Anne Boleyn

1. Anne Boleyn The Most Controversial Queen of England

2. Unknown date of birth, probably 1501-1536 • Education was typical for her class. Her father, Thomas Boleyn managed to secure her a spot in the court of Archduchess Margaret, Regent of the Netherlands in Brabant (modern-day Belgium). • At the age of 12 or 13, Anne was sent away to Brabant to learn French and other skills desirable in court life. Almost two years later, she would join the court of Henry's sister, Mary, now the Queen of France. • Some said she wanted to be queen. Others would say her father forced her into it for his own selfish reasons.

3. By the time she returned to England eight years later, she was "so graceful that you would never have taken her for an Englishwoman, but for a Frenchwoman born," wrote her biographer De Carles. • Raised as a Catholic, but pushed for reform in the church, which was quite the scandal. Said to be more Lutheran than Luther himself • Her sister, Mary Boleyn, was said to be “the most infamous whore”, and it is said that Anne learned from her mistakes and was determined to be something more than just another mistress

4. She was called a harlot, whore, and concubine by her enemies • It is said that Henry was not attracted to her beauty, but to her wit and her grace • Sophisticated and knowledgeable, very manipulative • Said to be talkative and charming, but with a fiery temper she couldn’t control • Not considered beautiful at the time-she had dark hair and dark eyes, which were said to entrance those who looked into them

5. Anne first caught Henry’s attention in 1525, after his affair with Mary. By 1526 he was entranced by her, begging her to be his mistress. But Anne wanted marriage or nothing. • Catherine of Aragon, Henry’s wife of 24 years, was past her childbearing years and had not given him a male heir, so he sought to declare his marriage invalid • Only in 1532 when the king's divorce was imminent did Henry and she consummate their relationship -- a full six years after their romance began. On January 25, 1533 Henry and Anne were secretly married and in June, Henry would honor her with a lavish coronation ceremony.

6. Role as queen • Crowned June 1st 1533 at Westminster Abbey • Though the public viewed Anne as an adulteress, she still tried to fulfill her role as a traditional queen • After Anne's second stillbirth in 1536, Henry, convinced she could not bear him sons, confided to his advisor Thomas Cromwell that "he had made this marriage seduced by her witchcraft." • And by this time, Henry was having an affair with her maid of honor Jane Seymor. • Mother of Elizabeth I

7. Anne was charged with adultery and conspiracy to murder the king • She was placed under arrest and taken to the Tower of London • Two weeks later, Anne's trial took place at the Great Hall of the Tower of London. • At trial, she faced her accusers and remained calm even as her uncle read her death sentence • That same day, at the king's instigation, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, declared Anne's marriage to Henry invalid. The ruling struck a considerable hole in the Crown's case. If Anne's marriage had been invalid, she could not have committed adultery as Henry's wife. Nevertheless, plans for Anne's execution continued. • Executed on May 19th, 1536. She gave a speech in which she accepted her fate and asked all to pray for her and the king. • In fact, it is said she kept praying after her head was chopped off.

8. There are few contemporary portraits of Anne Boleyn and this painting derives from an earlier version. She was described as having a long neck, wide mouth and with 'eyes which were black and beautiful'.

9. Anne introduced the French hood to England and brought it into fashion. It was less popular when her successor, Jane Seymour, was queen-but returned to fashion after her death. The French hood is characterized by its rounded shape contrasted with the English “gable” hood. It’s worn over a coif, and has a black veil attached to the back. The front part of the hair was always visible. Hoods have been around since before the 12th century. First as a form of protection, but soon as a fashion statement.

14. Hood Date:late 1890s Culture:American(probably) Medium:silk Hood Date: 1863–1869 Culture: European Medium: silk

15. Hood: House of Dior, founded 1947 Designed by Marc Bohan, 1966 Cotton, silk, glass, metallic

18. “The British may worry that hoodies lead to hooliganism, but young Berlin designers have turned them into a fashion statement. Considering the dreary, drizzling weather on Berlin fashion week’s second official day, it’s not too shocking to see the hip young things hiding their hair from the humidity. What is surprising is realizing that dressing like a druid can be so chic.” From Style.com, 2007

19. Bibliography • Anne Boleyn. 1533-1536. Oil on canvas. National Portrait Gallery, London. • Lady Lee. 1540. Oil on wood. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. • Portrait of a Widow. 2nd Quarter 16th Century. Oil on wood. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. • "The 6 Wives of Henry VIII: Anne Boleyn." PBS. PBS, 2003. Web. 27 Oct. 2012. <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/sixwives/meet/ab_handbook_bg.html>. • Anne De Pisseleu. 1500s. Oil on wood. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. • Mitra, Robert. 2012. Photograph. YigalAzrouel RTW Spring 2013, n.p. • Hood. Digital image. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000-2012. Web. 28 Oct. 2012. <http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/80049697?rpp=20&pg=1&ao=on&ft=french+hood+&when=A.D.+1600-1800&pos=11>.

20. Bibliography • Arnold, Janet: "Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd", W. S. Maney and Son Ltd., 2001. • Ashelford, Jane: The Art of Dress: Clothing and Society 1500–1914, Abrams, 1996. • Ashelford, Jane. The Visual History of Costume: The Sixteenth Century. 1983 edition • Bourdichon, Jean. Anne De Bretagne. N.d. Painting. Public Domain, n.p. • Queen Mary I. 1590-1610. Oil on panel. National Portrait Gallery, London. • Cristaldi, Piero. 2012. Photograph. Jet Set RTW Spring 2013, n.p. • A Look fromDuohtavuohta. 2012. Photograph. WWD, n.p. Comp. Courtesy Photo.