Anne Boleyn: A Brief History
Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the life of Anne Boleyn and the impact she had on the English monarchy.
Introduction
I. Attention-Getter: "I am come hither to accuse no man, nor to speak anything of that, whereof I am accused and condemned to die, but I pray God save the king and send him long to reign over you, for a gentler nor a more merciful prince was there never: and to me he was ever a good, a gentle and sovereign lord." (Anne Boleyn Bio, 2013)
II. Credibility Statement: A growing interest in the development of the Tudor family led me to research some information on my own, and when I came across Anne Boleyn’s story I knew that I had to share what I had uncovered.
III. Relating to the Audience: In our modern world we don’t have need for monarchies and a prevailing sex, but we do need to understand how those English traditions helped develop the history that we know of today.
IV. Thesis Statement: To truly appreciate the impact that Anne Boleyn had on the history of the English monarchy, it is crucial that we acknowledge her past and examine her royal downfall.
Transition: Before we can pass judgment on her royal downfall we must first look at her life before she became the “executed” queen.
Body
Main Idea I: Anne Boleyn’s past is non-traditional as it does not begin with her birth circa 1501; her historical past begins in England of 1522 when she was holding residence in King Henry VIII’s court as a maid to his wife Catherine. (Anne Boleyn Bio, 2013)
A. Lady Catherine was a lovely queen, but she was unable to birth a son for her husband. (Ridgway, 2012)
a. Because of Catherine’s inability to produce an heir, Henry sought out misstresses in hopes that one...
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...ollowing Anne’s execution Henry was married again, but Anne was not forgotten.
Restate Thesis: To most it may seem that the impact that Anne had on the English monarchy was minimal, but her flirtatious past with Henry and her untimely end provided the means necessary for her daughter, Elizabeth, to establish herself as the rightful ruler of England.
Closing Statement: Elizabeth was able to avenge her mother by proving to her country that an heir was not necessary for a ruler to be successful; ironically, that very notion killed her mother.
References
Anne Boleyn Biography. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.biography.com/people/anne-boleyn-9218155
Eakins, L. (1994). Anne Boleyn. Retrieved from http://tudorhistory.org/boleyn/
Ridgway, C. (2012). The Anne Boleyn Files. Retrieved from http://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/about/
Anne Boleyn in the spring of 1536 and the consolidation of power at court and in
The story of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII, has been elusive to historians since her death in 1536 at the hands of her husband. This, in part, can be attributed to the destruction of almost everything she touched soon after her execution. On orders of the king, the castles that were once her home had all memory stripped of her. Portraits were destroyed, letters disappeared, their symbol of the H and A intertwined had the A ripped away. The remnants of her time on the throne are pieces of history that were overlooked in the workers haste to strip the castles in preparation for Jane Seymour to become queen. There are few hints left of what really happened during Anne’s life and how important she was during her reign which has created the widespread infatuation with Anne and who she really was. Why is Anne’s life of such interest to us then? The reasons are many and include the desire to know her role in the English reformation, being the first queen of England to ever be executed, and the impact it had on her daughter and the later Queen Elizabeth I.
"History of the Monarchy." Kings and Queens of England. 21 Mar. 2002. Online. Available. <http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page10.asp.26> Mar. 2002
First, a little background on Queen Anne. Anne was born February 6, 1665 to the parents of James, Duke of York and Lady Anne Hyde. She was born in the St. James Palace of London. Anne's father later reigned as James II, but was later dethroned by Anne's sister and brother-in-law Mary and William. Both Mary and William ruled together until their deaths and because they were childless, Anne succeeded them to the throne.
Thomas Jefferson himself had once said that he believed without the Queen the Revolution wouldn’t have unfolded during the time it did. The Monarch surrounded herself with luxury and excess, which never goes over well when the citizens are struggling. Had it not been her lack of subtlety in her lavish affairs, the French Monarchy may have lived to see another day. However, it cannot be dwelled upon what could have been, instead the focus should be on the horrific end to a regal woman’s life. A gruesome public execution served right for the woman who was never out of the public’s
Growing up in 1960s, Diana Spencer always knew royalty. This idea of power was a birth right through her father, but yet Diana did not know of the influence she was going to inflict one day. Princess Diana, through her marriage with Prince Charles, became an icon for the United Kingdom and impacted many in the world (Princess Diana Biography Princess). Along with her compassionate heart and humble soul, Diana ascended in the eyes of the public and became England’s sweetheart and beloved leader. Princess Diana soon inspired people all over the world by breaking the royal stereotypes, sponsoring many charities and providing a prime example of what it means to love one’s children and people.
Anne Bradstreet was born into a very privileged life, she was the daughter of a wealthy man who believed that she should receive an education. She married at age sixteen, and in 1630 she embarks to America on a perilous journey to "escape the
Tudor History. N.p., 06 Feb 2012. Web. 2 Dec 2013. <http://tudorhistory.org/mary/>.
[Even when her power was fading Elizabeth showed her love to her people. She gave one of her most famous speeches, Golden Speech]. In it, “Of myself I must say this, I was never greedy, scraping grasper, nor a strait, fast holding prince, nor yet a waster. My heart was never set on worldly goods but for my subjects’ good” (History.com).
... aging and dying. The suspicious queen started delegating her lords more and more responsibilities. The next thirty years were much more serious than the previous fifteen. Court life itself reflected shift.
Anne “knew how to charm – and also how to think and act forcefully,” she played the game of luring Henry effectively and won the prize of his marriage (Parramore). Ironically, her weapon of seduction, was used against her when Henry tired of her and her inability to produce a male heir. Henry claimed, “Anne had seduced him into marrying her,” a charge which hinted at witchcraft and successfully turned her power into her demise (Lisle). Along with allegations of adultery, Henry set the stage to rid himself Anne Boleyn.
This comes as no surprise, as all women, during his reign, desired to become one of King Henry the VIII’s paramours, so he would bestow favor upon her and her family. The king’s mistress, Anne Boleyn, was not considered to be “a great beauty” in fact, more often than not she looked rather sick due to her dull dark black hair and her extremely fair complexion. According to Erickson, Anne Boleyn also had a large mole on the back of her neck that her long, dark hair covered, as well as an extensive bit of additional skin on her hand that developed into a sixth finger. Be that as it may, paying little respect to her unattractive physical features, she was still one of the most desired and sought after women in England during her time.
Queen Elizabeth I, also known as the “Iron Queen”, was a remarkable woman of her time, she ruled with great power and longevity. She was one of the greatest feminist of time. Coming to the throne in 1558, she took the place of her father, Henry VIII. She was given one of the most difficult jobs fit for a man or King, ruling England. At the time women were second class citizens, they could not vote nor own properties and such. Surprising England with her intelligence and fierce rulings, she changed herself to make better decisions. She proved through her rulings, to everyone that females were strong and could rule just as well as a king. She refused to marry, giving a feeling of “I don’t need a man for anything.” The Queen was responsible for giving females a voice in literature and it is shown through Shakespeare’s writings.
Clever minded with a seductive female presence, Anne Boleyn is the most important wife of Henry VIII. Her contributions changed the course of England’s history, from England’s separation from the Roman Catholic Church to giving birth to England’s greatest monarch, Queen Elizabeth I. “.swarthy complexion, long neck, wide mouth, bosom not much raised,.and her eyes which are black and beautiful,.she lives like a queen, and the King accompanies her to Mass – and everywhere.” The Venetian Ambassador describes Anne Boleyn in 1532. Simply meaning that Anne was not the most beautiful, but was pretty enough to entice the King. Born circa 1501, Anne Boleyn’s education was very typical for a female in her class.
Greaves, Richard L. “Tudor, House of.” World Book Advanced. World Book, 2014. Web. 6 Feb.