Oh I am soooooo excited about this!! I’m wearing my Anne Boleyn shirt and telling everyone in my office that today is “Anne Boleyn Remembrance Day”! I don’t care if it’s official - I’m making it a thing here in the states!! 😂💁🏻♀️
I like that idea: Remembrance Day. We should absolutely make that a thing! Which of course means we must have some sort of food and drink to commemorate her. Clearly, an apple recipe is called for, as we know she craved those whilst pregnant with Elizabeth I. Hmmm….
I think he was trying to emphasise the legitimacy of his offspring by Anne. The cracks in their relationship appeared soon after the birth of Elizabeth. Anne seemed to struggle with the transition from mistress to wife because it appears that Henry was less respectful of her as his wife and his romantic attention strayed quite quickly after marriage. Considering that he moved to execute Anne so quickly after Katherine’s death would indicate that he did not value her for herself but for the sons she was supposed to have.
Another engaging video, Dr. Kat: *Thank you!* The sheer *speed* of Anne Boleyn's downfall always staggers me -- but I suspect that Thomas Cromwell wanted Anne & her circle to die quickly, for his own survival. The French swordsman who executed Anne was ordered to England two weeks prior to her trial, so the outcome of that trial was a fait accompli. Re: Anne's French upbringing -- ironically, Anne grew up at the Court of French Queen Claude, who ran a strict school for aristocratic ladies, with flirtation vetoed. I am glad that serious historians nowadays reject the lie that Anne was an adulteress. Again, thank you, Dr. Kat.
I've never believed that Anne Boleyn was an adulteress. Especially after she became Henry's queen. I imagine she was almost always never alone and that there was likely a spy or two in her midst. I've read that Anne was difficult at times so there might have been someone around happy to "report" on her. The evidence that Cromwell and Henry obtained was coerced and/or tortured out of people. From what I have read about Queen Anne Boleyn, I don't think I'd have liked her, especially her treatment of the Princess Mary, but she did not deserve what happened to her.
Yesterday to honour Anne Boleyn’s murder I found and listened to a beautiful and wonderful recording of Brahm’s Eine Deutsche Requiem. Yes, I recognize that it was written 230 years after her death. But the solemn and moving music felt appropriate. She would have loved Brahms.
"incontinent" in that time meant "quickly or immediately" - when I was at school we read a play (can't remember which one!) where one of the characters said "I will return incontinent" as you can imagine it caused huge hilarity! Love the video x
I read somewhere that those condemned to die at this time were obliged to say positive things about the king and the legal proceedings in order to protect their families from further repercussions. So sad, I can’t imagine people saying “God save the king” before getting their heads cut off. 😢
Such a brave final speech...really shows how diplomatic she was. I feel sorry that she miscarried a boy...things could have been so different had he lived.🏰
Henry strikes me as a narcissist so of course the lack of sons was the woman's fault. 🙄 Nothing was ever his fault. It's gratifying that he is remembered as a tyrant and that his tomb marker is only a simple black slab that anyone can walk over in St. George's Chapel at Windsor, rather than the elaborate memorial that he envisioned. Meanwhile, his unwanted daughter, Elizabeth, is remembered as one of England's greatest monarchs, and a magnificent effigy marks her grand tomb in Westminster Abbey. Anne would be pleased. 👑
I've always found the use of propaganda among medieval and early modern rulers FASCINATING! The public tends to think of propaganda as an extremely modern concept (18th century if not more recent), but it has been a core tool of monarchy since the beginning. These displays are just as much about sending the correct message to the populace as they are about the events themselves. Anne's relationship with the tower is a great example of this, from the glory of her first stay positioning her as a queen to the despair of her second stay positioning her as an outcast
The mind of a master Propagandist in the making, being Tutored from a young age, was the young King Edward, son of Henry 8th. This could be why, some read certain attitudes in his Diary entries. A Propagandist Art he would need to master, to be accepted as successful, to rule and to maintain power.
If I were in London on May 19, I would leave flowers for Anne at the chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula. She didn’t deserve to be beheaded, stripped of her titles and land, and her daughter bastardized, just because her husband got tired of her. Fortunately, we do things better these days; above all, children aren’t legally punished for their parents’ failure, even the most amicable, calm divorce is hard enough on them as it is. After the murder of her mother, Elizabeth never knew a moment of real security either before or after her accession to the throne. I’m glad she had Kat Ashley in her life as a child.
As an American the only things I knew about the Tower of London is that it once served as a prison where many notable people died (and of course even more non-notable people) and that its currently open to the public as a museum & houses the crown jewels. During the pandemic I did a deep dive on the Wars of the Roses & Tudor history, reading anything I could get my hands on, and I was surprised to learn that not only was it a prison but that it was also used as a royal residence and even a military garrison. One day I hope to be able to come see it in person.
Today is my birthday and it has always been one of the coolest things to me that I share my birthday with such an interesting historical woman's deathday. What she went through is tragic but absolutely fascinating. Thanks for always bringing the best in Tudor history!
She was truly a brave soul. And super intelligent by today's standards. It's tragic that the very traits that attracted Henry were the same ones that brought about her downfall and made enemies. It is said that she failed to make the necessary transition from mistress to wife. RIP brave Anne. 👑🏰
I remember hearing a historian (cannot remember which - maybe it was Ron Chernow in his book - saying the same thing about Alexander Hamilton - that the very qualities that led to his successes during the turmoil and aftermath of the Revolution were not suited to a changed environment of the early nation and led eventually to his own downfall. I think that is something is repeats throughout history - men and women who are able to harness a moment that is suited to them but less capable of shifting course when the environment alters because they were reliant on natural talent over developed skills. It might simply be the case of developing too many enemies by being too brash or too bold. Seems equally true of both.
Both had an enigmatic and attractive self assurance, but I think that quality blinded them to the subtle pulse of the world around them. Neither could really conceive of themselves not being the darling of the powers that ruled their lives and their worlds. Anne had always been a favorite, her parents, the French queen/court and then Henry. Plus she had the upper hand initially. She fled court and Henry's attentions in the beginning. I think she over estimated her own power and his devotion.
Visited the UK and the Tower in March this year, a great experience. I believe the swordsman for her execution makes it clear above all doubt, if any doubt there was, that the trail was a setup rather than an act of "mercy". Henry must have ordered for his coming before the trial even took place.
@@meginmdsome would argue perhaps the lingering effect of the last wife to pre-decease Henry VIII: Katherine Howard. It is said you can hear her pleading screams from her being dragged from her chambers (she too arrested for adulterous treason) echoing through those hallways at night.
Really enjoyed this ‘short’ version of Anne’s life. In 1986 my family was able to fly over to London to celebrate our daughter’s graduation from high school. The day we spent at the Tower was amazing! It’s very interesting to see your map of how it was when there were the other buildings. It’s easy to forget that the Tower was once more than a prison - especially since the prison aspect is what we’ve seen ourselves!!!!
Anne was regal in her reign and execution. Henry was a spoiled, egomaniac. Best to not be in his romantic sights. The Towers history is ever enduring. Thank you 😊😊
It always blows my mind the amount of power Henry had. I know a lot of people didn't like Anne, especially because of what happened to Katherine, but the fact that no one was willing to do anything is just crazy to me. His father never could have gotten away with executing his wife, even if she wasn't Elizabeth of York. Add to the fact that Henry did it TWICE is just astounding.
One can always argue that administrations fight the last battle. Henry VIII's background was unusual. He was the loved and treasured heir of a careful father. His father had taken the throne from Richard III, the last Plantagenet monarch to emerge from the War of the Roses. Richard's brother Edward, had seized the throne from a weak Henry VI, in spite of Henry's having a male heir in the control of a strong queen. Edward had then lost the throne but finally regained it for a short term of stability before dying, leaving as heirs his two underaged sons. Richard had moved against his nephew's weak minority to protect himself from the threat that he, rightfully as it turned out, perceived as coming from his nephews' mother's family. Richard attacked the legality of his older brother's marriage, eliminated (however you think) his brother's SEVEN children from the line of succession, and grabbed the throne. Richard was a grown man but the death of his heir and the move against his brother's children made him vulnerable to a rival faction. Henry, Duke of Richmond joined that rival faction, exploited that vulnerability, invaded, killed Richard in pitched battle, seized the throne and grabbed the princess as his wife. Richard, without a living heir, had left the kingdom vulnerable to an outside adventurer and the outside adventurer had succeeded. That was Henry VIII's recent history. Henry had two daughters with mothers who both had marriages that could be argued by one faction or another to be unlawful. We can assert that Henry's doubt about the legality of his marriage to Katherine was so much nonsense, but that was exactly the logic that Richard III had used against his nephew, Edward V. Henry had fathered one son, but the boy was illegitimate and therefore also vulnerable to outside attacks. Circling the reigns of Henry VII and VIII were the string of "Richard of York" pretenders ready to drive in with an army at any sign of weakness. Henry VIII, it can be argued, needed to make his position and his succession rock solid by having male heirs with an unquestioned right to the throne. To do that, he needed a queen without ANY question about the legality of her marriage and therefor her "inevitable" son's place in the line of succession. Katherine, the thorn in his side for so many years, was suddenly gone....just gone. Anne, though we can argue through no fault of her own, had failed to produce his necessary heir. Even if she did though, her son would still be vulnerable to attack from the anti-reform faction. Henry decided to clear the board and start over as he had just done with the English Church. It wasn't fair to Katherine and Mary. It wasn't fair to Anne and Elizabeth. It left young Henry, Duke of Richmond out in the cold, but it worked. Henry had a new, "blameless" queen and, in a year, a son with a rock solid claim to the throne. All he needed after that was the "spare" as he himself had been and all of Henry's dynastic plans would have been set in stone. Poor Anne was the victim of Henry's failed Plan B. When he regrouped and formed a new plan, there was no role for her and if she was still alive, she threatened the legitimacy of the next prince. In Henry and Cromwell's cold calculations, she had to go. They made a swift move against her and her supporters and surgically removed them. Cruel, ruthless, efficient and....successful, as they had done so often before to the enemies or even possible enemies of Henry's reformed English Church. The remainder of Henry's best laid plans came to naught and Cromwell came to grief two wives later. What might have happened though, if Jane had lived? That ruthless calculation might have paid off for both Henry and Cromwell.
The only thing I can think of is a recent quote I heard.... "If it has tyres or t_sticles, it's gonna cause you trouble!". I feel so sorry for Anne, there wasn't anything I don't think she could have done differently, once she fell out of favour, the die was cast. But how she acted was with such bravery. Bless her always.
I have adored everything Anne Boleyn since I was a child, she was a remarkable woman, I even have her handwriting tattooed on my arm, Anne was innocent, her only crime, marrying a fickle and vain man. Thank you Dr Kat for your wonderful videos, I cant get enough, you make the past come alive
Wow u really need proffesional help and then to get a life 😂 i adore jane seymour too and other people but wont make a tatoo for anyone its scary so many lunatics are walking the streets free and she wasnt a remarkable woman she was a whore and many people were killed thanxx to her jane was a remarkable woman
I love going to bed on Thursdays knowing there’s a lovely treat waiting for us all in the morning!🎅🏼 Your premieres are the light at the end of the tunnel of the work week 🥰🎉
Everything I've read about Anne leads me to conclude she was a fiercely intelligent woman. I doubt she would have been foolish enough to engage in extramarital affairs. She was fitted up right and proper. Another victim of the temper and utter impatience (and arguably the gullibility) of one of the worst Kings ever to sit on the English throne. 👸🏰
Re: that quote at 15:15, it actually says “he that saw it not, would not believe it” (my addition of the comma and modern spelling obviously). So I think what he’s saying is basically “you had to see it to believe it” or “ if you hadn’t seen it you wouldn’t believe it”.
I've never before heard that letter Anne wrote to the king, what a bombshell!! Fascinating times I can't stop exploring, but holy high heaven I'm so glad I live in these times and not those! 🏰
It still makes my mind positively boggle, at the breadth of Henry's self-delusion and the lengths he could and did go to service his own selfish desires. Because it wasn't just Anne's life he took on the flimsiest of excuses. It wasn't just her family who were blighted by this callous turn of events. Not just her infant daughter left motherless and spending the rest of her own life, navigating the uncertainties this murky event ever overshadowed that life. But the lives of five men, wrongly accused and put to death, and the suffering that subsequently caused those families. It beggars belief and yet it happened. If ever there was a man that deserved to rot in Hell, that man is Henry the eight - selfish and without conscience. Maybe tame in his misdeeds, by comparison to some of his time, but about the biggest coward and liar. And a puzzle. How did he get to that point and do such a thing, given he was so highly praised for his intelligence and kingly bearing as a young man? Who was kidding who? I guess that's part of what makes it all still so fascinating. I can never get enough. And I can't wait to get back to the Tower in June 👸💜
It is said a head injury sustained in a riding accident triggered his change from the happy, bright, well liked young man he once was into the ill tempered, impulsive, violent man that history remembers.
Anne’s fate was sealed with her last miscarriage, a sure sign to Henry that she was cursed, and thus he was accursed as well. Any many who would defy the Pope would think nothing of manipulating his “loyal” servants to do his dirty work.
Wonderful vid as always. It was fascinating to hear Annes letter to Henry. When he has repudiated a woman it is seemingly easy for him to move on and have no sympathy or emotions for the one he supposedly greatly loved. The Tower... such a treat to hear of the renovations that took place in Henrys time. Amazing edifice and history.
Finally read the Letter for the Tower book despite buying it immediately after watching the video when released, and thank you so much! The voice is the Anne I know, and the interpretation of Cromwell is the same as mine. Five Stars! I read it all in one evening.
As your videos have always fascinated and enlightened I thank you for sharing your knowledge and interpretation. Many years since I have attended university, but these moments of clarity take me back with pleasure. Thank you
Poor, Anne, was destined to die, no matter how trumped up the charges, and lack of evidence to convict. I think that, Anne and Katherine of Aragon, we’re both strong women, of great intelligence and courage. Too bad they were polar opposites in religious conviction, otherwise they could have been great friends, without Henry and a crown between them.
I would love to hear more about the conduits in London. They seem to be mentioned in each Tudor coronation procession. What was a conduit? What did it look like? How in the world did they get them to flow with wine?
Dr Kat, apologies, I forget the source, but I heard recently some report where Henry supposedly expressed regret on his death bed of how he'd treated the lady Anne. If you'd heard the same report, do you have thoughts on this?
A wonderful presentation. And had « incontinence » meant the same thing then as it does today, you stated that « it would have made quite a mess. » This is why you are my favorite and most admired historian. Your wit is equaled by your immense understanding of the past.❤️
The last time I was in the UK (sadly, twelve years ago) I was able to visit inside the Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula. I had always wanted to see it in person. It is so much smaller than I thought it would be. 👸👸
Thank you again for a wonderful vid! ❤you! Also, could you talk about Ann’s scaffold speech a bit more. What was the thought about ‘making a good death’ vs justice at that time? Still curious.
A favorite quote attributed to Anne is a favorite of mine and so poignant, "think of me when you do pray, that hope doth lead from day to day." 👸🏻 The way that Henry disposed of Anne even moved Chapuys to pity. Remarkable in that I can't recall him ever saying anything kind about her. RIP Anne the quene.
I have believed that Anne never committed adultery with anyone other than Henry himself. He was the serial adulterer and the accusation of congress with her own brother was particularly foul. Henry was, as ever,a right selfish bastard!😡
Thank you for another informative video, Dr Kat! I think Thomas Cromwell was carrying out King Henry’s wishes. No matter how much Cromwell disliked Anne, there would have been no way he could have made these allegations against her and had her executed without the approval of Henry VIII. The King obviously just wanted Anne out of his life. Unlike Katherine, Anne didn’t have powerful foreign allies so Henry VIII did not have to worry about protracted negotiations - she was his subject so could be executed. He must have been a very cold man to be able to kill innocent men and his wife. Jane Seymour must have had nerves of steel to marry him after witnessing how he treated Anne Boleyn! 👸
👸🏰 What an upside-down, sad way to live, always having to watch your back and every word you speak. Although I find her letter to Henry rather cryptic, it seems she handled herself with grace and dignity to the end. Thank you for another insightful video, Dr. Kat! 💖
Very interesting point about the French swordsman, I had not heard this theory before! One so often hears that it was a mercy gifted by Henry, but I like your theory much better. I don’t think Henry had it in him to be ‘merciful”.
@@cassiemontgomery45 - Wouldn't it be great if you could go back in time and tell Henry that it was due to him that he only had one male child - that it's his sperm that dictates the sex of the baby. Mind you, you'd probably just end up in the Tower. So maybe it's not a good idea x
@@maggiekent7753 I think it would be. I don't have the proper credentials to tell him this. It'd have to be someone like a medical doctor or a PhD prepared biologist or geneticist. Even then that might be iffy to a narcissistic personality. Henry believed that he was God's anointed and that God acted through him so he might not have even considered listening to a scientific explanation.
I always found it weird that Henry VIII went through all that trouble to order a French swordsman for Anne's execution, but he never bothered to provide a coffin. And what's worse: NOBODY noticed that there was no coffin? NOBODY bothered to get one? Wasn't it Kingston's job to oversee the execution?
Another fantastic video, Dr. Kat! I love that you used the various images of the Tower to highlight areas where historical events happened/were referenced as it adds a wonderful visual frame of reference for even long time students of the Tudors. For my part the Tower of London will always be most associated with the Princes of the Tower mystery. But Anne Boleyn's association with it is certainly first runner up. 🏰👑
The way women in general were victimized by men in medieval times, and the way Anne and Katherine of Aragon were treated by Henry makes me so emotional. I love that Dr Kat did a anniversary post for Anne.
I've always suspected that Anne was manipulated by her uncles into the Kings attention. Then manipulated by the King until and including her death. I feel sorry for her and suspect she tried not to be the 'homewrecker' until it was apparent that it was unavoidable.
🌺🏰👑 I feel sorry for Anne. If her child had been a boy she would have lived. I think Henry suffered brain damage in his Jousting accident on January 25, 1536. I was a Head Injury nurse. After a Head Injury victims' personalities change. Henry showed his brutal and impulsive side after the accident.
👸🏻🏰. Brilliant episode once again. Must admit to missing my history news round ups but my dyslexic autistic brain really struggles to follow along with live steam videos and watching them back after never feels the same. But loving the content as always xx
please keep making these length videos i love it im so happy i found you there are so many lol i want to make things like this someday but more about battles and technology and significant political topics from history but all of it... im working on getting a computer built to do it
The letter from Anne Boleyn in particular is very interesting! I'd never heard it (or even that she had written one that we have access to). One thing jumps out: I'm assuming the capitalization in the text as you reproduced it is in the original as well? In that case, it looks very German (i.e. she's capitalizing most/all of the common nouns, not just the proper ones). I know orthographic conventions were not very standardized at this time, but it seems like a curious thing for someone to have just come up with on their own and then used consistently, so she was likely taught to do it. Was this something to do with her specific (French) education, perhaps, or was the modern German pattern also used in English up through the 16th century (being inherited from a shared source, perhaps, as the two languages are very closely related).
I've read part of Sandra Vasolis book, so I am really am just going on my own opinion, but I just can't help but feel like the letter is genuine. From everything I've learned about Anne over the years it just feels like her. I know that's not really a valid argument, but I can't shake the feeling that it's her. She even catches an attitude with him knowing that he's about to execute her. And yes I know that there was no precedent for executing a queen, but she knew Henry like no other so she knew what he was capable of.
I’m watching on may 19, 2023 from here in California USA and it’s just surreal to me that we are able to carry on her memory nearly 500 years later … thank you so much for the beautiful video!!❤👑
Now watching this video while drinking tea and eating biscuits feel totally disrespectful 🙈 I'm so sorry! May Anne Boleyn rest in peace! I love your channel, dr. Kat!
Another idea for a fascinating research project would be on the French swordsman was summoned to fulfill this task and indeed the one would execute Catherine Howard if there is enough information to compile for such a project.
👸🏼🤴🏼🐦⬛🐻❄️🐘🗡️🩸⚰️🏰👑💍👬🏼💂🏽♀️ These are some emoji’s that remind me of the Tower of London. I’m so glad I got to visit for the first time just last month. I spent a whole day (11-5) and still could have stayed longer at the tower. I loved London and can’t wait to go back.
19th May is also the date my parents got married in 1956. I always remember Anne Boleyn's execution date. Coincidentally, and I'm sure not deliberately, my parents gave me the middle name Anne.
😢Poor Anne. It must have been so awful to have everything turn on her so quickly, and have a place she associated with her great triumph become the place of her death.
🏰👑 I've never considered that the sword was an insult to Anne. Now, having always felt Henry just a selfish terd, I think execution by sword was indeed both insult and insurance for a clean execution. 👑🏰
I think "incontinent" here (@12:40) may mean something like "not holding back," or "eager." I haven't checked the OED on this, but this is the sense given in the online etymological dictionary.
Looking at the comments, it's funny how events that happened 500 years ago to people we've never met, still stir strong feelings in us. If we had a time machine, I can easily imagine us forming an army to break down the doors of the Tower to free the innocent (and I'm not just talking about Anne, but to all the other innocents executed during the Tudor period for "treason" or "heresy"). I would definitely also stop to see the zoo at the Tower. 😀
From my studies of aquinas et al during my theology degree, I would guess that incontinence here means 'with a lack of restraint'. That's often how it was used when discussing sin, particularly sexual sin or concupisence.
This is the sadness that was Anne’s life. She waited almost 7 years for Henry who probably only loved the idea of gaining a son and she looked a woman of good stock! He was so possessed he ruined his first wife’s life, his daughter Mary’s life, his second wife and second daughter. As much love as he had for his mother and grandmother, you would think he would have thought better of these 4 and not have subjected them to all he did. I think Anne was a pawn and Henry was psychotic in his needs. Anne was not treated as she was during the long courtship, but as a brood mare once she was made queen. How much lower and colder could he get. I’ve always had a soft spot for Anne though I don’t like what made her Queen and what it did to poor Katherine, but hers was a sad ending made twice as sad by her father and uncle (the men who shoved her into the kings arms) being part of the judges that condemned her and her brother. Even by her days standards that’s a drawbridge too far!
Just like the modern sense of "incontinent" means being unable to control certain bodily functions, I'm guessing that the use of the word in the context shown in the video probably means that the people were unable to control or restrain their excitement, exuberance, etc...
The fascination with the cruelty & injustice at the heart of the death Anne Boleyn when compared side by side with what appears to be a widespread disregard for the cruelty & injustice at the heart of the displacement, suffering and lonely death of Katherine of Aragon baffles me. It can only be ascribed to what I'd term deep seated misogyny. Anne was young - OK younger. She was a legendary beauty. She had glamour & renown. Desired by every man at court. Wyatt wrote one of the finest love sonnets ever penned in her honour did he not? "Whoso list to hunt" Look it up. It's about Anne. The line Noli me tangere for Caser's I am" - Latin for 'Touch me not I belong to the king." During the years when Anne, to put it bluntly, was playing homewrecker and luring the king with a very clever game of hard to get, Katherine is referred to by historians as being "old and fat and barren". So of course she had no worth to the narcissist king. Yet she apparently has no worth to modern interpreters of the period either - and for the very same reasons why she was deemed easily expendable by Henry. It is Anne's youth & beauty which makes her worthy of fealty in this modern day too. Katherine is not worth it because she had the temerity to get old. She was no longer an object of sexual desire to anyone. Therefore she had no social value and still does not. As I said - this is classic misogyny.
A divorce would have made a third marriage possible. I think he chose to accuse her and several men of treason by adultery because it put the shame on her and directed attention away from having another wife who miscarried. With two wives miscarrying more than usual, it points the fault at Henry. I think his oversized pathetic ego couldn't take the truth. Like all despots, others had to suffer for his shortcomings (no pun intended 😊 but you can take it that way if you wish 😏).
Oh I am soooooo excited about this!! I’m wearing my Anne Boleyn shirt and telling everyone in my office that today is “Anne Boleyn Remembrance Day”! I don’t care if it’s official - I’m making it a thing here in the states!! 😂💁🏻♀️
Good on you, the more people who remember this woman and correct Henry and Cromwell's smear campaign against her (imo) the better.
I’m so with you !! I wore my B necklace all day!
🥂
@@Geo_Babe me too!
I like that idea: Remembrance Day. We should absolutely make that a thing! Which of course means we must have some sort of food and drink to commemorate her. Clearly, an apple recipe is called for, as we know she craved those whilst pregnant with Elizabeth I. Hmmm….
I think he was trying to emphasise the legitimacy of his offspring by Anne. The cracks in their relationship appeared soon after the birth of Elizabeth. Anne seemed to struggle with the transition from mistress to wife because it appears that Henry was less respectful of her as his wife and his romantic attention strayed quite quickly after marriage. Considering that he moved to execute Anne so quickly after Katherine’s death would indicate that he did not value her for herself but for the sons she was supposed to have.
Another engaging video, Dr. Kat: *Thank you!* The sheer *speed* of Anne Boleyn's downfall always staggers me -- but I suspect that Thomas Cromwell wanted Anne & her circle to die quickly, for his own survival. The French swordsman who executed Anne was ordered to England two weeks prior to her trial, so the outcome of that trial was a fait accompli. Re: Anne's French upbringing -- ironically, Anne grew up at the Court of French Queen Claude, who ran a strict school for aristocratic ladies, with flirtation vetoed. I am glad that serious historians nowadays reject the lie that Anne was an adulteress. Again, thank you, Dr. Kat.
I've never believed that Anne Boleyn was an adulteress. Especially after she became Henry's queen. I imagine she was almost always never alone and that there was likely a spy or two in her midst. I've read that Anne was difficult at times so there might have been someone around happy to "report" on her. The evidence that Cromwell and Henry obtained was coerced and/or tortured out of people. From what I have read about Queen Anne Boleyn, I don't think I'd have liked her, especially her treatment of the Princess Mary, but she did not deserve what happened to her.
I feel Anne knew the consequences of adultery and would not have done so.
Yesterday to honour Anne Boleyn’s murder I found and listened to a beautiful and wonderful recording of Brahm’s Eine Deutsche Requiem.
Yes, I recognize that it was written 230 years after her death. But the solemn and moving music felt appropriate. She would have loved Brahms.
🌟It is my opinion ~ and others, that you Dr. Kat, are the BEST historian on ALL of social media. Keep up always the FANTASTIC work!
You are incredibly kind, thank you ☺️
"incontinent" in that time meant "quickly or immediately" - when I was at school we read a play (can't remember which one!) where one of the characters said "I will return incontinent" as you can imagine it caused huge hilarity! Love the video x
Not just immediately, it usually implies they all rushed in a disorganized manner. Great word when used in this fashion. Very lively and happy.
Othello
I read somewhere that those condemned to die at this time were obliged to say positive things about the king and the legal proceedings in order to protect their families from further repercussions. So sad, I can’t imagine people saying “God save the king” before getting their heads cut off. 😢
Such a brave final speech...really shows how diplomatic she was. I feel sorry that she miscarried a boy...things could have been so different had he lived.🏰
Henry strikes me as a narcissist so of course the lack of sons was the woman's fault. 🙄 Nothing was ever his fault. It's gratifying that he is remembered as a tyrant and that his tomb marker is only a simple black slab that anyone can walk over in St. George's Chapel at Windsor, rather than the elaborate memorial that he envisioned. Meanwhile, his unwanted daughter, Elizabeth, is remembered as one of England's greatest monarchs, and a magnificent effigy marks her grand tomb in Westminster Abbey. Anne would be pleased. 👑
It wasn't known about the Male deciding the sex of the child until 1905. A discovery made by a woman BTW
I've always found the use of propaganda among medieval and early modern rulers FASCINATING! The public tends to think of propaganda as an extremely modern concept (18th century if not more recent), but it has been a core tool of monarchy since the beginning. These displays are just as much about sending the correct message to the populace as they are about the events themselves. Anne's relationship with the tower is a great example of this, from the glory of her first stay positioning her as a queen to the despair of her second stay positioning her as an outcast
The mind of a master Propagandist in the making, being Tutored from a young age, was the young King Edward, son of Henry 8th. This could be why, some read certain attitudes in his Diary entries. A Propagandist Art he would need to master, to be accepted as successful, to rule and to maintain power.
If I were in London on May 19, I would leave flowers for Anne at the chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula. She didn’t deserve to be beheaded, stripped of her titles and land, and her daughter bastardized, just because her husband got tired of her. Fortunately, we do things better these days; above all, children aren’t legally punished for their parents’ failure, even the most amicable, calm divorce is hard enough on them as it is. After the murder of her mother, Elizabeth never knew a moment of real security either before or after her accession to the throne. I’m glad she had Kat Ashley in her life as a child.
She deserved everything she got for how she treated mary
As an American the only things I knew about the Tower of London is that it once served as a prison where many notable people died (and of course even more non-notable people) and that its currently open to the public as a museum & houses the crown jewels. During the pandemic I did a deep dive on the Wars of the Roses & Tudor history, reading anything I could get my hands on, and I was surprised to learn that not only was it a prison but that it was also used as a royal residence and even a military garrison. One day I hope to be able to come see it in person.
Today is my birthday and it has always been one of the coolest things to me that I share my birthday with such an interesting historical woman's deathday. What she went through is tragic but absolutely fascinating. Thanks for always bringing the best in Tudor history!
This video was incredible! You're among the Queens of appreciating History! 👑👑👑👑
She was truly a brave soul. And super intelligent by today's standards. It's tragic that the very traits that attracted Henry were the same ones that brought about her downfall and made enemies. It is said that she failed to make the necessary transition from mistress to wife. RIP brave Anne. 👑🏰
I remember hearing a historian (cannot remember which - maybe it was Ron Chernow in his book - saying the same thing about Alexander Hamilton - that the very qualities that led to his successes during the turmoil and aftermath of the Revolution were not suited to a changed environment of the early nation and led eventually to his own downfall. I think that is something is repeats throughout history - men and women who are able to harness a moment that is suited to them but less capable of shifting course when the environment alters because they were reliant on natural talent over developed skills.
It might simply be the case of developing too many enemies by being too brash or too bold. Seems equally true of both.
Both had an enigmatic and attractive self assurance, but I think that quality blinded them to the subtle pulse of the world around them. Neither could really conceive of themselves not being the darling of the powers that ruled their lives and their worlds. Anne had always been a favorite, her parents, the French queen/court and then Henry. Plus she had the upper hand initially. She fled court and Henry's attentions in the beginning. I think she over estimated her own power and his devotion.
It was probably easier to be the side check because she didn't have to deal with what a wife would.
Visited the UK and the Tower in March this year, a great experience.
I believe the swordsman for her execution makes it clear above all doubt, if any doubt there was, that the trail was a setup rather than an act of "mercy". Henry must have ordered for his coming before the trial even took place.
I visited Hampton Court Palace and about cried walking through the hallways.
@@meginmdsome would argue perhaps the lingering effect of the last wife to pre-decease Henry VIII: Katherine Howard.
It is said you can hear her pleading screams from her being dragged from her chambers (she too arrested for adulterous treason) echoing through those hallways at night.
Anne's letter further strengthened my belief of her innocence. Such a tragic death.
I felt the same thing.
Really enjoyed this ‘short’ version of Anne’s life. In 1986 my family was able to fly over to London to celebrate our daughter’s graduation from high school. The day we spent at the Tower was amazing! It’s very interesting to see your map of how it was when there were the other buildings. It’s easy to forget that the Tower was once more than a prison - especially since the prison aspect is what we’ve seen ourselves!!!!
I'm so sad this is a premiere. 😂I'm sick and thought I found something nice to listen to. Oh well, to the archives.
Feel better soon and this will be there for you later 😊
I am now binging on History after Dark. You guys are a hoot...so much laughing and naughty minds!
We do have a lot of fun 😂
Don't google. But if you do don't do it at work
💯% agree!!
Oooo I need to look that up
@@theaxe6198and be careful in front of Timmy
Anne was regal in her reign and execution. Henry was a spoiled, egomaniac. Best to not be in his romantic sights. The Towers history is ever enduring. Thank you 😊😊
It always blows my mind the amount of power Henry had. I know a lot of people didn't like Anne, especially because of what happened to Katherine, but the fact that no one was willing to do anything is just crazy to me. His father never could have gotten away with executing his wife, even if she wasn't Elizabeth of York. Add to the fact that Henry did it TWICE is just astounding.
One can always argue that administrations fight the last battle. Henry VIII's background was unusual. He was the loved and treasured heir of a careful father. His father had taken the throne from Richard III, the last Plantagenet monarch to emerge from the War of the Roses. Richard's brother Edward, had seized the throne from a weak Henry VI, in spite of Henry's having a male heir in the control of a strong queen. Edward had then lost the throne but finally regained it for a short term of stability before dying, leaving as heirs his two underaged sons. Richard had moved against his nephew's weak minority to protect himself from the threat that he, rightfully as it turned out, perceived as coming from his nephews' mother's family. Richard attacked the legality of his older brother's marriage, eliminated (however you think) his brother's SEVEN children from the line of succession, and grabbed the throne. Richard was a grown man but the death of his heir and the move against his brother's children made him vulnerable to a rival faction. Henry, Duke of Richmond joined that rival faction, exploited that vulnerability, invaded, killed Richard in pitched battle, seized the throne and grabbed the princess as his wife. Richard, without a living heir, had left the kingdom vulnerable to an outside adventurer and the outside adventurer had succeeded. That was Henry VIII's recent history.
Henry had two daughters with mothers who both had marriages that could be argued by one faction or another to be unlawful. We can assert that Henry's doubt about the legality of his marriage to Katherine was so much nonsense, but that was exactly the logic that Richard III had used against his nephew, Edward V. Henry had fathered one son, but the boy was illegitimate and therefore also vulnerable to outside attacks. Circling the reigns of Henry VII and VIII were the string of "Richard of York" pretenders ready to drive in with an army at any sign of weakness. Henry VIII, it can be argued, needed to make his position and his succession rock solid by having male heirs with an unquestioned right to the throne. To do that, he needed a queen without ANY question about the legality of her marriage and therefor her "inevitable" son's place in the line of succession. Katherine, the thorn in his side for so many years, was suddenly gone....just gone. Anne, though we can argue through no fault of her own, had failed to produce his necessary heir. Even if she did though, her son would still be vulnerable to attack from the anti-reform faction. Henry decided to clear the board and start over as he had just done with the English Church. It wasn't fair to Katherine and Mary. It wasn't fair to Anne and Elizabeth. It left young Henry, Duke of Richmond out in the cold, but it worked. Henry had a new, "blameless" queen and, in a year, a son with a rock solid claim to the throne. All he needed after that was the "spare" as he himself had been and all of Henry's dynastic plans would have been set in stone. Poor Anne was the victim of Henry's failed Plan B. When he regrouped and formed a new plan, there was no role for her and if she was still alive, she threatened the legitimacy of the next prince. In Henry and Cromwell's cold calculations, she had to go. They made a swift move against her and her supporters and surgically removed them. Cruel, ruthless, efficient and....successful, as they had done so often before to the enemies or even possible enemies of Henry's reformed English Church. The remainder of Henry's best laid plans came to naught and Cromwell came to grief two wives later. What might have happened though, if Jane had lived? That ruthless calculation might have paid off for both Henry and Cromwell.
Great video as always. What a wretch Henry was.
The only thing I can think of is a recent quote I heard.... "If it has tyres or t_sticles, it's gonna cause you trouble!". I feel so sorry for Anne, there wasn't anything I don't think she could have done differently, once she fell out of favour, the die was cast. But how she acted was with such bravery. Bless her always.
Thank you, as always, for sharing your wealth of knowledge and your passion for Tudor history. This was well done. Cheers
😍 Another Friday, another video! They start my weekend. Thank you, Dr Kaat. 🙇♂
I have adored everything Anne Boleyn since I was a child, she was a remarkable woman, I even have her handwriting tattooed on my arm, Anne was innocent, her only crime, marrying a fickle and vain man. Thank you Dr Kat for your wonderful videos, I cant get enough, you make the past come alive
Wow u really need proffesional help and then to get a life 😂 i adore jane seymour too and other people but wont make a tatoo for anyone its scary so many lunatics are walking the streets free and she wasnt a remarkable woman she was a whore and many people were killed thanxx to her jane was a remarkable woman
I love going to bed on Thursdays knowing there’s a lovely treat waiting for us all in the morning!🎅🏼 Your premieres are the light at the end of the tunnel of the work week 🥰🎉
I read that one of the women, appointed (by the jailer) to assist her , was named Stoner. I have no idea if that’s true but find it fascinating.
Everything I've read about Anne leads me to conclude she was a fiercely intelligent woman. I doubt she would have been foolish enough to engage in extramarital affairs. She was fitted up right and proper. Another victim of the temper and utter impatience (and arguably the gullibility) of one of the worst Kings ever to sit on the English throne. 👸🏰
Re: that quote at 15:15, it actually says “he that saw it not, would not believe it” (my addition of the comma and modern spelling obviously). So I think what he’s saying is basically “you had to see it to believe it” or “ if you hadn’t seen it you wouldn’t believe it”.
I've never before heard that letter Anne wrote to the king, what a bombshell!! Fascinating times I can't stop exploring, but holy high heaven I'm so glad I live in these times and not those! 🏰
It still makes my mind positively boggle, at the breadth of Henry's self-delusion and the lengths he could and did go to service his own selfish desires. Because it wasn't just Anne's life he took on the flimsiest of excuses. It wasn't just her family who were blighted by this callous turn of events. Not just her infant daughter left motherless and spending the rest of her own life, navigating the uncertainties this murky event ever overshadowed that life. But the lives of five men, wrongly accused and put to death, and the suffering that subsequently caused those families. It beggars belief and yet it happened. If ever there was a man that deserved to rot in Hell, that man is Henry the eight - selfish and without conscience. Maybe tame in his misdeeds, by comparison to some of his time, but about the biggest coward and liar. And a puzzle. How did he get to that point and do such a thing, given he was so highly praised for his intelligence and kingly bearing as a young man? Who was kidding who? I guess that's part of what makes it all still so fascinating. I can never get enough. And I can't wait to get back to the Tower in June 👸💜
It is said a head injury sustained in a riding accident triggered his change from the happy, bright, well liked young man he once was into the ill tempered, impulsive, violent man that history remembers.
I feel for her and those innocent men who died merely as pawns for power. So sad. Henry was such a terrible person.
I agree, Henry was a tyrant and a monster, the only pity he ever felt was for himself, and his self-pity was monumental.🙂
@@kimberlyperrotis8962 💯 agree!!!
Anne’s fate was sealed with her last miscarriage, a sure sign to Henry that she was cursed, and thus he was accursed as well. Any many who would defy the Pope would think nothing of manipulating his “loyal” servants to do his dirty work.
To get 4 months of NordVPN for free when you purchase a 2 year plan follow the link: nordvpn.com/readingvpn
Thanks For the reccomendation!
Thank you for this Kat, today we honour a brave and determined lady, Queen Anne Boleyn
This isn’t a live link & can’t be found when typing it in
@@chezg806 thank you, it’s fixed now 😊
Wonderful vid as always. It was fascinating to hear Annes letter to Henry. When he has repudiated a woman it is seemingly easy for him to move on and have no sympathy or emotions for the one he supposedly greatly loved. The Tower... such a treat to hear of the renovations that took place in Henrys time. Amazing edifice and history.
Finally read the Letter for the Tower book despite buying it immediately after watching the video when released, and thank you so much! The voice is the Anne I know, and the interpretation of Cromwell is the same as mine. Five Stars! I read it all in one evening.
As your videos have always fascinated and enlightened I thank you for sharing your knowledge and interpretation. Many years since I have attended university, but these moments of clarity take me back with pleasure. Thank you
Poor, Anne, was destined to die, no matter how trumped up the charges, and lack of evidence to convict. I think that, Anne and Katherine of Aragon, we’re both strong women, of great intelligence and courage. Too bad they were polar opposites in religious conviction, otherwise they could have been great friends, without Henry and a crown between them.
I would love to hear more about the conduits in London. They seem to be mentioned in each Tudor coronation procession. What was a conduit? What did it look like? How in the world did they get them to flow with wine?
I absolutely adore your channel! Specially your Tudor content! Looking forward to this!😊😊❤❤
Thank you! I hope you enjoy this one!
@@ReadingthePast i'm sure i Will!
Dr Kat, apologies, I forget the source, but I heard recently some report where Henry supposedly expressed regret on his death bed of how he'd treated the lady Anne. If you'd heard the same report, do you have thoughts on this?
I've visited the Tower twice. I've heard the marker showing where she died is in the wrong place.
A wonderful presentation. And had « incontinence » meant the same thing then as it does today, you stated that « it would have made quite a mess. » This is why you are my favorite and most admired historian. Your wit is equaled by your immense understanding of the past.❤️
I enjoy you and your context so much. Best regards.
The last time I was in the UK (sadly, twelve years ago) I was able to visit inside the Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula. I had always wanted to see it in person. It is so much smaller than I thought it would be. 👸👸
Thank you again for a wonderful vid! ❤you! Also, could you talk about Ann’s scaffold speech a bit more. What was the thought about ‘making a good death’ vs justice at that time? Still curious.
Thanks for another interesting video, I always look forward to them 😄
You have the most beautiful grammar! It is a pleasure to hear you speak English correctly!!!!
Excellent as always. 😊
Love your videos and you Dr Kat!!!❤❤❤
A favorite quote attributed to Anne is a favorite of mine and so poignant, "think of me when you do pray, that hope doth lead from day to day." 👸🏻
The way that Henry disposed of Anne even moved Chapuys to pity. Remarkable in that I can't recall him ever saying anything kind about her.
RIP Anne the quene.
Kat would you please someday talk about the mystery of where Anne Boleyn's heart is buried? Thanks!
And her B necklace
I’ve often wondered what happened to that
I have believed that Anne never committed adultery with anyone other than Henry himself. He was the serial adulterer and the accusation of congress with her own brother was particularly foul. Henry was, as ever,a right selfish bastard!😡
Couldn't agree more.
Thank you for another informative video, Dr Kat! I think Thomas Cromwell was carrying out King Henry’s wishes. No matter how much Cromwell disliked Anne, there would have been no way he could have made these allegations against her and had her executed without the approval of Henry VIII. The King obviously just wanted Anne out of his life. Unlike Katherine, Anne didn’t have powerful foreign allies so Henry VIII did not have to worry about protracted negotiations - she was his subject so could be executed. He must have been a very cold man to be able to kill innocent men and his wife. Jane Seymour must have had nerves of steel to marry him after witnessing how he treated Anne Boleyn! 👸
Another great video. We have no kings or Queens here in America, so learning about all the shenanigans that they get into is very entertaining! 🏰
👸🏰 What an upside-down, sad way to live, always having to watch your back and every word you speak. Although I find her letter to Henry rather cryptic, it seems she handled herself with grace and dignity to the end. Thank you for another insightful video, Dr. Kat! 💖
That's how life is in a narcissistic/sociopathic/psychopathic system.
Very interesting point about the French swordsman, I had not heard this theory before! One so often hears that it was a mercy gifted by Henry, but I like your theory much better. I don’t think Henry had it in him to be ‘merciful”.
Thanks Kat! As always spectacular, interesting and delivered brilliantly!
Another excellent programme. I wonder did Henry ever regret Anne's execution. Sadly, I think he didn't.
Henry VIII likely was the type of narcissist who viewed himself as an actual victim and was completely justified in whatever he did.
@@cassiemontgomery45 - Wouldn't it be great if you could go back in time and tell Henry that it was due to him that he only had one male child - that it's his sperm that dictates the sex of the baby. Mind you, you'd probably just end up in the Tower. So maybe it's not a good idea x
@@maggiekent7753 I think it would be. I don't have the proper credentials to tell him this. It'd have to be someone like a medical doctor or a PhD prepared biologist or geneticist. Even then that might be iffy to a narcissistic personality. Henry believed that he was God's anointed and that God acted through him so he might not have even considered listening to a scientific explanation.
I always found it weird that Henry VIII went through all that trouble to order a French swordsman for Anne's execution, but he never bothered to provide a coffin. And what's worse: NOBODY noticed that there was no coffin? NOBODY bothered to get one? Wasn't it Kingston's job to oversee the execution?
Another fantastic video, Dr. Kat! I love that you used the various images of the Tower to highlight areas where historical events happened/were referenced as it adds a wonderful visual frame of reference for even long time students of the Tudors. For my part the Tower of London will always be most associated with the Princes of the Tower mystery. But Anne Boleyn's association with it is certainly first runner up. 🏰👑
🥀 🥀 Never forgotten
🏰I always heard that Henry hired a swordsman as a last show of favor for Anne, to be sure it was done correctly and quickly.
🏰 Love listening to you.
The way women in general were victimized by men in medieval times, and the way Anne and Katherine of Aragon were treated by Henry makes me so emotional. I love that Dr Kat did a anniversary post for Anne.
I've always suspected that Anne was manipulated by her uncles into the Kings attention. Then manipulated by the King until and including her death. I feel sorry for her and suspect she tried not to be the 'homewrecker' until it was apparent that it was unavoidable.
🌺🏰👑 I feel sorry for Anne. If her child had been a boy she would have lived. I think Henry suffered brain damage in his Jousting accident on January 25, 1536. I was a Head Injury nurse. After a Head Injury victims' personalities change. Henry showed his brutal and impulsive side after the accident.
This is the perfect video! I am visiting the tower tomorrow and can't wait to feel the history and see the places you have spoken about in this video!
👸🏻🏰. Brilliant episode once again. Must admit to missing my history news round ups but my dyslexic autistic brain really struggles to follow along with live steam videos and watching them back after never feels the same. But loving the content as always xx
please keep making these length videos i love it im so happy i found you there are so many lol i want to make things like this someday but more about battles and technology and significant political topics from history but all of it... im working on getting a computer built to do it
The letter from Anne Boleyn in particular is very interesting! I'd never heard it (or even that she had written one that we have access to). One thing jumps out: I'm assuming the capitalization in the text as you reproduced it is in the original as well? In that case, it looks very German (i.e. she's capitalizing most/all of the common nouns, not just the proper ones). I know orthographic conventions were not very standardized at this time, but it seems like a curious thing for someone to have just come up with on their own and then used consistently, so she was likely taught to do it.
Was this something to do with her specific (French) education, perhaps, or was the modern German pattern also used in English up through the 16th century (being inherited from a shared source, perhaps, as the two languages are very closely related).
They may have the history of queens... but WEEEE have the Queen of History 👸🏻👸🏻👸🏻👑
I do associate the Tower with Anne, but also the Princes. Anne on 19th of May, though 😺🫅👸
We love you even in America , Anne. ❤
"Noli me Tangere", for Ceasars I am..
I've read part of Sandra Vasolis book, so I am really am just going on my own opinion, but I just can't help but feel like the letter is genuine. From everything I've learned about Anne over the years it just feels like her. I know that's not really a valid argument, but I can't shake the feeling that it's her. She even catches an attitude with him knowing that he's about to execute her. And yes I know that there was no precedent for executing a queen, but she knew Henry like no other so she knew what he was capable of.
I’m watching on may 19, 2023 from here in California USA and it’s just surreal to me that we are able to carry on her memory nearly 500 years later … thank you so much for the beautiful video!!❤👑
If only Henry could see how amazing Elizabeth was going to be, Anne may have kept her head
Now watching this video while drinking tea and eating biscuits feel totally disrespectful 🙈
I'm so sorry! May Anne Boleyn rest in peace!
I love your channel, dr. Kat!
Another idea for a fascinating research project would be on the French swordsman was summoned to fulfill this task and indeed the one would execute Catherine Howard if there is enough information to compile for such a project.
👸🏼🤴🏼🐦⬛🐻❄️🐘🗡️🩸⚰️🏰👑💍👬🏼💂🏽♀️
These are some emoji’s that remind me of the Tower of London. I’m so glad I got to visit for the first time just last month. I spent a whole day (11-5) and still could have stayed longer at the tower. I loved London and can’t wait to go back.
19th May is also the date my parents got married in 1956. I always remember Anne Boleyn's execution date. Coincidentally, and I'm sure not deliberately, my parents gave me the middle name Anne.
😢Poor Anne. It must have been so awful to have everything turn on her so quickly, and have a place she associated with her great triumph become the place of her death.
🏰👑 I've never considered that the sword was an insult to Anne. Now, having always felt Henry just a selfish terd, I think execution by sword was indeed both insult and insurance for a clean execution. 👑🏰
I think "incontinent" here (@12:40) may mean something like "not holding back," or "eager." I haven't checked the OED on this, but this is the sense given in the online etymological dictionary.
Looking at the comments, it's funny how events that happened 500 years ago to people we've never met, still stir strong feelings in us. If we had a time machine, I can easily imagine us forming an army to break down the doors of the Tower to free the innocent (and I'm not just talking about Anne, but to all the other innocents executed during the Tudor period for "treason" or "heresy"). I would definitely also stop to see the zoo at the Tower. 😀
🏰 👸 Outstanding Dr. Kat! I look forward to Fridays because I curl up on the couch and visit with Dr. Kat.❤
From my studies of aquinas et al during my theology degree, I would guess that incontinence here means 'with a lack of restraint'. That's often how it was used when discussing sin, particularly sexual sin or concupisence.
I love it... I'm going to leave an emoji for Anne Boleyn👑👑👑
This is the sadness that was Anne’s life. She waited almost 7 years for Henry who probably only loved the idea of gaining a son and she looked a woman of good stock! He was so possessed he ruined his first wife’s life, his daughter Mary’s life, his second wife and second daughter. As much love as he had for his mother and grandmother, you would think he would have thought better of these 4 and not have subjected them to all he did. I think Anne was a pawn and Henry was psychotic in his needs. Anne was not treated as she was during the long courtship, but as a brood mare once she was made queen. How much lower and colder could he get. I’ve always had a soft spot for Anne though I don’t like what made her Queen and what it did to poor Katherine, but hers was a sad ending made twice as sad by her father and uncle (the men who shoved her into the kings arms) being part of the judges that condemned her and her brother. Even by her days standards that’s a drawbridge too far!
Just like the modern sense of "incontinent" means being unable to control certain bodily functions, I'm guessing that the use of the word in the context shown in the video probably means that the people were unable to control or restrain their excitement, exuberance, etc...
The fascination with the cruelty & injustice at the heart of the death Anne Boleyn when compared side by side with what appears to be a widespread disregard for the cruelty & injustice at the heart of the displacement, suffering and lonely death of Katherine of Aragon baffles me.
It can only be ascribed to what I'd term deep seated misogyny. Anne was young - OK younger. She was a legendary beauty. She had glamour & renown. Desired by every man at court. Wyatt wrote one of the finest love sonnets ever penned in her honour did he not? "Whoso list to hunt"
Look it up. It's about Anne. The line Noli me tangere for Caser's I am" - Latin for 'Touch me not I belong to the king."
During the years when Anne, to put it bluntly, was playing homewrecker and luring the king with a very clever game of hard to get, Katherine is referred to by historians as being "old and fat and barren". So of course she had no worth to the narcissist king. Yet she apparently has no worth to modern interpreters of the period either - and for the very same reasons why she was deemed easily expendable by Henry.
It is Anne's youth & beauty which makes her worthy of fealty in this modern day too. Katherine is not worth it because she had the temerity to get old. She was no longer an object of sexual desire to anyone. Therefore she had no social value and still does not.
As I said - this is classic misogyny.
The word "incontinent" is still used today to mean "lacking self-restraint; uncontrolled."
Choosing a French executioner as a statement of Anne's morals.... somehow, it fits Henry perfectly. A narcissistic discard at its "finest" indeed!
A divorce would have made a third marriage possible. I think he chose to accuse her and several men of treason by adultery because it put the shame on her and directed attention away from having another wife who miscarried. With two wives miscarrying more than usual, it points the fault at Henry. I think his oversized pathetic ego couldn't take the truth. Like all despots, others had to suffer for his shortcomings (no pun intended 😊 but you can take it that way if you wish 😏).
Dr.Kat's channel is brilliant! Educational, fascinating and fun. This is positively one of my favorite channels. Great video as always! ❤❤❤
Each video you make about the Tudors scratches the itch to rewatch the whole TV show. I'll cave in eventually 😉
I drove past the Tower of London this morning while crossing tower bridge. It’s impressive.
Thank you roe another wonderful idea. Dr. Kat. Woo to a women who puts her faith in men.😢