Anne Boleyn’s Story
While King Henry VIII was married to Katherine of Aragon, Henry fell madly in love with Anne Boleyn, and he sought a divorce from his wife so that he would be free to marry Anne. After the Pope refused, Henry broke from the church and married Anne. Anne was crowned Queen of England in a coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey in 1533.
Anne was able to give birth to the future Queen Elizabeth I, but couldn’t bear Henry a son. Frustrated by his lack of an heir and Anne’s temperament, he accused Anne of infidelity and treason. Anne was imprisoned in the Tower of London until her execution on a scaffold in front of the White Tower in 1536.
Anne Boleyn Attractions in England:
Hever Castle: Anne grew up in Hever Castle in Kent, England. Her bedroom was very small, and tourists to the castle can see the headboard of her bed propped up against the wall.
Westminster Abbey: Anne’s coronation took place in Westminster Abbey on June 1st, 1533. She was the only one of King Henry’s queens to have a coronation ceremony besides Queen Katherine. She was not received well by onlookers, who mocked and shouted insults at her.
Tower of London: After being accused of treason and infidelity in 1536, Anne was arrested and entered the Tower via Traitor’s Gate. She was imprisoned in the royal apartments, where she spent the night before her coronation three years earlier. Anne was beheaded on a scaffold next to the White Tower by swordsman rather than axeman.
Traitors’ Gate – Photo by Diana Urban
