The key figures 1501 – 1536 Anne Boleyn Follow the romantic beginning and disastrous end of the love affair that rocked the very foundations of England itself T he sun streamed down on the brisk spring morning as a figure emerged near from fourturreted White Tower of the Tower of London The crowd that had gathered there were oddly quiet; they watched silently as the slender woman passed through them She was dressed in a loose, grey gown, so dark it was almost black, with a red petticoat underneath An ermine mantle was draped around her neck, and her long dark hair was tied above her head, exposing her thin, dainty neck Two of her ladies accompanied her as she climbed the scaffold that had been erected for the day’s sombre event Her steps were strong and firm, her countenance steely and unreadable Although the strength of her steps was remarkable for one facing her death, when she turned to the crowd and spoke her voice trembled However, her words rang out loud and clear She begged the people to forgive her if she had not treated them with gentleness, and then prayed that God would have mercy for those who had condemned her She ended by praying for the king, who was a good, gentle, and sovereign lord All these things she uttered, but not once did she admit her guilt for the crimes she would die for Her words were so sweet, her manner so graceful, that many gathered there shed a tear for the condemned woman She wished farewell to her weeping ladies, and removed her headdress, tucking her long, thick hair under a coif As she knelt upright, one of her ladies came forward and tied a blindfold over her eyes She began to mutter under her breath “Jesu receive my soul; O Lord 66 God have pity on my soul”, over and over again She prayed silently as she received her husband’s final gift, a swordsman of Saint-Omer; he had given her the mercy of a sword in place of an axe The executioner raised the sword high, its sharpened blade gleaming in the sunlight, then brought it down upon her thin neck It was all over in a single stroke The queen was dead It is portrayed, often unfairly, that Anne Boleyn descended on King Henry VIII like some sort of wicked, conniving temptress, luring him away with her dark looks and feminine charms from his almost 24-yearlong marriage, young daughter and queen beloved by the population But Henry had been anything but loyal to Catherine, and had already fathered his illegitimate son Henry Fitzroy before Anne was in the picture In fact, it had been Anne’s sister, Mary, who initially caught the king’s attention, and he conducted an affair with the older Boleyn sister that may have resulted in two more children When Henry was first drawn to Anne, it is highly likely that he desired her simply as another mistress But she had other plans The new lady in waiting was a captivating figure Having recently returned from serving the French Queen Claude, she boasted an elegance and poise that instantly created a stir Her dark features were unfashionable for the time, but her deep brown eyes and unusual beauty caught the attention of more than just the king Among those competing for her affections were Sir Thomas Wyatt, an acclaimed poet, and Henry Percy, who even went as far as to secure Anne’s hand