Treason Against the Queen

From the Perogatives of a Queen Consort of England:

Of Its Being Treason To Plot Against Her - Compassing or imaging the Death of our Lady Queen, violating the King's Companion, is Treason.

The following article pertains to the curious case of Anne Boleyn:

Noble Deeds of Women - Benevolence

Anne Boleyn: Fatal Attractions

From the Guardian:

A new biography of Anne Boleyn is set to claim that, far from being framed for adultery, Henry VIII's second queen may not have been innocent of the affairs for which she was sentenced to death.

Of the conclusions he draws from this latest evidence, Bernard says, "It's a hypothesis – not a proof. In a court of law you might not condemn her for the crime, but I don't think you'd acquit her either."

His biography, Anne Boleyn: Fatal Attractions, due out from Yale University Press in April, also disputes the view that Anne held back from sexual relations with Henry until he agreed to make her his queen, claiming that it is "highly implausible". He believes that it was Henry, not Anne, who held back, on the grounds that he wanted their children to be his legitimate heirs. "He would, I suspect, have been astonished and horrified to discover that later generations have supposed he did not sleep with Anne in those years because she would not let him," Bernard says.

Causa Anglica

From Richard Owen @ Times Online:

A facsimile of an historic document from the Vatican Secret Archives in which English peers appeal to Pope Clement VII to annul Henry VIII’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon is to be given to the Queen tomorrow.

The 95 x 46cm (37 x 18in) parchment, which dates from 1530 and bears 81 red wax seals, is a key document of events leading to the schism between Rome and the Church in England.

Vatican historians say that whatever the later causes of the schism, the “most immediate and determining cause” was Henry VIII’s “wish to get rid of his legitimate wife, Catherine of Aragon, daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, in order to marry Anne Boleyn.”

But Marco Maiorino, a Vatican historian of papal diplomacy, said the King’s other motive was to ensure succession, since Catherine, of whose six children only Mary Tudor survived, had failed to provide a male heir.

Anne Boleyn - A Scandalous Life

From the Telegraph:

Salacious details of how Anne Boleyn was said to have cheated on Henry VIII with her own brother are contained in documents which have been put on the internet for the first time.

An official account of her trial in 1536, including graphic claims of incest, features in an online exhibition to mark the 500th anniversary of the Tudor monarch's accession to the throne.

Anne's relationship with Henry set the course of British history, triggering England's split with Rome amid his divorce from his first wife Catherine of Aragon.

 

The collection also includes a court document relating to that divorce and a letter dealing with his later plans to cut ties with his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, because of disappointment in the bedroom.

There is also a section of Valor Ecclesiasticus, the valuation of church lands before the dissolution of the monasteries, which has been described as Henry VIII's equivalent to the Domesday Book.

They have been digitised as part of an online exhibition showcasing parchments from Henry's reign which are held by National Archives to mark the anniversary of his accession in 1509.

Review: The Tudor Sisters

Making a trip to the local library today, I came away with a mixed bag of 10 books - a mix of non-fiction and fiction - but all to do with history.

I read this first one over a period of an hour and a half today.

"The Tudor Sisters" by Aileen Armitage is the story of Mary and Anne Boleyn. It begins with the death of their mother and finishes with Henry's impending marriage to Anne. For me, however, it is more the story of Mary. In this book, the author places Mary as the elder of the two sisters who went to France in the entourage of Mary Tudor when she married the King of France.

The book itself is barely 200 pages - and its easy to read, whether the Tudor period of English history takes your fancy or not. Though, not a fan of the abundance of Tudor fiction about, I did enjoy the book.

I think the story of Mary Boleyn is becoming more popular than that of her sister (and rival) Anne. Mary, at least, survived her entanglement with Henry VIII!.

"The King's Whore"

I was reading Robin Maxwell's "The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn" (it was a very slow week, and as everyone had been raving about this book, I decided to jump on the bandwagon), and was struck by a couple of passages in the book:

Anne: "My father's fortunes risen over Mary's debauchery" ~~~ this was Anne lamenting the fact that her father found favour and fortune when daughter Mary became mistress to King Henry VIII of England.

It was true, the Howards and Boleyns did find favour when Mary became the willing mistress of King Henry - for a young woman at court, to catch the eye of the King, and he was still a handsome and imposing figure at this early stage, was no mean feat. However, to maintain that allure was another thing. But Mary herself was no stranger to "debauchery" - her time at the court of the French King had earned her the nickname of "the hackney". But unlike Anne, Mary enjoyed her time in the spotlight for what it was, knowing that at any moment she would be replaced in the King's favour.

More on Mary Boleyn:
Mary Boleyn
Mary Boleyn


A bit later, Anne again bemoans the fate of women: "A woman is a castle or a piece of land, most valued, oft admired, improved upon. Then she's sold or bought by fortune's sake, for heirs, a bribe, a prize, a debt repaid. Her flesh, her mind, aching heart forgot, nay considered not at all."

Yes, that was the fate of women before her and for some time after her. Women were considered the "property" of the fathers, and then once married, of their husbands. Marriages were arranged - for political considerations, for financial advancement, for social advancement - love and the young woman's own inclination did not enter the equation. Father's sought to ensure that their daughters were seen by those who could enable advancement for the family, and they were married off before they knew what was going on, oft times to a man many many years older.

In the case of royalty, a marriage to a reigning sovereign was considered one of the highest achievements for a young noblewoman. But this also brought with it a new set of constraints. Consider the example of the Tudors - infidelity was treason which result in death; marrying a King did not always entitle one to eternal happiness - this was far from the case more often than not; and of course, though the woman was bound by fidelity, this did not apply to the lusty monarch. Henry VIII is a good example - whilst applauding virtue, obedience and fidelity in his women, he rarely practised it himself.

Yes, catching the eye of a monarch had its rewards. In the case of Mary Boleyn, her family found favour and enrichment (land, money, preferment at court) - Mary herself was rewarded with jewels and money, and a child (though it is speculated that as Henry did not officially acknowledge the child that it may have been fathered by Mary's husband). Yes, even husband's gained advancement and reward for allowing the monarch "use" of a wife.

I again refer to Robin Maxwell's book:
George Boleyn: "I would think him [William Carey, husband of Mary] wise if her were making use of it, seeking favour in return for use of Mary." Yes, much mileage was to be gained from Mary's "use".

But as we know, with hindsight, it was Mary who had the last laugh on them all. She survived her time at the Tudor Court, and more importantly, unlike her sister, Mary kept her head!

The Other Boleyn Girl's Story: the Real One

Review - Plain Jane

This is the third book in Laurien Gardner's Queens of England series - one hopes that the other three Queens (Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Katherine Parr) will also be worthy of attention.

So, as you may, or may not have gathered, "Plain Jane" is the story of Jane Seymour, third wife and third Queen of King Henry VIII of England.

The story begins with 9yo Jane, and her early childhood in Wiltshire. We soon are introduced to 17yo Jane as she begins her journey to take up a position as lady-in-waiting to Queen Catherine of Aragon. This is around the time of Anne Boleyn's ascendancy at court - two rival Queens and one King.

And so, the familiar story of Jane's progress from lady of Queen Catherine to becoming a member of the court of Anne Boleyn, following through to Anne's coronation as Queen and her ultimate downfall. We then witness Jane's favour from the King and her own brief reign as Queen - her life ending after the birth of Henry's son and heir.

But what of the character of "Plain Jane" ?? Jane Seymour is often depicted as a young woman of chaste character, of pious devotion, and of obedience to family and King. But was Jane truly the innocent as she is often portrayed?? Was she entirely devoid of any understanding of the game of courtly politics?? Or was she in truth a keen observer, who, when the time came, decided to learn from the mistakes of those who came before her, and was determined not to loose her own head. Jane, at times, comes across as more cunning and more astute than those around her give her credit.

Jane certainly gave Henry the one thing that both Queens Catherine and Anne could not - a son and heir - but a what cost - she too gave her life in satiating the King's one desire.

I am not particularly a fan of the Tudors - yes, the irony is not lost, this is the second book on the Tudors that I have recently read - and my next book is also set in the reign of King Henry VIII. But until someone decides to write about other historical notables, the Tudors seem to be flavour of the month - well, for quite some months now actually.

I quite liked this novel on Jane Seymour - and think I will track down the other two novels: "The Spanish Bride: A Novel of Catherine of Aragon" and "A Lady Raised High: A Novel of Anne Boleyn".

Anne Boleyn

Anne Boleyn
(1507 - 1536)
English Queen Consort (1533 - 1536) of King Henry VIII of England.

Anne was related to the powerful Duke of Norfolk, who secured her appointment not only to court, but as future Queen of England. Anne's rise to power was at the expense of Henry VIII's lawful wife, Queen Katherine of Aragon.

Anne gave birth to a daughter, Elizabeth - she was said to have been already six months pregnant when married and crowned.

However, like Katherine, Anne's constant failure to provide Henry VIII with a male heir would be her downfall. She was accused of adultery - treason against the King and her execution planned by a secret Commission.

Meanwhile, Henry VIII cast his eye about court and set his sights on the pious Lady Jane Seymour.

Anne was executed on Tower Hill - Henry VIII was said to have brought in a skilled French swordsman to perform the beheading, as some consolation. Anne was buried in the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula.

Anne's fall from grace was mirrored in the fall of the Howard family and the rise of the Seymour family.

~~~ Melisende (first pub: 2/9/2006)