The Death of Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn's marriage to Henry VIII was an obvious failure. The only thing that satisfied him was the birth of a male heir. Despite her efforts, Anne Boleyn failed to bear a son, thus resulting in her tragic execution. The story of events leading up to the execution of Anne Boleyn shows the ignorance of the times and the cruel nature of Henry VIII. During Henry VIII's marriage to Catherine of Aragon, it was well known that he had many mistresses. He had grown tired of the marriage that failed to produce a male heir, and he was looking for a way out. One of his mistresses was Anne Boleyn, a beautiful young woman that happened to be in Catherine Aragon's court. From 1527, Henry VIII wanted one thing above all else from the Pope--a release from the marriage which could no longer give him an heir and freedom to marry his last mistress' sister, the young Anne Boleyn (Bindoff 84). More important to the King was the fact that early in 1533 it was known that Anne was carrying his child. Delay could not be allowed. For the legitimacy of the hoped-for heir, it would not matter whether Henry and Anne had married before or after the conception of the child as long as their union had been regularized
For years, Anne had been on terms of friendship with the gentlemen of Henry's Privy Chamber. She brought King Henry visions of a relationship in which peace and tranquility would reign in place of turbulence and problems he had known with Anne (Bruce 273). This was proof that had begun to collect when Anne was in disgrace the previous year. Jesus have mercy on me!" Then she knelt down, weeping in a good pace, and in the same sorrow fell into a great laughing as she has done so many times after this (Collis 85). Divorcing Anne would redeem Henry, to an extent, in the eyes of his subjects and all of the country's Christians. Henry's denial of a pre-contract had been accepted (Bruce 293). It was virtually Anne's death warrant (Bruce 293). King Henry put his name to the commission the following day. This we can tell from the money and care she lavished of Elizabeth's clothes (Bruce 286). From the accusations later advanced at her trail, it is easy to reconstruct what happened. She knew how brutally he could use those he once loved.
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