From love to hate: the woman, because of whom Henry VIII went into conflict with the Vatican, was executed by his own order
From love to hate: the woman, because of whom Henry VIII went into conflict with the Vatican, was executed by his own order

Video: From love to hate: the woman, because of whom Henry VIII went into conflict with the Vatican, was executed by his own order

Video: From love to hate: the woman, because of whom Henry VIII went into conflict with the Vatican, was executed by his own order
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Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn
Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn

Marriage King Henry VIII Tudor of England with Catherine of Aragon was short-lived. In 1525, the king decided to divorce his wife, because Ann Bolein - the woman he was in love with refused to become his mistress. Pope Clement VII did not give his blessing for divorce, then the king went to a complete break with the Vatican. He founded the Anglican Church independent of Rome, and the archbishop supporting the schism declared his marriage null and void. In response, the Pope excommunicated Henry from the church. The king married Anne Boleyn in 1533, but three years later she was beheaded in the Tower by order of the king himself. What could have caused such an unexpected outcome?

Ann Bolein. Drawing by Hans Holbein the Younger, court painter of Henry VIII, and a portrait from the drawing
Ann Bolein. Drawing by Hans Holbein the Younger, court painter of Henry VIII, and a portrait from the drawing

The passion of Henry VIII was fueled by the persistent resistance of Anne Boleyn - according to biographers, she was very cunning and far-sighted, and knew how to keep pauses when it promised the achievement of the goal in the future. She could afford not to answer letters to the king, while Henry VIII, who was not distinguished by a penchant for epistolary outpourings, sent her letter after letter.

Ann Bolein
Ann Bolein

The King wrote 17 letters to Anne Boleyn, and they contained the whole gamut of emotions from tenderness to anger, from persistent demands to humble requests: will, and was, your most devoted servant, (if your severity does not forbid me) I promise you that not only a name will be given to you, but also that I will make you my only mistress, throwing all others except you out of my thoughts and attachments, and I will only take care of you. I beg you to give a complete answer to this rough letter of mine, so that I can know what and how far I can count. And if you do not want to answer me in writing, appoint a place where I can get it by word of mouth, and I will go there with all my heart. That's all so as not to tire you."

William Frith. Henry and Anne hunting deer in Windsor Forest, 1872
William Frith. Henry and Anne hunting deer in Windsor Forest, 1872

But Anna was not satisfied with the role of a mistress - she set herself the goal of becoming a queen. And she got her way. In 1533 they got married, a year later Anna gave birth to a daughter to the king - the future Elizabeth I. But he never got an heir. Anna was never able to achieve popular recognition, although she patronized science, was the patroness of Oxford and Cambridge, spoke several languages, owned musical instruments. But she was called a witch and a courtesan.

Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn
Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn
Natalie Portman as Anne Boleyn
Natalie Portman as Anne Boleyn
Eric Bana as Henry and Natalie Portman as Anne Boleyn
Eric Bana as Henry and Natalie Portman as Anne Boleyn

There are several versions of why the king decided to execute his wife. According to one of them, he had already chosen a new favorite, Jane Seymour, and wanted to get rid of his wife. On the other hand, Anna really was intriguing and intervening in the political affairs of the state. There is a version that the king took revenge on Anna for the fact that she continued to love Count Percy all her life, the engagement to whom the king once upset. Be that as it may, on May 19, 1536, her head was cut off in the Tower - in the same place where she was crowned three years ago. She was accused of witchcraft and treason to her husband and sovereign.

Natalie Portman in The Other Boleyn Girl, 2008
Natalie Portman in The Other Boleyn Girl, 2008
Natalie Portman as Anne Boleyn
Natalie Portman as Anne Boleyn

They say that after the execution of Anne Boleyn, her ghost settled in the Tower. Moreover, this is the only ghost in the world that has an official court confirmation of its existence: in 1861 a sentry was tried, who claimed that he had seen a ghost. His testimony was confirmed by dozens of witnesses and he was acquitted, recognizing the ghost story as real.

Henry VIII accuses Anna of treason. Engraving from the painting by K. Piloti, 1880
Henry VIII accuses Anna of treason. Engraving from the painting by K. Piloti, 1880
Execution of Anne Boleyn
Execution of Anne Boleyn

Henry VIII is not the only king who decided to divorce: examples are known at least 10 divorces of heads of state that are significant for world history

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