This Day in History: 19 May 2020
19 May 1536
484 years ago, today, Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII, was executed on charges that included adultery, incest and treason. She had caught the King's eye in the mid-1520s during Henry's previous marriage with Catherine of Aragon. Even though Anne was not said to be a great beauty, she clearly captivated the King. In addition, Catherine had failed to produce a male heir, so Henry transferred his hopes for the birth of a boy onto Anne, setting about attempting to annul his marriage. While his advisers worked on the 'Great Matter', Henry and Anne began to flirt discreetly, then openly, which angered Catherine and her supporters.
At Anne's coronation in June 1533, she was nearly six months pregnant, but gave birth to a girl, Elizabeth, rather than the desired male heir. Matters were made worse for Anne when she suffered a miscarriage in January 1536, that appeared to have been male. After this, rumours sparked of Henry's new desire to marry Jane Seymour. Anne's many enemies recognised her weak position and jumped at the chance to bring about her downfall. An investigation was launched that compiled evidence against her, including an accusation of adultery with Mark Smeaton, a court musician. Most historians agree that Anne was innocent of the charges against her, as the evidence was weak, and she would have endangered her position by adultery. She was still found guilty, and on this day, the executioner's sword killed Anne at the Tower of London. Henry was married to Jane Seymour some ten days later, eventually leading to the birth of the long-awaited male heir, Edward. However, it would be Anne's daughter, Elizabeth, who would go onto rule England for more than 40 years as the most celebrated Tudor monarch.
Want to find out more about the life of Anne Boleyn and her death? Click here for more information about her life, and here for more on her execution and last days.
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