The Fall Of Anne Boleyn
The May Day Joust of 1536, was the first outward sign that something was wrong in Tudor paradise.
The May Day festivities began for the English royal couple at Greenwich Palace, as usual.
Henry VIII was unable to participate, due to his recent accident.
Anne Boleyn’s brother George, led the challengers and the King’s good friend and Groom of the Stool Sir Henry Norris, led the defenders.
Anne had no idea about the ongoing interrogation of the court’s talented musician Mark Smeaton, the day before.
Henry seemed to be in a spectacularly good mood, but suddenly, he got up and left the joust, without so much as a glance at his shocked wife.
Henry ordered Norris to ride with him to Westminster…..
According to Norris’s servant George Constantine, the King interrogated Norris all the way back to Westminster.
The King offered Norris a pardon if he would tell the King the truth, that he had committed adultery with Anne.
Norris told the King~
“in his conscience he thought Anne innocent of all these things laid to her charge; but whether she was or not, he would not accuse her of anything; and he would die a thousand times, rather than ruin an innocent person.”
Given the lack of his willingness to testify against Anne, Henry Norris was simply taken to the Tower of London, where Mark Smeaton had already being held for some time.
Even if Norris had confessed, he would not have been allowed to be free and live.
Anne, meanwhile, still had no clue as to what an awful travesty of justice was quickly unfolding behind her back……
She would be dead just 18 days later.
