topic Re: WHAT DID ANNE BOLEYN REALLY LOOK LIKE? in Community Chat

WHAT DID ANNE BOLEYN REALLY LOOK LIKE?

Oznell — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 17:36:18 GMT

Recently discovered Claire Ridgway's "Anne Boleyn Files and Tudor Society". There are certain figures in English history who fascinate, and I've always found Anne Boleyn to be one of them. She was for a long time depicted just one way, but her real personality is elusive.

I've always loved the portraits of her that show her trademark "B" for Boleyn necklace. That has to be one of the most famous jewels of her century! And enjoyed descriptions of her, including her challenging black eyes, etc. Here in a short video, Claire Ridgway compares the various likenesses of her, including a medal, portraits and a tiny miniature, and verbal descriptions, to get at the truth:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfTI2ffP9j8

Re: WHAT DID ANNE BOLEYN REALLY LOOK LIKE?

Mz iMac — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 18:44:56 GMT

Interesting. If the coin image of Ann is the true likeness, all I can say is that AB had the kind of sex appeal that should have been bottled.

Re: WHAT DID ANNE BOLEYN REALLY LOOK LIKE?

drizzellla — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 19:26:11 GMT

I did a brass rubbing of Thomas Boleyn. I don't known how much the brass rubbing is the likeness of him. The face looks pretty generic but the rest of the brass rubbing is quite ornate. But that is as close as I get to what Anne Boleyn looked like.

Thomas Boleyn was quite tall. So I am wondering if she was too.Since she was buried in an unmarked grave there is no brass rubbing for her.

The You Tube was interesting. I thought the portraits of Anne Boleyn were similar. I also spent an hour learning about King Edward VII.

Re: WHAT DID ANNE BOLEYN REALLY LOOK LIKE?

Oznell — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 19:40:17 GMT

That is so interesting that you did a rubbing of Thomas Boleyn, @drizzellla. Another member of the family people seem to want to know about is Mary Boleyn, Anne's sister. Didn't she have a relationship with Henry VIII, before Anne? That would be a dicey family situation....

Re: WHAT DID ANNE BOLEYN REALLY LOOK LIKE?

Oznell — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 19:44:38 GMT

Ha, ha, @Mz iMac-- I'm hoping for her sake, that the "Hever Castle portrait", the one where she's holding the rose, is a more accurate likeness!

Re: WHAT DID ANNE BOLEYN REALLY LOOK LIKE?

drizzellla — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 19:46:41 GMT

YES! YES! YES!

And Anne did not want to be like her sister. Anne was not going to be Henry VIII's mistress. So Henry had to find a way to marry Anne. What a mess.

And Thomas Boleyn also seems to have "been in favor and well received" with Henry because of his two daughter's favored status.

Re: WHAT DID ANNE BOLEYN REALLY LOOK LIKE?

goldensrbest — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 19:58:39 GMT

Why did these women marry him? Most were killed.

Re: WHAT DID ANNE BOLEYN REALLY LOOK LIKE?

Mz iMac — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 20:00:07 GMT

@goldensrbest

AB was Henry's 2nd wify.

Re: WHAT DID ANNE BOLEYN REALLY LOOK LIKE?

goldensrbest — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 20:03:39 GMT

Henry was a bad king, these women knew that ,and still married him.

Re: WHAT DID ANNE BOLEYN REALLY LOOK LIKE?

goldensrbest — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 20:08:51 GMT

@Mz iMac wrote:
@goldensrbest

AB was Henry's 2nd wify.

He had her head cut off.

Re: WHAT DID ANNE BOLEYN REALLY LOOK LIKE?

drizzellla — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 20:17:39 GMT

Henry VIIIs wives

Catherine of Aragon - annuled

Anne Boleyn - beheaded
Jane Seymour - died 12 days after giving birth to son
Anne of Cleves - generous annulment

Kathryn Howard - beheaded
Katherine Parr - outlived Henry VII

Re: WHAT DID ANNE BOLEYN REALLY LOOK LIKE?

Oznell — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 20:21:10 GMT

That's a good point, @goldensrbest. I think it's kind of complicated, in the context of the times. I'm going to guess that the early wives, before he had beheaded anyone, didn't imagine that he would. And it wouldn't surprise me if some of the later wives

1) never thought he would do it to THEM, (human ego at work), or,

2) felt coerced by their circumstances to marry him.

But maybe the people who really know the English royals have other ideas. Anyone? @sharke?

Re: WHAT DID ANNE BOLEYN REALLY LOOK LIKE?

Oznell — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 20:22:39 GMT

What a good little chart, @drizzellla! That helps.

Re: WHAT DID ANNE BOLEYN REALLY LOOK LIKE?

goldensrbest — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 20:25:07 GMT

Iwatched the pbs show that was on last year, i kept thinking they had options, and chose him.

Re: WHAT DID ANNE BOLEYN REALLY LOOK LIKE?

bathina — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 20:49:33 GMT

He had 2 of his wives executed. The majority he banished, lived or died in childbirth. They married him because they had no choice. Women's preferences were not considered, especially when the families were higher "class". Marriages were made for increasing familial closeness to the King, thus amassing land, money and power. In the case of Ann Boleyn, she caught the eye of the King and she was ambitious (and probably in love) and her family wasn't going to say no to what all that would bring. Henry created his own religion- The Church of England, so he could marry Anne since the Pope would not grant him an annulment from Catherine of Aragon. I believe he really and truly was in love with Anne. But when the blush was off the rose and no male heir, he needed to get rid of her to move on.

Re: WHAT DID ANNE BOLEYN REALLY LOOK LIKE?

Drythe — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 22:43:30 GMT

A British friend taught me this:

Divorced

Beheaded

Died

Divorced

Beheaded

Survived

He said he learned it an grade school as a memory trick.

I understand that the family of Mary & Anne’s mother were very power hungry and manipulated Mary into a relationship with Henry that she did not want, she was married to someone else. Anne claimed that she was betrothed to another man and that they had gone through a marriage ceremony. She refused to have anything to do with Henry. Her family & his (the young man’s) put so much pressure on him that he recanted the act of marriage, after that she agreed to their plot to entrap Henry.

A nice bunch!

Re: WHAT DID ANNE BOLEYN REALLY LOOK LIKE?

this is my nic — Thu, 07 Feb 2019 03:23:05 GMT

Some women find power quite appealing. Also, Henry is reported to have been quite handsome and athletic in his younger years.

Re: WHAT DID ANNE BOLEYN REALLY LOOK LIKE?

violann — Thu, 07 Feb 2019 11:39:22 GMT

“King Henry the Eighth, to Six wives was he wedded.

One died, One survived, Two divorced, Two beheaded”.

I’d happily credit this if I knew who said or wrote it, but I have no idea where it comes from.

This period of English history is fascinating to me too, but I think living through it was a heck of a lot more dangerous than reading about it.

Re: WHAT DID ANNE BOLEYN REALLY LOOK LIKE?

PamfromCT — Thu, 07 Feb 2019 16:53:45 GMT

There is a very interesting theory, perhaps providing insight into Henry’s psychological state. As a young man, it seems he was very strong, athletic, and happy. As the theory goes, he was severely injured in a jousting tournament, unconscious for a while, and became a different personality. Severe head injury?

Re: WHAT DID ANNE BOLEYN REALLY LOOK LIKE?

Oznell — Thu, 07 Feb 2019 17:03:18 GMT

That is fascinating, @PamfromCT-- had not heard that theory possibly accounting for personality change in him!