Anne Of The Thousand Days
This week's writing
Last Saturday, I paid a visit to Hever Castle in England, where Anne Boleyn spent her youth after her father, Thomas Boleyn, inherited the Tudor manor in 1505. Anne was the second wife of King Henry VIII, and since he had six, it’s obvious that things didn’t work out that well for her. They’d married in 1532 after Henry rejected his first wife Catherine of Aragon, who’d failed to produce a male heir. Their only surviving child was Princess Mary, who’d later become queen and during her reign would prove almost as bonkers as her father.
Anne was formally crowned queen on June 1, 1533 but her marriage to King Henry was declared null and void on May 17, 1536. She’d also failed to produce a male son who lived. Their only surviving child was Elizabeth, who’d succeed her crazy sister as queen and rule for 44 years. (Although most of Shakespeare’s plays were written after her death, Elizabeth did see performances of Merry Wives of Windsor and Love’s Labor’s Lost.)
As a good Christian man, Henry couldn’t divorce Anne, so instead he had his not-so immortal beloved prosecuted on sham charges of adultery with an assortment of unlucky rack testers, including her own brother, George. Yeah, the whole trial got very Jerry Springer.
Anne was found guilty and condemned to death (along with her brother), but that old softie Henry commuted her sentence from burning to beheading. He also had an expert swordsman brought in from France rather than subject her royal neck to a common axe. Her official separation from the king and her head occurred on May 19, 1536 — thus “Anne Of The Thousand Days.” That was also the title of a play and later film starring Richard Burton and Geneviève Bujold, who was briefly Captain Janeway on Star Trek: Voyager but for only a couple days.
Henry VIII took possession of Hever Castle when Thomas Boleyn died three years after the king executed two of his children. (Anne’s sister Mary was still alive but was probably happy to just keep her head. She might not have been able to inherit anyway for the sexist legal reasons covered in Pride and Prejudice.) Henry would later give the property to his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, as part of a settlement for their annulment. Anne apparently had no problem living in the family home of her ex-husband’s murdered wife. That’s usually the set-up for a horror movie, but Anne seemed to thrive at Hever and oversaw significant renovations during her time there.
American millionaire William Waldorf Astor acquired and restored Hever in 1903 for use as a family residence. He added the Tudor village on the property, as well as the lovely Italian Garden.
The Hever gift shop has both Anne Boleyn and Anne of Cleves merchandise, which felt a little awkward.
Here are some photos I took from inside the castle where the Annes lived.
Summer has arrived, even if the days are now slowly getting shorter again. I’m celebrating with a special summer subscription sale — 40 percent off the usual annual paid subscriber rate. That’s just $30 a year. Thanks to all who have upgraded to paid subscriber status recently.
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The Fourth of July is Saturday, so tomorrow you can read my annual “Is This Really Independence Day?” piece.
See you after the fireworks.
Anne of Cleves reportedly got along very well with Henry's children, including Anne of the Thousand Days' daughter, Elizabeth, so maybe her owning and living at Hever Castle wasn't so awkward. Being married to Henry WAS the horror, Stephen, so somehow it seems fitting that another Anne thrived at the first one's childhood home after surviving being married to the monster.
Though ornate, Hever Castle is decorated very tastefully. It's a home fit for a future queen and for a former queen.