Read of the Week

Hey all! I am loving my new book by GJ Meyers entitled The Tudors: The Complete Story of England's Most Notorious Dynasty. It is fantastic and gives so much life to the characters! Pick it up today!

Anne's Content of Character

I recently gave a paper at Phi Alpha Theta regional research conference. During my commentary I was asked about Anne's character. Was she too sexual for the time period? Did she indeed destroy the marriage of Henry VIII and Catherine? Well lets just say I was more than prepared for these questions; Anne's character and intentions have been distorted, stretched and even lied about for centuries. Was she overly sexual? Probably. She was a beautiful woman who obviously used her looks to further her own ambitions. Is that a crime? NO! And many of her intentions were very honorable, she was a woman who understood the Evangelical need for a closer connection to God and used her feminine wiles to present the reformist cause. Quite effectively, I might add. The marriage of Henry and Catherine was unstable at best. He had countless bastard children and treated Catherine with respect, not love. Whatever infatuation he had with her was long dead as he was faced with his own mortality and the prospect of the ending Tudor dynasty. "The Other Boleyn Girl" and other Hollywood imagery of Anne is false. Take the time to know her, I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Memorial Roses

Beginning in 1850, Longman Floral began delivering a large bouquet of long stemmed  red roses to the memorial plaque of Anne Boleyn in the tower. The florist has remained tight-lipped concerning the purchaser's identity. There is much speculation as to who is honoring the late queen and  her descendants living in Kent are considered the most likely. Ironically there is a Longman floral in the Kent village they reside in. Who do you think might be sending the flowers?

The Investigation of Anne Boleyn

In the Spring of 1536, Henry VIII began to have Anne investigated on suspicion of incest, regicide and infidelity. All crimes were considered high treason. Anne knew she was being investigated and must have felt a sense of impending demise.

The Coronation of Anne Boleyn

On April 12, 1533 Anne was finally crowned queen. This day in history marked the first of Anne's three year reign.