The Trials of Anne & George Boleyn

Within hours of each other, siblings Anne and George Boleyn would stand trial on charges of treason in King's Hall at the Tower of London. Both would be declared guilty and condemned to death.

One year ago this week, I made my first journey to England and changed my life. The trip would forever alter my outlook, mood and attitude for the better. Upon my return, I found myself refreshed, renewed and ready to face all new challenges.

In some strange way, it was the unimagined strength of Queen Anne Boleyn to face her doom with poise and dignity that enabled me to come back to the U.S. and carry on despite my grave fear of the unknown future that lay ahead. I have always felt this kinship with Anne and I am proud to say I used it to my advantage over this past year. (Something I believe Anne, herself, would find a way to do as well!)

The way Anne behaved and lived her life -- always true to herself -- has so often been used as an explanation of her downfall and the reason so many people disliked her. I use it as a model for the way I intend to continue to behave and live my own life -- come what may. In this way, Anne's spirit will live on, through me.

On This Day in Tudor History:

September 1, 1532, Lady Anne Boleyn is made Marquess of Pembroke in her own right.
Henry VIII's relationship with Anne Boleyn helped to solidify an alliance with France. Anne and Henry planned a meeting with the French king, Francis I, at Calais in winter 1532, in which Henry hoped to enlist the Francis's support for his intended marriage. In order to make it proper that Anne be welcomed at the French court on this visit, Henry endowed Anne with an appropriate rank. She was created Marquess of Pembroke, and became the most prestigious non-royal woman in the English realm. The Pembroke title was significant for the Tudor family because Henry's great-uncle, Jasper Tudor, had held the title of Earl of Pembroke; and Henry performed the investiture himself.
The investiture was also significant in not only what it endowed upon Anne, but why.
As Marquess of Pembroke, Anne was given a male style and was the only woman in English history to be given a male title. She was also given extensive lands which would bring her thousands of pounds per year, making her also the richest common lady in the realm. But it was the wording of the letters patent which made this investiture so interesting...

The title was not only given to Anne in her own right, but it would pass then to the heirs of her body. They purposely left out word "legitimate" when referring to her heirs. Henry VIII was quite obviously hedging his bets where his divorce from Katherine of Aragon was concerned! He was making sure that any children he got on Anne would inherit and be members of the peerage.

It is unclear (to me) as to whether Anne's title and lands were absorbed by the crown upon her marriage or forfeited to the crown upon her execution for treason.

On This Day in Tudor History:

On August 14, 1473, Lady Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury was born - the last legitimate member of the House of Plantagenet.
Lady Salisbury was Godmother and sponsor to King Henry VIII's daughter with Katherine of Aragon, Princess Mary, later Queen Mary I. She was also appointed Mary's Governess until Henry had Mary declared illegitimate and placed in Princess Elizabeth's household.
After Margaret's son, Reginald Cardinal Pole, published a treatise critical of Henry for leaving Katherine and marrying Anne Boleyn, the King systematically dismantled and executed the Poles while Reginald stayed safe over seas.
On My 28th, 1541, Lady Salisbury was executed on the Tower Green.
According to some accounts, Lady Salisbury, who was 67 years old, frail and ill, was dragged to the block, but refused to lay her head on it, having to be forced down. As she struggled, the inexperienced executioner's first blow made a gash in her shoulder rather than her neck. Ten additional blows were required to complete the execution. A less reputable account states that she leapt from the block after the first clumsy blow and ran, pursued by the executioner, being struck eleven times before she died. She was buried at the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula and beatified a martyr by the Catholic Church.

On This Day in Tudor History:

On July 28, 1540, Thomas Cromwell was executed on charges of treason.
Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex, served as King Henry VIII's chief minister from 1532 to 1540. Cromwell rose to such power because he was one of the strongest advocates of the English Reformation, the English Church's break with the papacy in Rome, something which was vital to King Henry in having his marriage to Katherine of Aragon annulled so he could marry Anne Boleyn.
Cromwell started his political career with the patronage of the Boleyn family and then, ironically, he was instrumental in the family's downfall and the execution of Queen Anne and her brother George.


Also on this day: Because Henry VIII liked nothing better than to get married the same day as a high profile execution (he was formally betrothed to Jane Seymour the day Anne Boleyn was beheaded), the King married his 5th wife, Catherine Howard, on this same day.

On This Day in Tudor History:

On July 17, 1586, the Babington Plot to kill Queen Elizabeth I and replace her on the throne with the Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots was foiled by Sir Frances Walsingham and his spy network. It was on this date that Mary wrote the letter that would seal her fate.

Walsingham had long pleaded with Elizabeth to try her cousin Mary for treason and put her to death - to no avail. Elizabeth would not be moved to execute a fellow queen of royal blood. So when he intercepted a letter Mary wrote to young Anthony Babington concerning the plot to rescue her and assassinate Elizabeth, Walsingham used this opportunity to forge additions to the letter which would be certain to seal the fates of both Babington and Mary.

Queen Mary went on trial at Fotheringhay Castle in Northamptonshire and denied her part in the plot, but her correspondence was the evidence although many believed correctly that some of it had been forged. Mary was sentenced to death. Elizabeth finally signed her cousin's death warrant, and in February 1587, in front of 300 witnesses, Mary, Queen of Scots, was executed by beheading.