Henry VIII Tudor - one of the most prominent kings of England. In his actions he was guided by the mind, political will and at the same time - by love. To make Queen Anna Boleyn, whom he adored, neglected the political alliance with Spain, quarreled with the Pope himself and changed the religion of his country. But for the mad love of the sovereign, Anna had to pay with her life.
Henry before meeting with Anna
Prince Henry was born in 1491. His parents were the reigning king of England Henry VII Tudor and his beloved wife Elizabeth. The eldest son in the family was Arthur. But in 1502 he died, and Henry became the Prince of Wales, heir to the throne.
And Arthur left behind his young wife - Catherine of Aragon, the daughter of a powerful couple of Spanish monarchs. Henry VII decided not to lose an important dynastic union. He received permission from the Pope to marry a daughter-in-law with his second son. The prince did not argue with his father.
In 1509, the king died, and his heir began to rule under the name of Henry VIII. Soon he married the widow of an older brother.
Catherine was six years older, but by the time of her wedding with the seventeen-year-old king, she retained her beauty and youth. The first years of marriage were quite successful. Henry ruled, and Catherine was a faithful and intelligent assistant to him - not forgetting, however, about the interests of her native Spain.
But the main task of the wife of every monarch is the birth of an heir. Catherine could not cope with her main mission: either the birth of a dead child, the early death of an heir, or a miscarriage … Only the daughter named Mary (born in 1516) survived. She had the rights to the future throne, but in those days the male heir looked preferable. The marriage of the ruling queen would mean a change of dynasty.
Meanwhile, the king has matured. He became less interested in his wife's opinion in politics, and the absence of his son caused him disappointment. In addition, the queen, exhausted by constant childbirth and grief from the loss of children, began to fool …
Naturally, Henry had favorites, some of whom gave birth to children from the king. Henry even officially recognized one of the sons and was a step away from the proclamation of the boy as heir.
Anna before meeting with Henry
Anna was probably born in 1601 (the exact date has not been set) in a noble family. As a child, she went to Paris in the retinue of the English Princess Mary, who married the king of France. There, young Boleyn spent several years studying French, playing musical instruments, exquisite manners and etiquette.
The girl returned to her homeland in 1522. Her father intended to marry her to a young relative. The engagement was upset. But Anna was expecting another important event - a presentation to the English royal court.
Was Anna a beauty? Both portraits and written testimonies that have come down to us are somewhat contradictory. But it’s known that Anna was witty and charming, dressed elegantly, sang pleasantly and danced beautifully. In addition, the girl spoke excellent French and possessed elegant manners. She knew how to charm - despite the rather complex nature.
Relationship start
The first meeting of Anna and Henry took place in March 1522 in York during a festive performance. The girl, among other court ladies, performed a dance. Soon the enchantress took possession of the king's heart.
Henry began to give her attention. Every lady would be happy - but not Anna! The role of the mistress - even the king himself - did not appeal to her. It was hard to say whether it was a firm calculation for something more from the very beginning.
Perhaps Anna was stopped by the example of her older sister Mary. She previously had a love affair with Henry, although she was married. But the young woman received neither happiness, nor wealth, nor power. Heinrich just cooled down to her after several years of relationship.
And maybe Anna, not without the help of influential friends, had planned everything in advance. Smart and ambitious, she could not help but realize that a dynastic crisis was brewing in the country: Henry still had no prince-heir. It became obvious that the king would seek a way out of the situation - and, perhaps, would decide to divorce?
Be that as it may, Anna dared not reciprocate her sovereign. Moreover, in 1523 she gathered to marry the young and noble Sir Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland. But Henry, inflamed with a burning passion for the unyielding beauty, did not give consent to this marriage. Anna retired from the yard and went to live on her father's estate.
In 1525 or 1526, she returned to London as the maid of honor of the Queen. Meanwhile, Henry did not forget Anna, and separation from her only inflamed his passion. He again began to surround the girl with attention and gifts. She accepted his courtship - but still did not respond to love.
Finally, the king made up his mind. He invited Anna to become his wife and queen after he divorced Catherine. The unthinkable became a reality - and Anna agreed.
The divorce of Henry and Catherine
In the sixteenth century, in Christian Europe, divorce was extraordinary, for which really good reason was needed. For example, the betrayal of the spouse, who in the case of the queen was interpreted as treason. Or the departure of the spouse to the monastery. So even the monarch simply could not get a divorce, especially if he was married to the princess of a powerful house.
The situation was difficult for Henry:
- Catherine did not give a reason for divorce;
- she did not want to voluntarily go to the monastery;
- the divorce permitted and consecrated by the Catholic Church required the permission of the Pope;
- divorce from Catherine meant difficulties in relations with her relatives in Spain.
Henry decided to divorce on the grounds that his union with Catherine was sinful. He married her after his brother, and the Bible condemns this.
But the pope did not convince. Especially in the conditions that Rome at that time was in the hands of the Spanish emperor Carlos, Catherine's nephew. The queen herself completely disagreed.
The process dragged on for years. The king, longing to marry Anna, was angry and changed advisers. Boleyn herself waited patiently, supporting his determination in the king.
Her position at court changed. Henry gave his beloved the title of Marquise of Pembroke, and yesterday the maid of honor became almost equal to members of the royal family. Her relatives also received titles and various honors. The king listened to Anna and in matters of politics.
When they became lovers, it is not known exactly. The girl often spent time with the king. But some researchers believe that she continued to keep her bedroom doors closed.
Finally, Henry and his advisers found a radical solution. The Church of England came out of submission to Rome and the king himself stood at its head. In 1532-1534, the parliament adopted the necessary legislative acts. The main obstacle to the new marriage of the king was removed.
Note that in the separation of the Anglican Church from Catholicism, Henry was guided not only by personal reasons. In Europe at that time, the Reformation unfolded - a movement to reduce the power and wealth of the church. In England there were many supporters of this view, and, apparently, Boleyn was one of them.
Henry and Anna got married in 1532 - at first secretly, since the issue of divorce from the king’s previous wife had not yet been finally decided. A few months later, they held a second, open and magnificent ceremony. The marriage of the monarch with Catherine was declared illegal.
Many were unhappy with Henry's new wife, who considered her an upstart, who intrigued the real queen. But the royal couple did not care. An answer was prepared for everyone unhappy with the king: proclamation of a traitor, Tower, execution.
Henry was happy: Anna finally became his wife. And she was pleased with her unthinkable exaltation. In addition, they were already expecting a child - the long-awaited heir, as they both believed …
Queen of England
In the summer of 1533, Anna was solemnly crowned. It was her finest hour: all her efforts reached the goal! All that remained was to give birth to an heir.
The birth came in early September and turned into the first fiasco of Anna. A daughter was born. She was called Elizabeth.
The king was very upset, but did not stop loving his wife. Elizabeth was proclaimed heir to the throne (daughter from her first marriage, Mary, was recognized illegitimate). Of course, the baby was seen as a “temporary” Princess of Wales. The royal couple was counting on Anna's new pregnancy.
The next year, the queen again suffered, but there was a miscarriage. Immediately, Henry was so disappointed that he began to think about divorce. Fortunately for Anna, the couple a few months later came together again and conceived - as it turned out later - a son.
But fate already led the queen along the path of her unjustly offended predecessor. Despite the expectation of a child, Henry is interested in the young and modest Jane Seymour. Anna understood: if she does not give birth to a son, she will lose everything and endanger her daughter Elizabeth.
At the beginning of 1536, Catherine of Aragon died. And soon Anna threw the stillborn boy. Henry decided that the second wife, just like the first, is not able to give him an heir. Influential opponents of the queen "helped" come to this opinion, of whom there were many …
Against Anna began a lawsuit, imputing her treason to the king. In the same case, several men close to the queen, including her brother, were arrested. The wife of Henry and her "lovers" were found guilty of treason. The punishment was one - death.
Anna did not admit her guilt. On May 19, 1536, the former queen was beheaded.
