The "Lovers" of Anne Boleyn

When Anne was faced with accusations of adultery and incest, many high ranking, powerful men were implicated. Each man was accused of having a sexual relationship with the Queen which was considered high treason, a crime punishable by death. In this post I decided to give you a peek into each man's life; what did he do for a living? How did he know the Queen? What was the evidence against him? And finally, what legacy did he leave behind?

Mark Smeaton was a Flemish musician; a social climber who was born very low. Due to his talents as musician (he could play the lute, virginals, and violin as well as being renowned for his beautiful voice) he became part of Cardinal Wolsey's choir. Following the fall of Wolsey, Smeaton was employed as a musician in the household of the King. At some point Anne became aware of his musical talent and requested he be transferred to her household where he received better pay at behest of the Queen who was a great patroness of the arts. Mark became implicated in the scandal after the Queen found him standing in her presence chamber looking very sad. Anne would later confess that when she asked him why he looked so sad he answered saying it was no matter, to which Anne replied "You may not look to have me speak to you as I should do to a nobleman, because you are an inferior person..." Seeing the truth in her reply, Smeaton miserably answered, "No, no Madam. A look sufficeth, this fare you well..." This seemingly harmless interaction was quickly reported to Cromwell who twisted and distorted the conversation to seem as if it were a lovers' quarrel. Smeaton was arrested on May Day and sent to the Tower for questioning. It is widely believed that he was tortured or blackmailed, under extreme duress he admitted to having sexual encounters with the Queen on May 13, 1535 at Greenwich. This is impossible seeing as how primary source records place the Queen and her household at Richmond during this time. Smeaton's trial took place at Westminster Hall on May 12, 1536. The only evidence against him was the aforementioned conversation with Anne and his own coerced confession. He was convicted unanimously and was beheaded shortly after. His body was buried with another accused lover, Sir William Brereton. Smeaton had no wife or children.

Sir William Brereton was born to a Cheshire landowning family, but as the sixth son had almost no chance of an inheritance, thus he made his way to court to rise in power there. He quickly made friends and was elevated to Groom of the King's Household by 1524, a prestigious appointment. In return for his work, Brereton was granted lands in Cheshire and the Welsh Marches. He was not well associated with the Queen but was implicated in Smeaton's confession. His sex with Anne supposedly took  place on November 27, 1533. Again, this accusation is extremely unlikely given that Elizabeth was born in early September and during this historical period women often remained in seclusion until their churching ceremony which took place 8-10 weeks after the birth of their child, meaning Anne would likely have still been in seclusion. Respected historian, Eric Ives suggests that Brereton was thrown into the plot because he was causing troubles in the Welsh Marches, where he was pushing for localized government; an action that would have severely undermined the King's, and thus Cromwell's, power there. Brereton went to the scaffold professing his innocence. Most historians, myself included, see Brereton as collateral damage when Cromwell moved against Anne and the powerful Boleyn faction. He was in his early fifties and left behind several heirs who were unlucky in that his estates were confiscated by the Crown.

Sir Henry Norris came to court as a young man, hoping to polish his skills as a courtier. He also quickly ascended in court politics, serving in many positions before being named Groom of the Stool in 1526 which required him to oversee all of the men serving as Gentleman of the Privy Chamber. At the time of his death Eric Ives believed Norris may have been the King's closest friend and confidant. In addition to his close relationship with the King, Norris was also very close to Anne. He was a known member of her faction who rigorously supported her attempts to wield domestic and international political power. He was also vocal about his disapproval of the handling of monies from the monastic dissolution, as was Anne. This brought him into direct opposition with Cromwell who was pocketing a vast sum of this currency. Norris, because of his close relationship with both Anne and the King in addition to his outspoken opposition of Cromwell's monastic policy was implicated in the scandal. He was accused of having sex with the Queen on October 12, 1533 and again in early November. Once again, this is almost certainly untrue because Anne would have still be in purda. Norris and the other defendants, were not granted legal counsel, nor were they allowed to hear the evidence against them prior to their trial. He was convicted and sentenced to being drawn and quartered, a sentence that was commuted to beheading because of his service to the Crown. On May 17, he was executed. Henry Norris left behind a wife and son, who were vocal about their belief in his innocence for many years to come.

Sir Francis Weston was the first and only son of a gentry family from Surrey. At age 15 (1526) court records list him as a page for the King. In 1532 records show his elevation to a Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber, an appointment that would have allowed him generous access to the King. Financial records shows the King paying debts to Weston for beating him at tennis and dice, he seemed to be making his way into the King's inner circle despite his humble beginnings and young age. In 1530 he married Anne Pickering and they soon had a young son and heir which Weston named Henry in honor of the reigning King. Weston would have been familiar with Queen Anne due primarily to his duties to the King. When he was indicted and arrested in May 1536 there was no evidence against him, except for Smeaton naming him in his confession. The prosecutors did not even present a date for his supposed sexual liaisons with the Queen, but it did accuse him of plotting the King's death. When he was executed Weston was only twenty-five years old and left behind his wife and young son.

George Boleyn is perhaps the most notorious of the men accused of sexual relationships with Anne because he was her brother. According to George Cavendish, Boleyn was about 27 when he gained his place on the Privy Council, he was riding the coattails of Anne's rise to favor. His father had been a long serving ambassador for the King and thus the Boleyn family became favorites of the King making them wealthy and powerful.  He attended college at the University of Oxford, where he never fully matriculated but took advantage of learning.George was well educated, he spoke four languages and was known for his wit and charm, much like his sister Anne. George was married to Jane Parker sometime in 1525, yet was still known for his womanizing, both Wolsey and Thomas Wyatt wrote of it. Most courtiers admit that Anne and George were exceptionally close, with one lady claiming that Anne admitted him an undue hours. Yet, this closeness cannot possibly be construed as incest of which he was later accused. George and Anne mostly spent time together in her large chamber designed for visitors and in the view of her ladies. Even Eustace Chapuys, who was no friend to the Boleyns said he condemned on merely a presumption. George may not have been guilty of incest but he did have substantial power as brother in law to the ruling monarch and member of the Privy Council. Boleyn would have had the ear of the King on important matters such as religion, international politics and domestic policy. This power would have been envied by Thomas Cromwell who sought to consolidate his power over the Crown. George was also indicted on charges of claiming Elizabeth was not the King's daughter because he was in fact impotent. This is highly unlikely as well because it would have served him no purpose to dispute the paternal DNA of Elizabeth who was his niece and the only legitimate heir to the throne. George was unanimously convicted of adultery, incest and untruths against his majesty. He was beheaded on May 17th with the other victims of Cromwell and Henry's scheming despite the lack of evidence. He left behind a wife and the remainder of his Boleyn family who would never again rise to power.        

With the deaths of Smeaton, Brereton, Norris, Weston and George Boleyn, Cromwell efficiently rid himself many men who were vying for power and wealth at Henry VIII's court. In one fell swoop he secured his own power and position while opening up the King to a third marriage, one which he sought to control. The men who lost their lives in May 1536 were, in my opinion, not only innocent of the charges against them but their deaths served as nothing more than a means for Cromwell to assure his own power and privilege at Henry's court.

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