Wow. What a letter. So eloquent, especially in her state of mind (terrified and confused) after having been imprisoned for a few what must have felt like eternal days at this point. I can't help but wonder if she's throwing in a punch when she tells him she hopes he'll receive mercy on his judgment day, or if she really means that. I also love she asked for mercy on the others imprisoned (and likely sentenced) because of her.
@@pippy68p65 Not to mention she knew what was about to happen to her brother, her friends, and the poor minstrel who were caught up in it. I would have wanted to scream my lungs out at the horror of it.
@@edennis3202 I know. It was so aweful. She didn't deserve to die. Why didn't he just send them away. Her brother poor man. Terrible times. If KING HENRY or his council said they were guilty for no reason that was it. How frightening to loose your head. The torture they used on Mark was horrific. .it would be AMAZING to go back just to see what really truly happened what was said and done with my own eyes and ears. Wow how great would that be.
It’s so touching, but sad at the same time. Because she knew that it was the king who wanted her dead, not her “enemies”. They were simply doing Henry’s bidding. Also it showed her character in pleading for the innocent men who would be killed because of Henry’s having a heir obbession. Another great vid, lady Claire, mAkes the eyes tear up🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Wow! I believe she wrote it. If she didn't who would have been able to write such a letter not being in that horrific situation and fighting for the life of her child. If ever I could meet some from the past it would be her and Lincoln. Thank you for this post. So sad. She was so young.
I believe Anne wrote the letter. I can't see any reason why someone else would. For being in the circumstances she was in, I give her credit for keeping her composure enough to write such a beautiful letter. One question. Could you do a countdown of the fall of Catherine Howard? That would be just as fascinating. Thanks for all your hard work. 🙋💕👍✌🌹👸👑🏰🎪🎭
Miss the long vids, love you Claire & I’m so glad you covered this topic. After reading that book I’ve always wondered if it was true or just sensationalized hope.
Truly a moving composition. The adjective that comes to mind is the same as that in some comments below - 'heartfelt.' It seems like a letter that would have taken four days to ponder and write so that every word carried the utmost meaning. And you read it with such feeling! I'd like to think it was genuine. So sad and so touching that she petitioned for the release of the men and urged the King to remember their daughter. Assuming it is the real thing, you wonder whether it ever even reached the King?
What a lovely letter to King Henry Vlll from Anne Boleyn, but I do not think Henry Vlll ever saw or read Anne's letter. Thank you Claire for bringing the Tudor's to life for all of Us. ❤️
I love your videos, Claire! Watching your videos every day has been helping me get through my last year of university. Thank you so much. You are the best!
I believe Anne wrote the letter to Henry, after all who else would have profited from writing such a letter? So heartfelt and eloquent, and strong. Cromwell couldn’t have hidden it, Anne was constantly in the company of the ladies and guards and they would have known of the request for Cromwell to deliver it. Anne had the most to lose, and also the most to gain by regaining Henry’s good favor. I’m sure the king and Cromwell expected Anne to write him at some point, begging for his attention or forgiveness, she wouldn’t go down without a fight. I believe they conspired together to get rid of Anne and she realized it. He made Cromwell his eyes and ears and put him in a very dangerous spot, which in the end Cromwell paid for anyway.....
It is a beautiful letter and somewhat brave which is how I've always seen Anne, as a brave and passionate woman. Such a sad time and yes, it's hard to say I'm enjoying these videos but I know what you mean. The more I learn the more I admire Queen Anne (sorry if I'm repeating myself). It's good to get a better idea of the far more likely facts and corroboration from the other sources rather than the unrealistic fiction that's all around us. Thank you for taking the time, Claire, (and also for your amazing timing with the bell, even if it's just coincidence :D)
I read Sandra Vasoli's book about this letter and I feel she makes a very good case for its authenticity. This is the closest we'll ever be I think, to knowing Anne's thoughts and, if it was from her, shows her intelligence and passion beautifully.
It certainly is plausible that Anne wrote this letter, but I am wondering if Henry ever received it, and if so, did he read it? His mind was made up. Love how the bells rang to remind you to remind us to click the bell to be notified of new videos!
What a moving letter I do want to think she wrote it and when all said and done we do now believe she was innocent as she wanted everyone to know thank you Claire xx
Thanks for reading this letter - it indeed seems authentic to me in the sense that when reading it you can get how suffocating Anne must be feeling and so helpless. Also what makes me further believe that its authentic is the fact that as queen she does feel responsible for the others imprisoned with her, and she makes an effort to do the right thing. Is there any evidence that Henry read this letter, or did it never make it to his desk ?
Nice outdoor visuals. It never fails......everytime you start to mention Anne's name one too many times your proverbial church bells immediately ring out. It's almost like the bells are ringing as a signal from her (Anne) saying I'm still here (in spirit). Research history question: In researching your book did you ever get a chance to interview any living descendents of, Thomas Boleyn to help you gain a better insight into the family?
No, I haven't interviewed any descendants but I think that they would be far too removed to give me any insight into the family.
5 лет назад+1
New subscriber here, from Portugal! I've been watching your videos and they are incredible. I think the letter is very similar to what has been reported that Anne said right before her execution. I didn't even know there was such a letter. Real or not, it's very interesting.
It is a sad series. I'm sure she would have preferred a divorce rather than the false charges against her. The birds singing is gorgeous in the background, and the bell rang out at just the right time (for Anne).
Poor Anne whether one likes dislikes or has mixed feelings about her she really didn't deserve her punishment. I can imagine her writing a letter like that to be honest. I think for that period Anne was extremely brave for often speaking her mind knowing how dangerous it could be. I feel she would of been great for women empowering women in these times. However I do not like in any way how she and the King treated poor Catherine of Aragon and her daughter Mary. I'd love to go back to those times for only a week to see what is was truly like.
A heartfelt plea to her lord husband. That she already knew the woman who would replace her so quickly must have been like a knife twisting. I pray she received honest judgment at last.
Anne must have felt frightened and confused. I like to think that the letter is genuine. It's very sad 💔. I wonder if Henry would have changed his mind if he had read the letter. Congratulations on 10 years of The Anne Boleyn files website.
What a poignant letter! Her words brought tears to my eyes. I do believe she wrote it or at least dictated it. I think she knew in her heart she was going to die because of these accusations. I loved the sound of the children and birds in the background. And at the end, the bell was ringing out for Anne!
This is a very touching letter, and it is written in a style that indicates that it was done by a well educated and worldly woman. There is a touch of innocence in the sentiment, almost as if Anne was hoping for perhaps a divorce instead of a the required punishment for treason. She is clear thinking and obviously knows that Henry's affections were trending to another woman. I imagine she still had hope of being released from prison. How sad to know centuries later what she was still not sure of then.
You know, except for Henry's first wife (arranged) all of the other women had their own agenda (or their families did) about becoming Queen...and they knew, in my mind, the risk of such status. Claire, I am a Genealogist and I have seen many names misspelled in my research. Even with my own family, I have seen my mom's maiden name spelled 6 different ways. Historically, one's ability to read/write was a luxury...not too many people within the 13 original colonies, etc, had such skills. Today, I think people are just careless (rely on computers) and/or have very poor penmanship. Thank you.
Darlene Farmer Honestly, I think the only one who didn’t have their own agenda was Anne o Cleves. Her brother favored the union but besides easing his financial burden of an unwed sister, had little to gain. Henry 8 had to secretly forgive Anne’s dowry and Henry was the one who needed the alliance with the Protestant league. CoA was keeping the title she was promised and that she would, by heir, unite the thrones. Not to mention, Henry 7 didn’t want to give up her dowry from her marriage to Arthur.
Thank you Claire, I, like every commenter here want to believe the letter genuine, and in fact I do. What convinces me most is that that opening paragraph is to my ears verging on sarcasm. After all, Anne was a very intelligent lady, educated far beyond,as I understand it, almost every woman in the kingdom.(except for Sir Thomas Moore's daughters). Her quick wit had been honed by philosophical debate during her French sojourn so I can see her not only being very genuine and desperate, but not being able to resist a sly dig. Or else maybe she thought that it would grab the King's attention? Something I've always been curious about. If we accept that it was a love match between them in the end, did the upheavals needed to bring about their union perhaps make her feel safer(before her arrest, I mean). A lot of what I've read contains a more scholarly version of the old saying "if he did it with you, he'll do it to you"(sorry but that's the quickest way of saying it) and the inference is that not only was it inevitable but she should have expected her downfall. But I wonder, especially as she accepted he had mistresses, did she perhaps think that he would not risk the disfavour of his subjects by discarding the woman for whom he'd torn the fabric of society apart? Because otherwise she does seem to have been a bit reckless. I AM thoroughly enjoying these, it's some years since I read anything about Anne in detail, although she features in a few fiction works I've read more recently. After my essay here, it will be no surprise that yesterday at lunch after church a friend asked me something about the history of the Reformation and wow! did they get a lot more information then they probably wanted (I think we are still friends!) So thanks again, I'm off to catch up on some I've missed. Kudos.
IKR? I always marvel at women who even want another woman's man. If YOU can take him from her, somebody else can take him from you! And when the reproductive stakes are this high as well. . . . 😳
Maryann Lockwood Oh yes, I'm sure Anne knew there was a high possibility it could happen but, when you love someone so much and pour your trust into them, You look beyond thier flaws and the sin they've caused in their past. We all make mistakes and have loved a person with a "dark" past but choose to embrace them anyways. You can open your heart to him and remain loyal but in the end, what the King wants, the King GETS! Iike Anne Boleyn, I really thought I could "CHANGE" my ex for the "better" but, he's heart was hardened and in Anne's case, the main goal during that time was producing a male hier. The King wasn't going to let his number 1 duty for the sake his country be pulled down, He wanted Anne out of the way, He was going to get it. Only proves to you that, No matter how much love you give a person who you absoultly adore, They can still break your heart! It still happens in relationships today, Love truly blinds you. Anne and Katherine was no exception and neither was I. Yes, we knew it could happen...But, thought our love was stronger. We obviously thought wrong. 🙏
In a way she should have been a little prepared; she saw how he treated Catherine. But I supposed she felt he truly loved HER so it wouldn’t happen that way with her. I feel so bad for her.
@@SunflowerSpotlight In a way I agree, but he never executed Catherine or imprisoned her in the Tower. Plus, I'm sure he had assured her over and over of his true love for her during the great matter and during their marriage. I think she should have expected that his love could turn, but we shouldn't forget his part in everything and how it must have influenced Anne.
I believe she wrote this thoughtful and eloquent letter. She was thinking about the men who were wrongly accused. I can’t imagine what she was going through. It was her daughter, Elizabeth who became England’s best monarch. Queen Anne Boleyn was a fascinating woman. She died 484 years ago and cemented her presence. There are more books written about her. Historians continue to debate about her life. It makes me sad that when she was alive people hated her. Now she is admired and beloved.
I love the letter. It is not as desperate or groveling as you would expect a letter to Henry VIII to be. Perhaps she knew that nothing could be changed. But if he had any conscience at all, this would prick it. That he was disposing of her and killing innocent men to satisfy his own pleasures. The reminder of the name 'Anne Boleyn' and what it meant to it once is so poignant. Because he was willing to shake the kingdom to its core for that name, but now that time is over
I believe it's genuine. The stakes were just too high. Put yourself in the queen's place. Would you not take any measures at your command to put forth your case & to plead for your life & the lives of your co-defendents - - - your friends & your own brother? Not to forget the pitiful little princess? She must have sent messages to her father & uncle Norfolk as well, begging them to go before the king, if he would receive them, to plead her case, even on their knees! Her head must have been spinning, her heart perpetually racing, her mind constantly seeking a way out. Can you really think she wouldn't have written the king? If it wasn't this letter, there must have been another, & I would imagine a very similar one! 📜
I think, I hope, it is genuine, it certainly resonates as a sincere record. I have read the notes in the link and it has been suggested that it was a transcription of an original letter which would explain why some people consider it not to be Anne's handwriting. I wonder if the King ever read it? We will never know.
Claire I love your necklace. where did you purchase it? I so have Loved All the books that You have written one can truly see the Passion in which you hold Ann in History as I do also. I am truly enjoying the count down of Ann and look forward to your every day history lesson. you are just such a Joy to watch and a Truly Lovely Lady. Thankyou.
I would also like to believe she wrote it and if she did, it's beautiful and intelligent. I don't think that poor woman had a chance the minute she miscarried, if not before.
I believe Anne wrote the letter. She was so elegant and eloquent. Even at her final Speech, it just reeks of class. @ClaireRidgway what are the tattoos on your arm? I'm doing a bit of catch up after a long, tiring journey, so I don't know if this is the one where they show. I could see Anne's signature (?) on the bottom, but who is on top?? BTW, yours were the videos I was really thinking about every day wondering what was happening. Thank you for sharing your obsession and unparalleled knowledge with us!
I am reaching the end of your book; even though I know how it ends I'm on the edge of the my seat. I think Cromwell would have intercepted the letter. Why he didnt burn it just in case Henry changed his mind we will never know. I like to think its somewhere in the Vatican Archives.
It seems to reflect everything I've read of Anne. It's horrible that Henry cast her aside as he did. It's horrible that it was unthinkable to him that only a son would secure the throne for the Tudors. But that is how it was in that time. He was desperate to avoid civil war and the chaos that had actually put a Tudor on the throne.
Claire, you cheeky little historian, you. You've been timing these last few videos so that we get to hear those blessed bells at the end, haven't you? 🤔🤣😘❤
As usual, one more controversy and one more mystery. How eternally frustrating! I enjoyed the Vasoli article, and need little prompting to believe the letter records Anne's own thoughts, but I am also desiring that it be authentic! Of course it helps that the style is so convincing. I am also intrigued by Vasoli's claim of proof that Henry lamented Anne's execution. I hope that is also true! But is it? I am afraid we will never really know, will we?
I do not know why but this reminds me of Catherine asking for a fair trial when they wanted to annul her marriage, also appealing to his daughter (in the case of Catherine for Mary, ), both appeal to that they were loyal wives, and the two were exchanged for other lovers, much younger than them.
I agree, but while we aren't exactly sure on Anne's age, Jane wouldn't have been much younger than her. I think the attraction to Jane had more to do with her being different to what he currently had, which you could also say was the case when he fell for Anne since she was so different from Catherine.
I think parts of the letter sound quite passive aggressive, and I'd question whether Anne would have used that tactic when she's in such a precarious position and with a man so self-absorbed as Henry VIII. I could imagine it making Henry very angry and it sealing Anne's fate rather than the desired end of making him come to his senses and take pity on Anne.
I have no problem with believing she wrote that letter. She was a direct person and that letter was pretty direct, although it is diplomatic in how she addressed the king. I had forgotten about that letter, and wonder why Cromwell kept it. Was it that when he went to take it to the king, that the king made it clear he wanted no communication from her? Or that he did not want the king to change his mind? Or events just overtook them all? We'll never know. Lastly, Claire, I'm glad that some places in Europe are warm and sunny right now, because it's cold and rainy in Belgium! (Waiting on Spring to arrive here....still waiting....)
I'm really not sure. It rings so true with other things she said, for example, at her trial, she said "believed there was some other reason for which she was condemned than the cause alleged". It's just so hard to know!
I wonder if Henry ever had a chance to see the letter. I can't imagine Cromwell passing it on to him. And if it was a forgery, why put it in his papers? I can't see it serving any party's purpose later.
I believe she wrote it. I would have made a big deal about our child as well. I suppose she knew there was no chance of righting this wrong, knowing her husband, and how things went once his mind was made up.
🇭🇲🦘 I would think this letter WAS written by Anne Boleyn to the King, given its similarities to other letters we have heard of previously of the times. .... However, given this letter was found in papers of Cromwell, I doubt that it ever reached the King to be read by him. Although (even if it had) reached Henry, it most likely would have made no difference at all. cont... Henry was 'set' on a new wife. Although, he need not have killed Anne. Maybe the easiest option for him, but she was never offered a chance to 'walk away'. No chance at all. "Thank you" Claire 💓👑👍
I wonder at a man that could receive such a letter from his wife and ignore her pleas. And then go ahead and have her murdered. This is the saddest thing; acknowledging her successor and knowing she was being replaced. If you ever loved my name, Anne Boleyn...
I havent researched anything on the letter so I couldn't guess if I think she wrote it or not but I hope she did! I think it may be due to feeling like she got to speak to him in some way.. Why do you think he took so many men down with her? Why did he feel the need to claim she had so many accomplices?
I have often wondered the same thing. After all, there were old friends among them. Could it be that he believed the allegations? He could be hasty in his reactions where he suspected treason or even a slight to his majesty - a look at his family history of murder, treason, plots, rebellions and conspiracy meant that he trusted no one fully. He was fully aware of these realities and acted impetuously when he suspected he was threatened. At the same time, I do believe that. he was looking for an excuse to get rid of Anne, duly transmitted to Cromwell, who chose to take court gossip seriously and make a case for treason which Henry chose to accept unquestionably. He offered Norris a pardon to confess. Why? Did old friendship make him weaken? Was he looking to give Norris a way out? Did he have doubts about the charges and wanted Norris to confirm they were true? Or was he trying to get his old friend to give weight to airy fairy nothings which Henry knew were false through a. Confession?
Personally, I think he wanted rid of George because he felt that George and Anne had humiliated him and betrayed him, but I think the other men were down to Cromwell. Smeaton was an easy target to get a confession out of, and the others had too much influence with the king and Brereton was an obstacles to Cromwell's planned reforms in North Wales.
I think she wrote it. For one thing, it is easier for me to understand than most of the documents of the time She doesn't put in a lot of fancy touches, just says what is necessary. She may have dictated it to a secretary, which was not at all uncommon at that time, or someone might have taken a copy "just in case," and only the copy survived. For instance, what if after it was all over King Henry said something like, "She wrote me a letter? I got no letter. WHO kept it from me?" It would be handy to be able to say, "Here is a copy I made for the files before handing the original letter on to -----." (Insert name of whoever's head is on the line this time.)
I think she wrote the letter. I mean, what did she have to loose? Henry seemed to listen to anyone and perhaps he would be touched by her words. He wasn't though, was he... I was and still am.
I guess I'm a fool, I felt that Anne's letter was from the heart and asking from wife to husband most intimately look within. Full belief mind, body and soul Henery would see the truth, ignore the whispers from others. Peace.
Such a lovely letter. I often wonder why it had to end in her death. Would she have agreed to how her life would have changed if she was given an option to live on. How would it have been different for Queen Elizabeth. So many possibilities yet history does prove outcomes we don’t always agree on.
I thought it was a forgery at the beginning of the letter, before you said it was in doubt. Not sure she would of dared say the thing about Jane Seymour.
In a way I wonder. It was beautiful and heartfelt, as others have commented. But... Elizabeth was to be at her father’s mercy and Anne saw how horrible he’d been to Mary. If it had been me, if I knew I had to die, I would want to do the best I could to leave things in such a way that Elizabeth would be most shielded and protected. I feel like some of her words were (rightfully) reproachful, and that that show of spirit may have angered the king further. I just... I know she lived up to her sir name, and was a bit bull-headed, but I wonder if she’d have felt it the time and place to level those charges (of course in hindsight, she didn’t have many chances left, but still, hindsight is something she did not have the benefit of having).
Beautifully written letter but I think Henry by this time wanted to be rid of her. Women were not treated fairly in the law or by those who determined her guilt or innocence.
A thought about Henry's obsession with getting a male heir - if this were true, why would he choose Jane, a woman nearly 30 years old? Even today, it's much harder for a woman to conceive at 30 than if she were 10 years younger, even with modern medicine. By their early 30s, many women can't conceive or bring a healthy baby to term without medical intervention. It must have been common knowledge at that time, since medical techniques didn't exist to help women conceive or bring a baby to term; the common infertility of middle-aged women must have been readily apparent to all. Henry's methods weren't conducive to his stated goal. He should have been looking for a woman no older than 20 for a maximum chance of having several healthy children and a wife who could survive childbirth.
These are real people, she was decapitated for crimes she didn't commit and she didn't even want to be with Henry at the start. And five men were also decapitated for crimes they didn't commit. Families lost sons, brothers, fathers, husbands, a daughter, sister, mother.... and you say "karma". I'm sorry, but I don't understand that kind of remark.
@@anneboleynfiles Apologies for the careless use of the word Karma. I have no doubt that Anne Boleyn and Co. we're innocent. However, as a real person myself, I wonder about Queen Anne's thoughts/responses/level of compassion towards Catherine Of Aragon downfall. And, likewise, Jane Seymours towards Queen Anne predicament. What did they do or say, if anything about the treatment their predecessors were experiencing? These Tudor wives (queens) appear 'weak' and were pawns used by Henry 8th. Thank goodness for Queen Elizabeth 1st. She was remarkable and gave the Tudor dynasty it's credibility. I'm enjoying you Daily Downfalls. No offence was meant by my previous comment.
@@jc.connor5882 I don't think they would stick up for each other. They were kind of cold and heartless women. As per the values and norms of the times.
Even if Anne didn't write it, I believe she was completely innocent and was unjustly murdered by the psycho King Henry VIII. I hope his punishment would be looking down from the great beyond and witnessing that his daughter Elizabeth I, a woman, was the greatest monarch that England ever had!
I would like to believe Anne wrote the lovely letter. Sounds very heartfelt
Wow. What a letter. So eloquent, especially in her state of mind (terrified and confused) after having been imprisoned for a few what must have felt like eternal days at this point. I can't help but wonder if she's throwing in a punch when she tells him she hopes he'll receive mercy on his judgment day, or if she really means that. I also love she asked for mercy on the others imprisoned (and likely sentenced) because of her.
How very true. Poor woman would of been terrified. You truly can't imagine how it would feel to be locked up in that way.
@@pippy68p65 Not to mention she knew what was about to happen to her brother, her friends, and the poor minstrel who were caught up in it. I would have wanted to scream my lungs out at the horror of it.
@@edennis3202 I know. It was so aweful. She didn't deserve to die. Why didn't he just send them away. Her brother poor man. Terrible times. If KING HENRY or his council said they were guilty for no reason that was it. How frightening to loose your head. The torture they used on Mark was horrific. .it would be AMAZING to go back just to see what really truly happened what was said and done with my own eyes and ears. Wow how great would that be.
I hope it was a punch lol. if she meant it (which she probably did, being in love with him as she was) she was a much better person than me!
What a sad, beautiful, and poignant letter. I can imagine her tears falling as she wrote it...💔
I really feel for Anne. What a heartfelt letter. It’s so sad how quickly and tragically everything ended.
By the way, I love your pendant and shirt.
What a poised letter from such a terrifying time if Anne did write it (I also want to think she did). Thank you, Claire!
It does sound like her, from other letters we've heard. The same eloquence and poise, the same pointed wit and poignancy.
Wonderful Claire.
I'm so grateful for your scholarly research!!
The letter is heartbreaking. It seems Anne understood her situation fully. Thank you.
It’s so touching, but sad at the same time. Because she knew that it was the king who wanted her dead, not her “enemies”. They were simply doing Henry’s bidding. Also it showed her character in pleading for the innocent men who would be killed because of Henry’s having a heir obbession. Another great vid, lady Claire, mAkes the eyes tear up🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Wow! I believe she wrote it. If she didn't who would have been able to write such a letter not being in that horrific situation and fighting for the life of her child. If ever I could meet some from the past it would be her and Lincoln. Thank you for this post. So sad. She was so young.
I believe Anne wrote the letter. I can't see any reason why someone else would. For being in the circumstances she was in, I give her credit for keeping her composure enough to write such a beautiful letter. One question. Could you do a countdown of the fall of Catherine Howard? That would be just as fascinating. Thanks for all your hard work. 🙋💕👍✌🌹👸👑🏰🎪🎭
What a moving letter, I hope it is authentic.
It's a lovely letter; I would like to believe Queen Anne wrote it. I look forward to your daily videos! Thank you Claire.. 👸
I too, would like to believe Anne wrote that letter. It is so beautiful and so heartfelt.
I had never heard of a letter. Thank you for sharing that
Miss the long vids, love you Claire & I’m so glad you covered this topic. After reading that book I’ve always wondered if it was true or just sensationalized hope.
Truly a moving composition. The adjective that comes to mind is the same as that in some comments below - 'heartfelt.' It seems like a letter that would have taken four days to ponder and write so that every word carried the utmost meaning. And you read it with such feeling! I'd like to think it was genuine. So sad and so touching that she petitioned for the release of the men and urged the King to remember their daughter. Assuming it is the real thing, you wonder whether it ever even reached the King?
Yes we are enjoying these most interesting last days of Anne.
What a lovely letter to King Henry Vlll from Anne Boleyn, but I do not think Henry Vlll ever saw or read Anne's letter.
Thank you Claire for bringing the Tudor's to life for all of Us. ❤️
I love your videos, Claire! Watching your videos every day has been helping me get through my last year of university. Thank you so much. You are the best!
I believe Anne wrote the letter to Henry, after all who else would have profited from writing such a letter? So heartfelt and eloquent, and strong. Cromwell couldn’t have hidden it, Anne was constantly in the company of the ladies and guards and they would have known of the request for Cromwell to deliver it. Anne had the most to lose, and also the most to gain by regaining Henry’s good favor. I’m sure the king and Cromwell expected Anne to write him at some point, begging for his attention or forgiveness, she wouldn’t go down without a fight. I believe they conspired together to get rid of Anne and she realized it. He made Cromwell his eyes and ears and put him in a very dangerous spot, which in the end Cromwell paid for anyway.....
It is a beautiful letter and somewhat brave which is how I've always seen Anne, as a brave and passionate woman. Such a sad time and yes, it's hard to say I'm enjoying these videos but I know what you mean. The more I learn the more I admire Queen Anne (sorry if I'm repeating myself). It's good to get a better idea of the far more likely facts and corroboration from the other sources rather than the unrealistic fiction that's all around us. Thank you for taking the time, Claire, (and also for your amazing timing with the bell, even if it's just coincidence :D)
If this letter is actually written by her it is wonderful to hear her words even though she’s pleading for her life as she should
I read Sandra Vasoli's book about this letter and I feel she makes a very good case for its authenticity. This is the closest we'll ever be I think, to knowing Anne's thoughts and, if it was from her, shows her intelligence and passion beautifully.
I am so enjoying these videos... Definitely giving me a better understanding of Queen Anne... Thank you so much
Thank you very much Claire. I am enjoying a lot this serie of videos¡¡¡ thanks¡¡¡¡ :-)
Thoroughly enjoying your series Claire. Am also following along by re reading your Book..thank you
Ty, Claire😁😁😁
It certainly is plausible that Anne wrote this letter, but I am wondering if Henry ever received it, and if so, did he read it? His mind was made up.
Love how the bells rang to remind you to remind us to click the bell to be notified of new videos!
What a moving letter I do want to think she wrote it and when all said and done we do now believe she was innocent as she wanted everyone to know thank you Claire xx
💚I look forward to these videos💚
Thanks for reading this letter - it indeed seems authentic to me in the sense that when reading it you can get how suffocating Anne must be feeling and so helpless. Also what makes me further believe that its authentic is the fact that as queen she does feel responsible for the others imprisoned with her, and she makes an effort to do the right thing. Is there any evidence that Henry read this letter, or did it never make it to his desk ?
Nice outdoor visuals. It never fails......everytime you start to mention Anne's name one too many times your proverbial church bells immediately ring out. It's almost like the bells are ringing as a signal from her (Anne) saying I'm still here (in spirit).
Research history question: In researching your book did you ever get a chance to interview any living descendents of, Thomas Boleyn to help you gain a better insight into the family?
No, I haven't interviewed any descendants but I think that they would be far too removed to give me any insight into the family.
New subscriber here, from Portugal! I've been watching your videos and they are incredible. I think the letter is very similar to what has been reported that Anne said right before her execution. I didn't even know there was such a letter. Real or not, it's very interesting.
The letter is truly heartbreaking.
A beautiful letter,and sad. A mad king and a beautiful girl.. who is swept up in a life of dreams.
It is a sad series. I'm sure she would have preferred a divorce rather than the false charges against her. The birds singing is gorgeous in the background, and the bell rang out at just the right time (for Anne).
well i think we all no that Ann would never of rathered or agreed to a divorce knowing the out come of agreeing 2 a divorce , Elizabeth's status !!!
Poor Anne whether one likes dislikes or has mixed feelings about her she really didn't deserve her punishment. I can imagine her writing a letter like that to be honest. I think for that period Anne was extremely brave for often speaking her mind knowing how dangerous it could be. I feel she would of been great for women empowering women in these times. However I do not like in any way how she and the King treated poor Catherine of Aragon and her daughter Mary. I'd love to go back to those times for only a week to see what is was truly like.
Thank you
A heartfelt plea to her lord husband. That she already knew the woman who would replace her so quickly must have been like a knife twisting. I pray she received honest judgment at last.
What a beautiful and heartfelt letter I just can't understand y Cromwell kept it. Such a tragic ending for her xx
Anne must have felt frightened and confused. I like to think that the letter is genuine. It's very sad 💔. I wonder if Henry would have changed his mind if he had read the letter. Congratulations on 10 years of The Anne Boleyn files website.
The bells were a nice touch to finish the video. We have church bells in our little village but not as pronounced as yours.
What a poignant letter! Her words brought tears to my eyes. I do believe she wrote it or at least dictated it. I think she knew in her heart she was going to die because of these accusations. I loved the sound of the children and birds in the background. And at the end, the bell was ringing out for Anne!
I always love that letter.. it shows that Anne was appealing to her husband's reason while everyone else else was appealing to his madness.
This is a very touching letter, and it is written in a style that indicates that it was done by a well educated and worldly woman. There is a touch of innocence in the sentiment, almost as if Anne was hoping for perhaps a divorce instead of a the required punishment for treason. She is clear thinking and obviously knows that Henry's affections were trending to another woman. I imagine she still had hope of being released from prison. How sad to know centuries later what she was still not sure of then.
You know, except for Henry's first wife (arranged) all of the other women had their own agenda (or their families did) about becoming Queen...and they knew, in my mind, the risk of such status.
Claire, I am a Genealogist and I have seen many names misspelled in my research. Even with my own family, I have seen my mom's maiden name spelled 6 different ways. Historically, one's ability to read/write was a luxury...not too many people within the 13 original colonies, etc, had such skills. Today, I think people are just careless (rely on computers) and/or have very poor penmanship.
Thank you.
Darlene Farmer Honestly, I think the only one who didn’t have their own agenda was Anne o Cleves. Her brother favored the union but besides easing his financial burden of an unwed sister, had little to gain. Henry 8 had to secretly forgive Anne’s dowry and Henry was the one who needed the alliance with the Protestant league. CoA was keeping the title she was promised and that she would, by heir, unite the thrones. Not to mention, Henry 7 didn’t want to give up her dowry from her marriage to Arthur.
Thank you Claire, I, like every commenter here want to believe the letter genuine, and in fact I do. What convinces me most is that that opening paragraph is to my ears verging on sarcasm. After all, Anne was a very intelligent lady, educated far beyond,as I understand it, almost every woman in the kingdom.(except for Sir Thomas Moore's daughters). Her quick wit had been honed by philosophical debate during her French sojourn so I can see her not only being very genuine and desperate, but not being able to resist a sly dig. Or else maybe she thought that it would grab the King's attention?
Something I've always been curious about. If we accept that it was a love match between them in the end, did the upheavals needed to bring about their union perhaps make her feel safer(before her arrest, I mean). A lot of what I've read contains a more scholarly version of the old saying "if he did it with you, he'll do it to you"(sorry but that's the quickest way of saying it) and the inference is that not only was it inevitable but she should have expected her downfall. But I wonder, especially as she accepted he had mistresses, did she perhaps think that he would not risk the disfavour of his subjects by discarding the woman for whom he'd torn the fabric of society apart? Because otherwise she does seem to have been a bit reckless.
I AM thoroughly enjoying these, it's some years since I read anything about Anne in detail, although she features in a few fiction works I've read more recently.
After my essay here, it will be no surprise that yesterday at lunch after church a friend asked me something about the history of the Reformation and wow! did they get a lot more information then they probably wanted (I think we are still friends!)
So thanks again, I'm off to catch up on some I've missed. Kudos.
I think it is plausible the letter is from Anne. Well thought out and addresses all the issues.
🇺🇸great post, Claire. It’s too bad Anne didn’t figure out if he could leave 1 wife he could do it again. 🇬🇧
Beautiful necklace and blouse!
IKR? I always marvel at women who even want another woman's man. If YOU can take him from her, somebody else can take him from you! And when the reproductive stakes are this high as well. . . . 😳
Maryann Lockwood Oh yes, I'm sure Anne knew there was a high possibility it could happen but, when you love someone so much and pour your trust into them, You look beyond thier flaws and the sin they've caused in their past. We all make mistakes and have loved a person with a "dark" past but choose to embrace them anyways. You can open your heart to him and remain loyal but in the end, what the King wants, the King GETS! Iike Anne Boleyn, I really thought I could "CHANGE" my ex for the "better" but, he's heart was hardened and in Anne's case, the main goal during that time was producing a male hier. The King wasn't going to let his number 1 duty for the sake his country be pulled down, He wanted Anne out of the way, He was going to get it. Only proves to you that, No matter how much love you give a person who you absoultly adore, They can still break your heart! It still happens in relationships today, Love truly blinds you. Anne and Katherine was no exception and neither was I. Yes, we knew it could happen...But, thought our love was stronger. We obviously thought wrong. 🙏
I was wondering if she actually wrote that letter and it existed. Thank you for making a video on this
It must have been such a shock to her after all the years of marriage. Henry VIII was so brutal.
In a way she should have been a little prepared; she saw how he treated Catherine. But I supposed she felt he truly loved HER so it wouldn’t happen that way with her. I feel so bad for her.
@@SunflowerSpotlight In a way I agree, but he never executed Catherine or imprisoned her in the Tower. Plus, I'm sure he had assured her over and over of his true love for her during the great matter and during their marriage. I think she should have expected that his love could turn, but we shouldn't forget his part in everything and how it must have influenced Anne.
I believe she wrote this thoughtful and eloquent letter. She was thinking about the men who were wrongly accused. I can’t imagine what she was going through. It was her daughter, Elizabeth who became England’s best monarch. Queen Anne Boleyn was a fascinating woman. She died 484 years ago and cemented her presence. There are more books written about her. Historians continue to debate about her life. It makes me sad that when she was alive people hated her. Now she is admired and beloved.
One thing stands out to me that makes me suspicious is when she "threatens" him with Divine Justice. There's no way she would have done that.
I love the letter. It is not as desperate or groveling as you would expect a letter to Henry VIII to be. Perhaps she knew that nothing could be changed. But if he had any conscience at all, this would prick it. That he was disposing of her and killing innocent men to satisfy his own pleasures. The reminder of the name 'Anne Boleyn' and what it meant to it once is so poignant. Because he was willing to shake the kingdom to its core for that name, but now that time is over
I believe it's genuine. The stakes were just too high. Put yourself in the queen's place. Would you not take any measures at your command to put forth your case & to plead for your life & the lives of your co-defendents - - - your friends & your own brother? Not to forget the pitiful little princess? She must have sent messages to her father & uncle Norfolk as well, begging them to go before the king, if he would receive them, to plead her case, even on their knees! Her head must have been spinning, her heart perpetually racing, her mind constantly seeking a way out. Can you really think she wouldn't have written the king? If it wasn't this letter, there must have been another, & I would imagine a very similar one! 📜
I think, I hope, it is genuine, it certainly resonates as a sincere record. I have read the notes in the link and it has been suggested that it was a transcription of an original letter which would explain why some people consider it not to be Anne's handwriting. I wonder if the King ever read it? We will never know.
Claire I love your necklace. where did you purchase it? I so have Loved All the books that You have written one can truly see the Passion in which you hold Ann in History as I do also. I am truly enjoying the count down of Ann and look forward to your every day history lesson. you are just such a Joy to watch and a Truly Lovely Lady. Thankyou.
It's actually from my own website The Anne Boleyn Files!
I would also like to believe she wrote it and if she did, it's beautiful and intelligent. I don't think that poor woman had a chance the minute she miscarried, if not before.
I believe Anne wrote the letter. She was so elegant and eloquent. Even at her final Speech, it just reeks of class.
@ClaireRidgway what are the tattoos on your arm? I'm doing a bit of catch up after a long, tiring journey, so I don't know if this is the one where they show. I could see Anne's signature (?) on the bottom, but who is on top??
BTW, yours were the videos I was really thinking about
every day wondering what was happening. Thank you for sharing your obsession and unparalleled knowledge with us!
Thank you! It's Anne Boleyn's "Le Temps Viendra" inscription from her Book of Hours.
The Anne Boleyn Files and Tudor Society I have the same quote tattooed on my wrist! One of my favorite pieces ❤️
I am reaching the end of your book; even though I know how it ends I'm on the edge of the my seat.
I think Cromwell would have intercepted the letter. Why he didnt burn it just in case Henry changed his mind we will never know.
I like to think its somewhere in the Vatican Archives.
do you know if this book was translated in French ??
I think Cromwell would of for sure. He wanted her gone and went to every horrid extreme to get it. However karma got him in the end.
It seems to reflect everything I've read of Anne. It's horrible that Henry cast her aside as he did. It's horrible that it was unthinkable to him that only a son would secure the throne for the Tudors. But that is how it was in that time. He was desperate to avoid civil war and the chaos that had actually put a Tudor on the throne.
she held her own right through
Claire, you cheeky little historian, you. You've been timing these last few videos so that we get to hear those blessed bells at the end, haven't you? 🤔🤣😘❤
Ha! I couldn't do that if I tried!
As usual, one more controversy and one more mystery. How eternally frustrating! I enjoyed the Vasoli article, and need little prompting to believe the letter records Anne's own thoughts, but I am also desiring that it be authentic! Of course it helps that the style is so convincing. I am also intrigued by Vasoli's claim of proof that Henry lamented Anne's execution. I hope that is also true! But is it? I am afraid we will never really know, will we?
I do not know why but this reminds me of Catherine asking for a fair trial when they wanted to annul her marriage, also appealing to his daughter (in the case of Catherine for Mary, ), both appeal to that they were loyal wives, and the two were exchanged for other lovers, much younger than them.
I agree, but while we aren't exactly sure on Anne's age, Jane wouldn't have been much younger than her. I think the attraction to Jane had more to do with her being different to what he currently had, which you could also say was the case when he fell for Anne since she was so different from Catherine.
I’m wondering if there’s any record of how Anne’s beautiful letter effected Henry Viii.. or if his heart was already set on hating her.
Love your top lots, where would I find one?
My Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth tops are from my website The Anne Boleyn Files, there's a shop there. I love them, I have a few.
I think parts of the letter sound quite passive aggressive, and I'd question whether Anne would have used that tactic when she's in such a precarious position and with a man so self-absorbed as Henry VIII. I could imagine it making Henry very angry and it sealing Anne's fate rather than the desired end of making him come to his senses and take pity on Anne.
I have no problem with believing she wrote that letter. She was a direct person and that letter was pretty direct, although it is diplomatic in how she addressed the king. I had forgotten about that letter, and wonder why Cromwell kept it. Was it that when he went to take it to the king, that the king made it clear he wanted no communication from her? Or that he did not want the king to change his mind? Or events just overtook them all? We'll never know. Lastly, Claire, I'm glad that some places in Europe are warm and sunny right now, because it's cold and rainy in Belgium! (Waiting on Spring to arrive here....still waiting....)
I just read this part in your book! I don't think she wrote it do you?
I'm really not sure. It rings so true with other things she said, for example, at her trial, she said "believed there was some other reason for which she was condemned than the cause alleged". It's just so hard to know!
I wonder if Henry ever had a chance to see the letter. I can't imagine Cromwell passing it on to him. And if it was a forgery, why put it in his papers? I can't see it serving any party's purpose later.
Has no one ever carbon-dated the letter to see what date it comes from and did Anne Boleyn ever spell her name that way in any other document
I believe she wrote it. I would have made a big deal about our child as well. I suppose she knew there was no chance of righting this wrong, knowing her husband, and how things went once his mind was made up.
🇭🇲🦘 I would think this letter WAS written by Anne Boleyn to the King, given its similarities to other letters we have heard of previously of the times.
.... However, given this letter was found in papers of Cromwell, I doubt that it ever reached the King to be read by him. Although (even if it had) reached Henry, it most likely would have made no difference at all. cont...
Henry was 'set' on a new wife. Although, he need not have killed Anne. Maybe the easiest option for him, but she was never offered a chance to 'walk away'. No chance at all.
"Thank you" Claire 💓👑👍
I wonder at a man that could receive such a letter from his wife and ignore her pleas. And then go ahead and have her murdered. This is the saddest thing; acknowledging her successor and knowing she was being replaced. If you ever loved my name, Anne Boleyn...
I havent researched anything on the letter so I couldn't guess if I think she wrote it or not but I hope she did! I think it may be due to feeling like she got to speak to him in some way..
Why do you think he took so many men down with her? Why did he feel the need to claim she had so many accomplices?
I have often wondered the same thing. After all, there were old friends among them.
Could it be that he believed the allegations? He could be hasty in his reactions where he suspected treason or even a slight to his majesty - a look at his family history of murder, treason, plots, rebellions and conspiracy meant that he trusted no one fully. He was fully aware of these realities and acted impetuously when he suspected he was threatened. At the same time, I do believe that. he was looking for an excuse to get rid of Anne, duly transmitted to Cromwell, who chose to take court gossip seriously and make a case for treason which Henry chose to accept unquestionably.
He offered Norris a pardon to confess. Why? Did old friendship make him weaken? Was he looking to give Norris a way out? Did he have doubts about the charges and wanted Norris to confirm they were true? Or was he trying to get his old friend to give weight to airy fairy nothings which Henry knew were false through a. Confession?
Personally, I think he wanted rid of George because he felt that George and Anne had humiliated him and betrayed him, but I think the other men were down to Cromwell. Smeaton was an easy target to get a confession out of, and the others had too much influence with the king and Brereton was an obstacles to Cromwell's planned reforms in North Wales.
Who else should have Written it, and why?
I think she wrote it. For one thing, it is easier for me to understand than most of the documents of the time She doesn't put in a lot of fancy touches, just says what is necessary. She may have dictated it to a secretary, which was not at all uncommon at that time, or someone might have taken a copy "just in case," and only the copy survived. For instance, what if after it was all over King Henry said something like, "She wrote me a letter? I got no letter. WHO kept it from me?" It would be handy to be able to say, "Here is a copy I made for the files before handing the original letter on to -----." (Insert name of whoever's head is on the line this time.)
I think she wrote the letter. I mean, what did she have to loose? Henry seemed to listen to anyone and perhaps he would be touched by her words. He wasn't though, was he... I was and still am.
I guess I'm a fool, I felt that Anne's letter was from the heart and asking from wife to husband most intimately look within. Full belief mind, body and soul Henery would see the truth, ignore the whispers from others. Peace.
Such a lovely letter. I often wonder why it had to end in her death. Would she have agreed to how her life would have changed if she was given an option to live on. How would it have been different for Queen Elizabeth. So many possibilities yet history does prove outcomes we don’t always agree on.
I feel like she wrote it.....why would someone else gave done it? its everything you would say in those moments
I have always thought the letter rings true. I believe she wrote it. Wonder tho, if Henry ever saw it?
I thought it was a forgery at the beginning of the letter, before you said it was in doubt. Not sure she would of dared say the thing about Jane Seymour.
I believe she wrote it.
In a way I wonder. It was beautiful and heartfelt, as others have commented. But... Elizabeth was to be at her father’s mercy and Anne saw how horrible he’d been to Mary. If it had been me, if I knew I had to die, I would want to do the best I could to leave things in such a way that Elizabeth would be most shielded and protected. I feel like some of her words were (rightfully) reproachful, and that that show of spirit may have angered the king further. I just... I know she lived up to her sir name, and was a bit bull-headed, but I wonder if she’d have felt it the time and place to level those charges (of course in hindsight, she didn’t have many chances left, but still, hindsight is something she did not have the benefit of having).
Beautifully written letter but I think Henry by this time wanted to be rid of her. Women were not treated fairly in the law or by those who determined her guilt or innocence.
A thought about Henry's obsession with getting a male heir - if this were true, why would he choose Jane, a woman nearly 30 years old? Even today, it's much harder for a woman to conceive at 30 than if she were 10 years younger, even with modern medicine. By their early 30s, many women can't conceive or bring a healthy baby to term without medical intervention. It must have been common knowledge at that time, since medical techniques didn't exist to help women conceive or bring a baby to term; the common infertility of middle-aged women must have been readily apparent to all. Henry's methods weren't conducive to his stated goal. He should have been looking for a woman no older than 20 for a maximum chance of having several healthy children and a wife who could survive childbirth.
He didn't have much luck with the young Catherine Howard though!
Jane Seymour's mother had given birth to 10 children and 6 of them were boys.
I think we all want to believe that she wrote it. Very poignant.
Queen Anne usurped Catherine of Aragon. Then Jane Seymour did the same to her. Karma been around for ever....
These are real people, she was decapitated for crimes she didn't commit and she didn't even want to be with Henry at the start. And five men were also decapitated for crimes they didn't commit. Families lost sons, brothers, fathers, husbands, a daughter, sister, mother.... and you say "karma". I'm sorry, but I don't understand that kind of remark.
@@anneboleynfiles Apologies for the careless use of the word Karma. I have no doubt that Anne Boleyn and Co. we're innocent. However, as a real person myself, I wonder about Queen Anne's thoughts/responses/level of compassion towards Catherine Of Aragon downfall. And, likewise, Jane Seymours towards Queen Anne predicament. What did they do or say, if anything about the treatment their predecessors were experiencing? These Tudor wives (queens) appear 'weak' and were pawns used by Henry 8th. Thank goodness for Queen Elizabeth 1st. She was remarkable and gave the Tudor dynasty it's credibility. I'm enjoying you Daily Downfalls. No offence was meant by my previous comment.
@@jc.connor5882 I don't think they would stick up for each other. They were kind of cold and heartless women. As per the values and norms of the times.
Even if Anne didn't write it, I believe she was completely innocent and was unjustly murdered by the psycho King Henry VIII. I hope his punishment would be looking down from the great beyond and witnessing that his daughter Elizabeth I, a woman, was the greatest monarch that England ever had!