Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn: Shattered Dreams
A defiant king and a strong queen, was this simply a clash of personalities?
Or was this Tudor marriage between Henry and Anne now broken?
Towards the beginning of
1535, Henry appointed Cromwell as his viceregent in religious matters,
and he tasked him with conducting a study of all religious institutions
in England, identifying any abuses that might exist within them,
and recording the possessions that each institution owned.
Over a year and half after it began, the survey was completed
and published under the title of Valor Ecclesiasticus.
This wasn't the first time that monasteries were closed down.
Henry V and Wolsey both did this during the 15th century, and it was a popular strategy.
Religious orders were in recession at the time, and no new monastic houses
had even been built since Syon Abbey was founded in 1415.
Several instances of deception and poor governance were discovered
as a result of the survey.
Queen Anne would travel to Syon to deliver a lecture to the "grovelling sisters"
and inform them of their "wanton incontinence." Anne recited
Latin prayers that the sisters were unable to understand; before leaving,
she presented them with a prayer book that had been translated into English.
Anne was never far away from a confrontation, and she gave little creditability
to Cromwell's assertion that all religious buildings should be shut down.
Cromwell, on the other hand, was more concerned with the King than with Anne.
With this goal in mind, he set out to make Henry the wealthiest
and most influential monarch to ever rule England.
This would be accomplished through the riches of the monasteries
and extensive lands, which would replenish the treasury, that had become depleted.
Around the same time, it was rewarding those who remained loyal
to the new order, resulting in the movement becoming increasingly popular.
Despite the fact
that the decision was made to decimate these religious structures,
Henry took steps to ensure that their literary treasures were preserved.
The job was assigned to John Leland, the King's librarian; the task was enormous:
he had to document all of the manuscripts and texts,
which would ultimately serve to underline the monarchy's supreme authority.
Leland began his journey in 1535,
and he eventually completed his work in 1543.
Henry VIII began looking for a new mistress in February 1534.
Madge Shelton appears to have arrived on the scene at this point.
Madge was a soft-spoken, attractive young lady
with a fair complexion and dimples on her cheeks.
Anne was enraged by this and hurled insults at select members
of the Privy Chamber who were congratulating Madge on her accomplishments.
Anne reacted by declaring Madge to be a "frivolous creature."
Anne, on the other hand, was determined to portray a virtuous monarch.
She distributed Maundy money at Easter in 1535, as was customary.
However, Henry allowed his former wife Catherine to participate as well,
setting a precedent for future occasions and he had no reason to object.
Catherine was officially now known as the Princess
Dowager of Wales, as of this point in time.
The entire court, except for the King, would be out
on the streets of Tyburn on 5 May,
although it was rumoured that he would have enjoyed being there!
However, this was not a pleasant outing; rather, it was one in which those
who refused to swear to the Oath of Succession were put to death.
A number of notable dignitaries joined the Boleyn family, which included Anne.
All were present to witness the horrific sentence of hanging, drawing, and quartering.
Following the atrocities, news of the King's actions spread throughout Christendom.
A number of notable people died, including John Houghton and Richard Reynolds,
a monk at Syon Abbey, both of whom were well-known for their integrity across Europe.
In addition, Miles Coverdale would release his English translation
of the new bible in Zurich, Switzerland, later this year.
The dedication was made in honour of King Henry VIII
and Queen Anne, but it was never officially sanctioned in England.
Henry was portrayed as an old testament
king on the front cover of the book, sitting on his throne,
sword and bible in hand, passing down authority to three kneeling bishops.
Prior to this image, no one had ever been granted spiritual authority
by bishops, which made it revolutionary at the time.
Back on Earth!
Henry was getting closer to forming a new alliance with the emperor
Charles V, but he was running into insurmountable difficulties.
However, knowing that his friendship with Francis
I of France was waning, Charles was extremely gracious to Henry.
Henry had been enraged by the French government's refusal
to consider Princess Elizabeth as a possible bride for Francis' son.
Elizabeth's illegitimacy in the eyes of Catholic Europe was a major concern
for the French, who viewed her as of little use to them.
To make matters worse,
Henry was also demonstrating greater confidence in the Spanish ambassador, Chapuys,
by inviting him to join the royal party and generally attracting his good will.
All of these pleasantries were merely a prelude to more lethal deeds to come.
Henry would
continue to expel prominent Roman Catholics from society, including Bishop
John Fisher, who had been sentenced to death for treason.
When Fisher was on the scaffold on June 22,
he declared that it was his wedding day.
Henry had received word, before his head was taken off with a sword, that
the pope had elevated Fisher to cardinal status and that his red hat was on the way.
Henry said sarcastically, "he'll have to wear it on his shoulders then."
Sir Thomas More was the next to succumb; on July 6, he was put to death after a statement
from Richard Rich, one of Cromwell's henchmen, led to his conviction and execution.
The King was away hunting at the time, but the execution of More
would cause even greater consternation than the execution of Fisher.
However, Henry being Henry, he soon became resentful of Mores' death
and accused his wife, Anne, of being the root of the problem.
As the year progressed, Henry's demeanour began to improve.
In July, he was mingling with the ladies, and perhaps more than just that!
According to Chapuys, "the King's reputation had become well-known." With his weight creeping up
and his hair cropped short, Henry shaved his beard
square to match his new look at 44 years old.
Henry had hoped that others would follow his lead!
But why hope?
On the 8th of May, Henry ordered that all members of his court
have their hair cut short and that their beards be knotted to prevent further growth.
It was at this point that Henry would embark
on one of the most important tours of his reign.
After his unsightly religious reforms, this public relations campaign
had to be successful in regaining some of his long-lost popularity.
It was an opportunity to heal old wounds and send a new message
to anyone who might still be under the impression that something wasn't quite right!
The tour would continue into October, and according to reports,
the royals were happy with the way things were going.
However, for Anne, these words were far from the truth.
As new interests entered his life, the King's affection for his queen began to wane.
Henry had lost interest in Madge Shelton by this point,
and she would now be the object of Sir Henry
Norris' affections, who proposed to her in 1536.
Henry, on the other hand, was now on the trail of Jane Seymour, the sister of Edward Seymour.
Jane was also a member of the queen's circle of friends.
And now 27 years old, was considered to be too old to be single at the time.
It has been said of Jane that she was neither accomplished nor attractive.
And was described as "of no great beauty" by Chapuys, Jane was the polar opposite
of Anne and possessed certain characteristics that Henry found attractive.
The King confided in Chapuys, stating that "she had a gentle nature
and was inclined to peace." However, her reputation as a tough and ambitious
lady grew over the following months, as evidenced by her actions.
By the autumn of 1535, Henry and Anne were at each other's throats,
despite the fact that they appeared to be cheerful,
putting on a brave face in public.
Anne, it appears, was no longer the seductive woman with whom Henry had fallen in love.
She was growing older, and Chapuys referred to her as "that thin old woman." The problem
for Henry was that Anne had never fully grasped
the importance of proper court decorum befitting a queen.
She continued to criticise Henry's wrongdoings and even confronted him in public.
She teased him about his clothes, complained about his poetry,
and was rumoured to have appeared bored in his company.
But Chapuys declared "The King will not dare to contradict her."
In all likelihood, Henry had a great deal of regard for Anne.
There is speculation that he was resentful of her but strangely enjoyed her outbursts
because she was such a strong woman with strong opinions.
It most likely reminded him of himself!
But Anne was the queen, and Henry was unwilling to do anything
until she demonstrated that she was capable of bearing a son for him!
Despite the fact that the Boleyn family was still powerful at court,
whispers began to circulate about how long this queen could continue to rule.
Cromwell was, as he would demonstrate, a so-called ally.
Nonetheless, after a disagreement with Anne in 1535,
he informed Chapuys that "the queen had threatened to have him beheaded."
That year, Henry had made up his mind about the direction
he wanted to take his country by Christmas, and Chapuys was instrumental in bringing it about.
Catherine of Aragon
had been suffering from illness for some time when she died on January 7, 1536.
A final letter was among the many items that were sent to Henry.
In it, she wrote, "mine eyes desire you above all things."
but she signed it defiantly with the words Catherine the Queen,
as if to say, "you are my everything."
In spite of the fact
that he was relieved and happy to be free of the threat of war with the emperor,
who had steadfastly supported Catherine's cause until the very end, Henry wept when he read this.
Henry and Anne would arrive at court dressed in yellow, which is the colour
of royal mourning in Spain.
The atmosphere, on the other hand, was one of triumph rather than sadness.
Following a brief service in the chapel, there would be a banquet and dancing.
Henry was 44 years old,
and despite being past his prime at this point, he would still joust on occasion.
However, on January 24, 1536, while participating in a tournament at Greenwich
and while wearing full armour, he was struck, fell from his horse,
which then toppled onto him, and his armour collapsed under the pressure.
For more than two hours, the King was motionless, leading many to believe he had died.
Henry did recover, and although his jousting days
were over, his passion for horseback riding remained.
Although the nature of his injuries is unknown,
historians believe he may have suffered brain trauma.
It would almost certainly have had an impact
on the King's leg, complicating his overall well-being and mental state.
A requiem mass would be held at Greenwich on the day of Catherine's funeral,
and the King would dress in black throughout the day.
On the same day, his Queen, Anne, would go into premature labour.
When one of the King's servants informed Chapuys that "he had been seduced
by witchcraft into marriage," Henry concluded that the marriage was null and void.
Chapuys learned that the child had been a boy of approximately 15 weeks growth and stated
that Anne possessed a defect that may prevent her from bearing children in the future.
Henry and Anne were devastated by the death of their son.
The queen attributed the entire incident to the shock she felt
when Norfolk informed her that the King had died following his riding accident.
When Henry came to visit Anne, however, his words were not what she had anticipated.
"I've realised that God will not bless me with male children.
When you are up, I will speak with you."