Anne Boleyn Anne Boleyn being taken to the Tower of London Spouse wars Henry VIII’s six wives is a lot for British leaders, but it pales in a worldwide context Fat′h Ali Shah Qajar PERSIAN, 1772-1834 NUMBER OF MARRIAGES: 158 Sobhuza II SWAZI, 1899-1982 NUMBER OF MARRIAGES: 70 Mswati III SWAZI, 1968 - PRESENT DAY NUMBER OF MARRIAGES: 15 Amenhotep III EGYPTIAN, ??? - 1353 BCE NUMBER OF MARRIAGES: 317 Abdul Hamid II OTTOMAN, 1876-1909 NUMBER OF MARRIAGES: 13 was announced, Anne collapsed and had to be a variety of adulterous accusations against Anne and arrested Mark Smeaton, a court musician Mark carried out of the courtroom Guilty She had been condemned to death confessed to the charges, very likely under torture, On 17 May, the five condemned men were and gave the names of a selection of other men executed, including Anne’s beloved younger under the same charges, including Anne’s own brother, and on 19 May Anne herself was led to brother – George the scaffold Her marriage to the king had already Anne was far from blind to what was going on; been deemed invalid, and he was not present to she was very aware of what these investigations meant for herself In April 1536, just before Smeaton witness the final moments of the woman who had captivated him for so many years Anne’s body was was arrested, Anne came to Henry carrying the buried in an unmarked grave in the Chapel of St young Elizabeth in her arms and appealed to him Peter, which adjoined the Tower Green For the directly However, it seemed that her power over surviving Boleyns, the fall was so great him had finally been extinguished On they could not hope to recover from May Henry left the Mayday jousts it Anne’s mother, Elizabeth, died without saying goodbye to Anne, a year later and she was soon and the following day she was The legend followed by her husband Mary arrested – it would be the final that Anne had a sixth died in 1542, leaving behind time she would ever see her only a young daughter and husband finger on her hand the son that may have been In a cruel twist of irony, was likely a vicious Henry’s Less than eight years Anne’s prison cell was the very rumour after Anne’s coronation every same place in the Tower of immediate member of the Boleyn London that she had resided on family was dead Their rise had her coronation night For Anne, a been magnificent, their fall akin to a woman for whom control had always Greek tragedy been of vital importance, the hopelessness The future for Henry was almost as stormy of her situation had a profound effect Within a 11 years and four wives later, Henry’s greed and day of imprisonment her state of mind differed debauched lifestyle finally got the better of him from optimism and giddiness, to bouts of hysteria and he died aged 55 The handsome, athletic and and extreme depression The queen would sob charismatic young man that he had wished to uncontrollably one moment, then burst into portray himself as had faded long ago, and the shocking laughter the next Her enemies were portrait of a lustful, violent and egotistical king very cunning with the methods in which they remained Although he had finally produced the condemned Anne; four of the men were tried and son he was so obsessed with obtaining, the young found guilty of adultery and treason before her Edward VI died aged just 15 own trial took place, making it nigh-on impossible But unbeknownst to him, he had already for her to prove her innocence produced the strong, long-lasting heir he desired Anne was forced to stand before a council of Elizabeth, the daughter Anne had borne who he peers including her once-love Henry Percy and her had been so disappointed with, went on to rule own uncle in the very same room she had enjoyed England for 45 years She became one of the most her coronation feast There was very little evidence famed and celebrated rulers in the nation’s history, against Anne or any of the men accused, but the and Henry and Anne’s most enduring legacy king had made his will known When the verdict © Look & Learn; Alamy Although she was banished from court, Catherine of Aragon referred to herself as ‘the queen’ until her death 73