassed, towards the attention she is receiving. 

Anne was sent back to Hever Castle in 1523, while Percy was sent back to his father where he was quickly married off to Mary Talbot. In order to learn more of the specifics around Anne’s time at Hever and its history, please watch the video to the right titled “Hever Castle: In Search of the Boleyn Family Home.” For Mary Boleyn, the King picked who she would marry in order to keep her close to continue their affair. As his gaze shifted to her sister, he lost interest in Mary and hoped to make Anne his new mistress. Anne, who was determined and stubborn, had no interest in only being someone’s mistress.