Anne Boleyn, an innocent victim, or cunning seductress
The majority of modern historians now believe that Anne Boleyn was an innocent woman.
It’s thought that she was framed, most likely by Henry VIII’s loyal servant, Thomas Cromwell.
Henry was moving on to a new wife, Jane Seymour ~ with whom he hoped to have a surviving male heir.
Something Anne had ‘promised’ him, but didn’t deliver.
Anne initially found an ally in Thomas Cromwell, however, their relationship was becoming strained.
Anne had disagreed with Cromwell’s plans for the monasteries, and was intent on taking her views to the King ~ telling him that Cromwell’s advice was seriously flawed.
Anne’s pro-French stance on diplomacy was a problem, when Cromwell wanted an alliance with the Holy Roman Empire.
Could Cromwell, who devised the case against Anne, want to remove her as an obstacle to his plans…..
Six people were accused of treason against the King.
The Jury knew what was expected of them, and the verdict they had to give.
Anne, her brother George Boleyn, Sir Henry Norris, Sir Francis Weston, William Brereton and Mark Smeaton, all had very little hope of any justice.
The Imperial Ambassador Eustace Chapuys reports in his dispatch, regarding the trial of four of the men~
“They were condemned upon presumption and certain indications, without valid proof or confession”.
No witnesses were produced against Anne and her brother either, and they defended themselves admirably.
George was described as replying “so well” to the charges
that several of those present wagered 10 to 1 that he would be acquitted”
It was all fruitless, all were found guilty and condemned to death.
The men were sentenced to being hanged, drawn and quartered, but the king in his ‘mercy’ commuted their sentences to beheading.
Anne was sentenced to death.
The ‘Hangman of Calais’, who was well known for his skill at b~heading by sword, was sent for.
It is now widely believed this was done before Anne had even been found guilty!
Anne’s charges included having sExual relationships with five men ~ including her own brother, George Boleyn.
According to the indictments, not only had she slept with these men as a result of her “frail and carnal appetites”, but she had also conspired with them to kill her husband, the king.
The dates of Anne’s alleged crimes ran from October 1533 to January 1536.
However, the late historian Eric Ives pointed out that three-quarters of the dates mentioned in the indictments, do not make sense for either Anne or the accused man.
Anne was not present at the places and times stated.
For example, in October 1533, when Anne was accused of “procuring” Sir Henry Norris to “violate” her at Westminster, Anne was still confined to her chambers at Greenwich, after the birth of her daughter, Elizabeth.
In 1535, when she was supposed to have been seducing Mark Smeaton at Greenwich, the queen was actually at Richmond.
On 19th May 1536, Queen Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII, was exEcuted by b~heading.
She’d been queen for just three years…….
🌹 A painting by Édouard Cibot of Anne Boleyn in the Tower of London, 1835.
