Christmas was one of the high points of the year for the Tudor court. Nobles who had retired to their country homes often returned for the festivities, so the palace would be packed to capacity during the season. So many courtiers attended in 1532 that temporary kitchens had to be erected on the grounds of Greenwich to prepare enough food for the crowd.
Christmas of 1532 was a particularly lavish celebration for Henry’s court. He was in a joyous mood. Anne Boleyn and Henry had secretly married a month prior, and though Anne likely didn’t know it yet, she was carrying Henry’s child.
They had not yet announced the marriage to the court, waiting for the right moment, but it seems there were a few hints about it. A new play by John Heywood was performed at court that Christmas, “The Play of the Weather.” As with many forms of art in the period, it was an allegory, wrapping current events in a fine veil of mythological references.
Jupiter (Henry) hears requests from people begging for the sort of weather they need to be successful in their endeavors. The play alludes to the creation of a new moon because the “old moon” (Katharine of Aragon) could hold no water (have children) but, by Saint Anne, the “weather” would soon amend – an allusion that needs no explanation.
This was the second year that Katharine of Aragon had been absent from the Christmas festivities. The prior year, the French ambassador had attended a feast hosted by Anne in her chambers, rather than the traditional feast presided over by the king and queen. This year, Anne openly took the place of Katharine, and also resided in the queen’s chambers.
Katharine sent a gift to her husband, as always. Imperial ambassador Eustace Chapuys describes the scene:
?ℎ? ????? [Katharine] ℎ????? ???? ????????? ?? ????? ??????? ?? ???? ???????? ?? ?ℎ? ????, ??? ??? ???ℎ??? ?? ?????? ℎ?? ???? ??????? ℎ?? ?? ????? ???????, ?????? ?? ?? ????????? ?? ℎ?? ?? ??? ????’? ???, ?? ??? ?? ?ℎ? ????????? ?? ?ℎ? ?ℎ?????, ? ???? ??? ?? ????? ????? ??? ???????? ????????ℎ??, ?ℎ? ???? ????? ??????? ?? ?ℎ? ???? ℎ????? ??? ??????????? ????? ??? ?ℎ? ????????.
?ℎ? ????, ℎ??????, ??? ???? ??????? ?? ?????? ?ℎ? ???????, ??? ?????? ?? ????? ???? ????? ???ℎ ?ℎ? ????????? ?ℎ? ℎ?? ?????????? ?? ????? ??. ??? ?? ??????? ?ℎ?? ??? ?? ?ℎ??? ℎ???? ?????????? ?ℎ? ???? ℎ?????? ??????? ?? ??? ?ℎ? ??? ?????, ??????? ???ℎ ??? ?ℎ??? ??? ????????ℎ??, ??? ??????? ???? ?ℎ? ????????? ?? ℎ?? ?ℎ????? ?ℎ? ℎ?? ???????? ?? ???? ?ℎ? ?????’? ????????? ?ℎ???? ???? ?? ???? ??????????? — ?? ?ℎ??ℎ ???? ?ℎ? ????? ???ℎ? ℎ??? ?? ????????? ????? ?????? ?ℎ? ????????? (?????? ???? ???????), ?ℎ?? ℎ? (?ℎ? ????) ????? ??? ???? ?????? ??? ?????????? — ℎ? ??????? ?ℎ? ????????? ??? ?? ???? ?ℎ? ??? ???? ????? ?ℎ? ???????, ?ℎ??ℎ ??? ??????????? ????, ??? ?? ??? ?ℎ?? ???????? ?? ?ℎ? ?????.
?ℎ? ????, ????????, ℎ?? ???? ℎ?? ?? ??? ????’? ???? ?? ?ℎ?? ????????, ??? ℎ??, ? ℎ???, ????????? ?ℎ? ??????? ?? ℎ?? ????? ???????, ?? ???? ?? ?ℎ? ????????? ?? ℎ?? ?ℎ?????, ??? ??ℎ??? ?? ?????? ???ℎ ?ℎ? ???? ??????.
?ℎ? ???? ???? ???? ?? ??? ????’? ??? ?? ???? [presents] ?? ?ℎ? ?????? ?? ?ℎ? ?????’? ?????ℎ???, ??? ?? ?ℎ??? ?? ?ℎ? ????????, ??? ?ℎ?? ??????, ℎ??ℎ???? ????ℎ????? ????????, ℎ?? ??? ???? ????????????, ??? ?? ??????? ℎ?? ???? ????, ?ℎ??ℎ ?? ? ???? ?? ?? ?ℎ?? ?????? ???? ?????? ?????? ?? ??????? ?ℎ? ????? ?? ?ℎ? ????? ??? ?? ℎ?? ????ℎ???, ?ℎ? ????????, ???? ?????? ????? ??? ????? ????? ???.
?ℎ? ???? ℎ?? ??? ???? ??????? ??????????? ??????? ?ℎ? ???? [Anne Boleyn] ???? ?ℎ?? ℎ? ℎ?? ???????? ??????? ?????, ?????? ?? ?ℎ? ???????? ???ℎ???, ???ℎ?? ??????????, ??? ????????? ℎ?? ?? ?????? ???ℎ ℎ??????? ??? ??? ????, ??? ? ??? ??????? ???ℎ ???? ??? ?????? ????ℎ, ??????? ?????, ??? ?????????? ???ℎ?? ?ℎ?? ??? ?ℎ? ????.
?ℎ? ???? [Anne], ????????, ?? ????? ??????? ?ℎ??? ?ℎ? ????? ???????? ???, ??? ?????? ?ℎ? ???? ??????????? ℎ?? ???? ???????? ?? ?????? ?ℎ? ???? ?????? ?? ?ℎ? ?????? ?? ?ℎ? ????? ℎ?????? ℎ?? ???????? ?? ℎ?? ?????, ?? ?? ?ℎ? ???? ??????? ? ?????.
The “darts” Chapuys mentions were Anne’s gift to Henry. “Boar spears” is usually how they’re described in histories of the era, but they were actually more like swords.
Henry’s gifts to Anne that year included a set of opulent bedchamber hangings and magnificent silver, which he had polished and stamped with her arms before delivery.
??????? ????? ?ℎ? ????’? ???? ?????? ?? ????????, ?????? ?? ?ℎ? ??????, ?? ??????? ?? ?ℎ? ???? ?? ???????? ?ℎ??? ??????? ?? ???? ?????, ???? ?? ??? ????? ?????????, ?????????? ?? ?ℎ? ?????ℎ??? :—2 ???? ???? ???ℎ ????? ????? ??ℎ??? ?ℎ? ????, ?ℎ??ℎ ???? ?? ??? ????? ?? ???????? ?? ??? ??????? ???????, ????ℎ??? 133 ??. ; ? ???? ?? ???? ??????? ???ℎ ?ℎ? ???? ?? ??????, 147 ??. ; 6 ???? ????? ???ℎ??? ? ?????, 200½??. ; 3 ???? ????? ???ℎ ? ????? ?? ?????? ????ℎ,“ ?ℎ??ℎ ???????? ?? ??? ????. ???????, 77 ??. ; 12 ???? ?????? ???ℎ ????-????? ?? ?ℎ? ???, 18 ??. ; ? ???? ?? ??????-???? ????, 99½ ??. ; ????ℎ??, 97¾ ??. ; ????ℎ??, 71 ??. ; 6 ??????-???? ????? ???ℎ??? ?????, 199¼ ??. ; ?ℎ? ????? ?? ?ℎ? ????, 19¾ ??. ; ? ????? ??? ????, ??????-????, 77 ??. ; ????ℎ?? ????? ??? ????, ??????-????, 64 ??. ; 11 ?ℎ??? ?????? ???ℎ ????? ?? ?ℎ? ????, 20¼ ??. ; 4 ???????, ?ℎ???, ???ℎ ℎ??ℎ ???????, 86½ ??. ; “? ????? ????? ?? ?????? ??? ? ?ℎ?????, ??? ? ?????? ??? ?? ?ℎ? ????, ????ℎ??? ?????ℎ?? 138½ ??.” ; ??? ? ?ℎ????? ???ℎ, ??????-????, 39¾ ??. “??? ?ℎ?? ?? ???? ????? ?? ?ℎ? ???????? ??????? ?? ????? ???? ??? ???? ?? ????? ??? ?ℎ? ???ℎ?? ???????? ?ℎ? ???? ℎ????????.” ????????ℎ, 1 ???. 24 ???. ????.
Henry gave Anne’s father, Thomas Boleyn, a steel “glass” (probably a mirror) in a wooden case lined with black velvet. To Anne’s mother, Elizabeth, Henry sent a needlework case and six shirt collars – three in gold and three in silver.
Anne’s brother, George, was given two gilt “hyngers” – which were short swords with gold decorations. His wife, Jane Parker Lady Rochford, was given four caps – two of satin, two of velvet – decorated with gold buttons.
Within a month or so, Anne Boleyn would know she was pregnant, and the couple would re-marry on the night of a new moon in the gatehouse at Whitehall palace. Rumors would fly, and Anne would make broad hints as she ruled as queen in all but name, but the marriage would not be officially announced until Easter.
Anne Boleyn’s ghost is said to walk the grounds of Hever Castle around Christmas time, appearing beneath an oak tree where she and Henry are said to have courted. She crosses a bridge, it is said, and tosses a sprig of holly into the river.
