The Anne Boleyn Collection II: Anne Boleyn & the Boleyn Family by Claire Ridgway Page A
Authors: Claire Ridgway
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with what God gave her.
She didn't need to instruct her chaplains to look out for needy people and to tell her about them; she didn't need to increase the amount in the Maundy purses; she didn't need to be so generous with her time, money and influence; but she did so. Yes, it was good for her image, and some might call it public relations or propaganda, but through these deeds she risked her reputation and image to support reformers, so I don't believe that it was all about making Anne look good to the people. Her good deeds and her charity surely came from her faith and her love for her people.
Notes and Sources
1 Lindberg, "Jacques Lefèvre d'Étaples by Guy Bedouelle," 25–26.
2 Dowling, "Anne Boleyn and Reform."
3 Ives, The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn, 283.
4 Fox (Foxe), Fox's Book of Martyrs: Acts and Monuments of the Church in Three Volumes, II:407.
5 Dowling, "William Latymer's Cronickille of Anne Bulleyne," 53.
6 Ibid., 54.
7 Ibid., 49.
8 Ibid., 52–53.
9 Ibid., 54.
10 Ibid., 56.
11 Ibid., 57.
12 Dowling, "William Latymer's Cronickille of Anne Bulleyne."
13 Dowling, "Anne Boleyn and Reform."
14 Cavendish, The Life of Cardinal Wolsey, 443.
15 Dowling, "Anne Boleyn and Reform."
16 "Calendar of State Papers, Spain, Volume 5 Part 1: 1534-1535," n. 170.
17 Stewart, "The Relief of the Poor Bill, 1535."
18 Schofield, The Rise and Fall of Thomas Cromwell: Henry VIII's Most Faithful Servant, 103.
19 Ives, The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn, 285.
20 Ives, "A Frenchman at the Court of Anne Boleyn."
21 Ives, "Anne Boleyn on Trial Again."
22 Dowling, "Anne Boleyn and Reform."
18. Anne Boleyn and the Tower of London
The Tower of London, or Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, as it is officially called, is famous for being the site of much bloodshed and for being the prison of many hundreds, if not thousands, of people since it was first built by William the Conqueror in the late 11th century. However, during its 900-year history, it has enjoyed many different roles:
• Fortress
• Prison
• Royal Palace
• Armoury
• Mint
• Place of Execution
• Home of the Royal Menagerie
• Jewel house
• Resting Place
In Tudor times, one of the functions of the Tower of London was a prison. Notable prisoners included:
• Anne Boleyn and the five men condemned to death for committing adultery with her
• Sir Thomas More and Bishop John Fisher
• Thomas Cromwell
• Catherine Howard and Lady Jane Rochford
• Anne Askew
• Thomas Cranmer
• Lady Jane Grey and Guildford Dudley
• Princess Elizabeth Tudor and Robert Dudley during Mary I's reign
• Sir Walter Ralegh
Figure 23 - A view of the Tower of London
However, the Tower was not just a prison; it was also a Royal Palace, complete with Great Hall and royal lodgings which were used by a monarch traditionally before his/her coronation.
Anne Boleyn and the Tower of London
There is much misinformation out there regarding Anne Boleyn, her execution and her links with the Tower of London. Errors and myths I've come across include:
• Anne Boleyn was executed by an axeman
• She was executed where the glass memorial stands today on Tower Green
• Anne was imprisoned in a room in the Queen's House overlooking Tower Green where she carved "ANNE" into the stonework
• The bodies in the chancel were exhumed and then buried in the crypt or in a mass grave
• An extra finger was found when the Victorians exhumed her remains
• Anne was escorted through Traitors' Gate
I haven't read these in fiction; I've read them on forums and websites, or heard tour guides like Yeoman Warders and Blue Badge Guides tell them to tourists. When one person confronted a Yeoman Warder and told him that Anne was not executed on the spot being pointed out, she got the rather sarcastic reply, "Oh, you've been reading Alison Weir". Oh dear.
Today, we think of the Tower of London as a prison and fortress. The Yeoman Warders tell you its history, and then
She didn't need to instruct her chaplains to look out for needy people and to tell her about them; she didn't need to increase the amount in the Maundy purses; she didn't need to be so generous with her time, money and influence; but she did so. Yes, it was good for her image, and some might call it public relations or propaganda, but through these deeds she risked her reputation and image to support reformers, so I don't believe that it was all about making Anne look good to the people. Her good deeds and her charity surely came from her faith and her love for her people.
Notes and Sources
1 Lindberg, "Jacques Lefèvre d'Étaples by Guy Bedouelle," 25–26.
2 Dowling, "Anne Boleyn and Reform."
3 Ives, The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn, 283.
4 Fox (Foxe), Fox's Book of Martyrs: Acts and Monuments of the Church in Three Volumes, II:407.
5 Dowling, "William Latymer's Cronickille of Anne Bulleyne," 53.
6 Ibid., 54.
7 Ibid., 49.
8 Ibid., 52–53.
9 Ibid., 54.
10 Ibid., 56.
11 Ibid., 57.
12 Dowling, "William Latymer's Cronickille of Anne Bulleyne."
13 Dowling, "Anne Boleyn and Reform."
14 Cavendish, The Life of Cardinal Wolsey, 443.
15 Dowling, "Anne Boleyn and Reform."
16 "Calendar of State Papers, Spain, Volume 5 Part 1: 1534-1535," n. 170.
17 Stewart, "The Relief of the Poor Bill, 1535."
18 Schofield, The Rise and Fall of Thomas Cromwell: Henry VIII's Most Faithful Servant, 103.
19 Ives, The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn, 285.
20 Ives, "A Frenchman at the Court of Anne Boleyn."
21 Ives, "Anne Boleyn on Trial Again."
22 Dowling, "Anne Boleyn and Reform."
18. Anne Boleyn and the Tower of London
The Tower of London, or Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, as it is officially called, is famous for being the site of much bloodshed and for being the prison of many hundreds, if not thousands, of people since it was first built by William the Conqueror in the late 11th century. However, during its 900-year history, it has enjoyed many different roles:
• Fortress
• Prison
• Royal Palace
• Armoury
• Mint
• Place of Execution
• Home of the Royal Menagerie
• Jewel house
• Resting Place
In Tudor times, one of the functions of the Tower of London was a prison. Notable prisoners included:
• Anne Boleyn and the five men condemned to death for committing adultery with her
• Sir Thomas More and Bishop John Fisher
• Thomas Cromwell
• Catherine Howard and Lady Jane Rochford
• Anne Askew
• Thomas Cranmer
• Lady Jane Grey and Guildford Dudley
• Princess Elizabeth Tudor and Robert Dudley during Mary I's reign
• Sir Walter Ralegh
Figure 23 - A view of the Tower of London
However, the Tower was not just a prison; it was also a Royal Palace, complete with Great Hall and royal lodgings which were used by a monarch traditionally before his/her coronation.
Anne Boleyn and the Tower of London
There is much misinformation out there regarding Anne Boleyn, her execution and her links with the Tower of London. Errors and myths I've come across include:
• Anne Boleyn was executed by an axeman
• She was executed where the glass memorial stands today on Tower Green
• Anne was imprisoned in a room in the Queen's House overlooking Tower Green where she carved "ANNE" into the stonework
• The bodies in the chancel were exhumed and then buried in the crypt or in a mass grave
• An extra finger was found when the Victorians exhumed her remains
• Anne was escorted through Traitors' Gate
I haven't read these in fiction; I've read them on forums and websites, or heard tour guides like Yeoman Warders and Blue Badge Guides tell them to tourists. When one person confronted a Yeoman Warder and told him that Anne was not executed on the spot being pointed out, she got the rather sarcastic reply, "Oh, you've been reading Alison Weir". Oh dear.
Today, we think of the Tower of London as a prison and fortress. The Yeoman Warders tell you its history, and then
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