Anna the heroine of the reformation crossword. Anne Boleyn: a woman who turned the history of an entire country. Family and French education

And again Welfs ...

Today we will talk about one of the prominent women of the Reformation movement - Elizabeth of Brandenburg(1510-1558), who spread Protestantism in Lower Saxony together with the Protestant preacher Anton Corvinus. She was called the "Princess of the Reformation".

She lived in troubled times... Luther's teaching not only plunged the German duchies and principalities into religious wars, but also split many families, scattering its members on different sides of the barricade, quarreling husbands with wives, parents with children...

She was a poet, songwriter, writer, reformer, politician.

Anyone familiar with this story will surely be shocked by the merciless cruelty with which dissent was suppressed at that time or objectionable people were removed from the road.

1502. Double marriage. The Danish princess Elisabeth Sr. marries Joachim I Elector of Brandenburg, and her uncle Christian I of Denmark marries her daughter-in-law Anna of Brandenburg. The parents of our heroine are the first couple.

To avoid confusion, the mother of our heroine will be called Elizabeth Sr.

The couple had five children. One of them was our heroine - Elisabeth, born in 1510, presumably in Cologne.
The girl grew up with her brothers and sisters and received a good education. Her older brother Joachim, by right of the first-born, was to become the successor of his father in the future, while the Küstrin region was intended for the younger Johann. Sisters Anna and Margarita were married off to neighboring princes.

Soon it was Elizabeth's turn to leave her parents' house. At the age of 15, she married a man who was fit for her father. 55 year old Erich Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Reigning Prince of Kahlenberg-Göttingen(1470-1540) recently became a widow, and, having no children in his first marriage, he urgently looked for a mother for future heirs.

The marriage took place in July 1525. Duke couple:

Despite the big age difference, the couple married without conflict. Perhaps this can partly be explained by the fact that the duke was a balanced, good-natured person and indulged his wife in everything. And the young wife immediately showed her character. She demanded that her husband's favorite, Anna von Rummschottel, be removed from the yard. The duke satisfied her desire and removed his long-term passion from the court, assigning her 1000 thalers of annual maintenance. As a sign of gratitude, Elizabeth showed favor to her husband, and a year after the wedding, the couple had their first child, a daughter, Elizabeth. Then she became pregnant again... The second pregnancy was very difficult... Being pregnant, she found out that her husband had secretly resumed meetings with his mistress Anna...
.
Elizabeth retaliated in the most brutal way. She accused Anna von Rumshottel of witchcraft, saying that she bewitched the duke, entangled him with her charms, and she herself sent damage. Such an accusation in the 16th century had serious consequences! Not only Anna was arrested, but also several women from her entourage. The trial was short - all the "witches" were sentenced to be burned at the stake. At the last moment, the duke arranged for Anna to escape. But punishment overtook the fugitive later - she was burned in Hameln as a "witch".

And Elizabeth gave birth to a son, who was named after his father, Erich.
As a "payment" for reconciliation and the birth of an heir, Elizabeth demanded from her husband to expand her "widow" property (which was supposed to be the source of her livelihood in case of widowhood). Thus, the Principality of Goetingen and the residence of Hannoversch-Münden were added to the original residence of Kahlenberg. Moreover, energetic Elizabeth began to manage these possessions on her own immediately, and without waiting for widowhood!

After the son, two more daughters were born - Anna Maria and Katharina.

Meanwhile, Elisabeth's family in her native Berlin was torn apart by religious strife.
Her father and paternal uncle remained Catholic, and her mother, Elizabeth (eldest), with her brother and son (Elizabeth's brother), became Lutherans. Elector Elisabeth (eldest), became acquainted with the teachings of Luther through her life doctor and, with the support of the brother of King Christian II of Denmark, converted to Lutheranism. She was forced to flee to the Saxon Torgau, fleeing the wrath of her husband. For several years she lived at the Saxon court with a Lutheran brother in great need, since her Catholic husband did not help her financially. She knew the Bible thoroughly and in a religious dispute was a worthy opponent to any professor of theology. Her situation was eased after the death of her husband, when her sons began to pay her obsession.

Elector Elisabeth Sr. (1485-1555):

In 1538, the elector mother and her son visited their married daughter Elisabeth in Braunschweig. She listened to the arguments of her mother and brother and also became interested in the teachings of Luther, about which she had heard so much. Through her mother, she met the Lutheran pastor Anton Corvinus and often invited him to her place in Münden for talks. Soon Elizabeth herself converted to the faith of Luther and henceforth became its zealous propagator. She was personally acquainted with Luther and corresponded intensively with him until his death.

The old duke reacted calmly to this act of his wife: “ Since our spouse does not interfere with our confession of our faith, so we reserve freedom of religion for our spouse. Although he was so impressed by the famous speech of Luther at the Reichstag in Worms in 1521 that he presented the reformer with a silver beer mug, the duke in his declining years no longer had the desire and strength to question the faith of his ancestors. He was already too old for that. Let the young seek the truth. “And in what faith I was born, in such I will die”

1537. Duchess Elisabeth takes the sacrament "under two kinds", thereby accepting the teaching of Martin Luther:

(Look, the picture shows that someone is standing guard and watching for anyone coming. This symbolizes the fact that the transition to Lutheranism was often secret)

Elizabeth's act was not uncommon. Disorder and vacillation reigned in all German lands.... The cities of Göttingen and Hannover bought off Duke Erich, who was always in financial difficulties, with large sums, bargaining for themselves in return for freedom of choice of religion. In 1539 the town of Northeim did the same.

Due to the large age difference between Duchess Elisabeth and her husband, it was clear to everyone that she would outlive him and in the very near future become regent with her young son Erich. She already had at the ready a plan for political and religious reforms in the duchy. By this, she made a powerful enemy for herself - a neighbor and nephew of Heinrich's husband, the Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, whom we know from the story of

Since the time of the hereditary division of Brunswick, both lines have sought to annex each other's possessions. And now religious enmity has been added to political enmity. The duke's nephew Heinrich was a zealous defender of the Catholic faith and believed that Lutheranism brought a lot of chaos into the life of the Germans. The dissolution of monasteries and abbeys shook the centuries-old structures of possessions and domination.

Duchess Elizabeth:

The old Duke Erich I chose to remain politically neutral, which he told everyone at the Reichstag of 1540 in Alsatian Haguenau. There he made public his will: in the event of his death, his widow Elisabeth becomes regent for his young son Erich II. Three guardians of the child were appointed: Philip of Hesse, brother of Elizabeth Joachim II. Brandenburg and ...... his nephew Heinrich of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel. Yes, yes, the nephew could not be bypassed in any way, because he was the closest male relative. (Without male guardianship in those days, nothing was done at all!).

70-year-old Erich died during the Reichstag in July 1540. His son Erich II was at that time 12 years old, his coming of age was expected in 1546, and his mother had several years to carry out her plans.

The energetic widow Elizabeth set to work. With the help of Pastor Anton Corvinus, appointed by her as superintendent of the duchy, she developed a new church order, which was promulgated in May 1542. A few months later, a law was issued to restructure the monasteries. Convents (monasteries of monastic orders) were not dissolved like "ordinary" monasteries, but were transformed into pins (abbeies) with the preservation of their property. The obligatory form of orders with identification marks was abolished. From now on, monks and nuns were allowed to leave monastic life with impunity at any time, if they wanted to (before that, violation of a life-long vow was severely prosecuted) ... The regent took up the reform of school education. At her direction, many elementary schools were opened. But compulsory primary education in Braunschweig was introduced only 100 years later, in 1647.

Münden:

Pastor Corvinus, on the instructions of the regent, traveled with inspections throughout the duchy and supervised the implementation of new laws. Sometimes Elizabeth accompanied him. It was extremely important for her that the importance of her reforms was understood not only by educated subjects, but also by simple illiterate people.

She changed some traditions. Previously, gifts were given not at Christmas, but on December 6 on the day of St. Nikolaus. Even the children of Martin Luther received gifts on this day. But Elizabeth insisted that in her domain gifts should not be brought on December 6th, but on Holy Supper on December 24th. And not Saint Nikolaus, but Christkind (an angel-like creature symbolizing the baby Jesus). And as a personal example, she introduced this new tradition in her own family. (The State Archives of Hannover has a letter from her mentioning the gifts that Kristkind brought for her daughter's Christmas).

Of course, Elizabeth tried with all her might to raise an exemplary Lutheran from her son. In 1545, she presented Erich with a book she wrote with her own hand - "Guide to the management of her son Eric II" ("German: Regierungshandbuch für ihren Sohn Erich II").

Münden. Welf Castle today:

In the beginning, everything looked so that the son should not disappoint his mother. Luther himself, during a conversation with the 16-year-old duke, was quite pleased with his theoretical knowledge of the Catechism. But Luther also noticed that the young man was easily influenced by others and had sympathy for the Catholics. He shared his concerns with Elizabeth. As time has shown, the reformer was right ...

Erich II was engaged from the cradle to Agnes, daughter of Philip of Hesse. Years later, the bride was "replaced" by her sister Anna... But during a visit to Dresden, a 17-year-old boy saw Sidonia of Saxony, fell in love with her without looking back and broke off his engagement with the Hessian princess. Everyone, especially his mother, was shocked: Sidonia was 10 years older than him!

Portrait of Sidonia of Saxony (1518-1575) by Lucas Cranach.

But young Erich was adamant, and in May 1545, his marriage to Sidonia took place in Münden.

A year later, Erich became the sole ruler of the duchy. 36-year-old Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief: her mission is completed, now you can think about yourself. After all, she is not yet old and can arrange her personal life. In 1546 she married for love. Her second husband was Count Poppo von Hennenberg, two years her junior. By a funny coincidence, Elizabeth became the daughter-in-law of her own daughter in this marriage - Elizabeth Jr. was married to Poppo's brother, Georg Ernst von Hennenberg. Of the estates of her late first husband, she left behind only Münden.

Count Poppo, knowing that his wife did not get along with her son and was at enmity with her neighbor Heinrich, offered to sell her widow's residence and use the proceeds to purchase the debt-ridden possessions of the side line of the Hennenberg counts in Thuringia. But Elisabeth was stubborn and did not agree to give Münden away.

The effect of the exploding bomb on the Reichstag in Augsburg in 1547/1548 brought Erich II back to Catholicism. It was a pretty "gift" from mother for Christmas 1547! It is difficult to describe how much pain he caused his mother by this ... As it turned out, this act was due to political motives ... The Schmalkalden War began, and in it (so far) the troops of the Catholic Emperor Charles V von Habsburg were victorious, and the rebellious Lutheran princes suffered losses . Therefore, Erich, for safety reasons, decided to go over to the side of the winners. In addition, the emperor promised him financial assistance, which was especially important with his eternal debts.

Elisabeth's only son is Erich II Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Prince of Kahlenberg-Göttingen (1528-1584):

Since 1548, Erich spent most of his time abroad - most often in Spain, Italy or the Netherlands, next to the emperor. As a commander, he was quite successful, won many important victories, received significant sums and possessions from the emperor. But he did not have time to manage his hereditary possessions.

The time of the first love passed, and he moved away from his wife - a 10-year age difference made itself felt. In addition, Sidonia did not share the views of her husband and remained a Lutheran. The life partner of the young duke was the Flemish commoner Katharina van Veldam, who gave her lover two children - son Wilhelm, who died young, and daughter Katharina, who later became the wife of the famous Genoese admiral and doge Andrea Doria. Erich did not leave legitimate children.

When Erich II came to his native duchy, he tried to convert his subjects to Catholicism and implemented the "Augsburg Interim" (a compromise decree of the emperor ordering the Lutherans to recognize the primacy of the Pope, but giving them small concessions).

In June 1549 Pastor Anton Corvinus issued a protest against the "Augsburg Interim", which was signed by 140 other pastors at the synod in Münden. A few months later, Duke Erich II ordered the imperial soldiers to arrest Corvinus and imprison him, along with his associate Hawker, in the prison of Kahlenberg Castle in solitary confinement. The reformer's richest library with many valuable books was burned. No one, not even Corvinus's wife, was allowed to visit him. When they found out that he was talking to his students through the prison window, the window was tightly boarded up. Elizabeth tried unsuccessfully for three years to do something for her superintendent. Only at the end of 1552, the broken and seriously ill Corvinus was released. He died a few months later.

Rooms in Münden Castle:

Despite the re-Catholicization carried out by her son, Elisabeth married her middle daughter Anna Maria to Duke Albrecht of Prussia, her like-minded and ally. 24-year-old Princess Anna Maria, like her mother once, was 40 (!) Years younger than her husband. Erich II wrote to his sister mockingly: “What will you do with such an old and ugly husband?” The princess answered this aptly: Dear brother! I'd rather marry a wise old man than a young fool. He is an honest Christian. And at least he will be faithful to his wife, unlike you. To this fair remark he had nothing to say to his sister. Surely Elizabeth did some “educational” work with her daughter on the benefits of marrying old people. In 1550, the mother devoted her daughter to the treatise “Maternal Education (Marriage Book) for Anna Maria” (“Mütterlicher Unterricht (Ehestandsbuch) für Anna Maria”), covering the topics of choosing a husband, marriage and family life.

Count Poppo's fears were not groundless... Neighbor Heinrich of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel greatly complicated Elizabeth's management of Münden... In 1553, during the Battle of Sievershausen, Henry took Münden away from her. Elizabeth with the youngest daughter Katarina had to flee to Hanover. But for Henry it was a Pyrrhic victory... In this battle, he lost his eldest Catholic sons - and his only crippled son, Julius, who, alas, was a Lutheran, became his heir.

Elisabeth spent three years in Hannover, and without her husband Poppo, who was in captivity. There was a need... All her jewelry had been sold earlier to pay for the mercenaries for the (lost) battle of Sievershausen... She begged for money in the abbeys and from the Brandenburg relatives. Her brother Elector Joachim II replied that he himself was in debt and could not help her. And only her son-in-law, the Duke of Prussia, sent her from time to time either firewood, or bulls, or money ... Here she had the first signs of consumption ... Elisabeth found relief in faith, in composing poems and multi-stanza church songs ...

Duchess Elizabeth:

After three years, Elisabeth was finally able to leave Hanover, but returning to Münden was out of the question. The son appointed his mother an annual pension of 5,000 thalers, and Elisabeth moved to the Thuringian Ilmenau, the residence of her husband, Count Poppo. Accustomed to commanding and participating in politics, she hardly reconciled herself to the role of "only" a housewife and the count's wife. And again, her joy was writing, in Ilmenau in 1555 from her pen came out the “Book of Consolation for Widows” (“German Trostbuch für Witwen”).

In 1557, the son dealt a new blow to his mother - without consulting his mother, he arranged the marriage of his younger sister Katharina with Burg Count Wilhelm von Rosenberg, a Catholic. True, Erich insisted that the sister keep her Lutheran faith in marriage and have a personal pastor. Elizabeth didn't come to the wedding. There were rumors that the son deliberately gave his mother the wrong wedding date so that she would be late. In fact, the reason was the deterioration of Elizabeth's health. She was about to leave, but she had to return halfway, as her consumption worsened. The (lost) struggle for her daughter finally undermined her strength.

Being at the last line of life, Elizabeth bitterly realized that the son, whom she failed to raise a worthy successor, ruined her life's work.

Count Poppo tenderly cared for his dying wife. She died slowly and painfully, suffered herself and brought suffering to loved ones. Progressive consumption, multiplied by physical weakness and disappointment in life ... Fits of hysteria and impotent anger were accompanied by clouding of the mind ... Elizabeth died at the age of 48 and was buried in the Thuringian abbey Vesra. Later, her remains were reburied in the town of Schleusingen, where Count Poppo, his brother Georg Ernst and his wife Elisabeth (who was both the eldest daughter and daughter-in-law of "our" Elisabeth) later found their last resting place.

Münden today:

A year after the mother, the youngest 25-year-old daughter Katarina also died. Her Catholic husband married three more times, but all four of his marriages were childless.

The middle daughter Anna Maria died 10 years after her mother, and on the same day with her old husband - from the plague. Their only son had a very numerous offspring.

Unfortunately, during her lifetime, Elisabeth did not see how the “Augsburg religious world” adopted during her lifetime allowed the Lutheran faith to spread throughout all the Brunswick possessions. The Lutheran faith became the religion of the majority of the population of the duchy - and without a holy order from above.

Elizabeth also did not find the time when her son Erich II resorted to the same means as she herself once did to get rid of an objectionable person.
Sidonia of Saxony, once passionately loved by him, became a burden to him over the years. Their relationship was further complicated by the couple's childlessness. In 1564, Erich fell seriously ill and accused his 46-year-old wife and six women from her retinue of witchcraft and an attempt on his life. After a short process, the "accomplices" of the commoners were burned at the stake, the "accomplices" of the aristocrat and Sidonia were placed under house arrest. Erich himself lived in Kahlenberg Castle with his mistress Katharina van Veldam. Sidonia was strictly forbidden to come to him. He said: “If she comes to my house, then I will cut off this slut’s nose and gouge out her eyes”

Sidonia secretly left Kahlenberg, applied to the emperor in Vienna for a review of the case, and in the course of a high-profile trial obtained an acquittal on all counts. Her husband was ordered to pay her a lifetime pension. She spent the remaining 3 years of her life in her homeland in Saxony, where her brother-elector granted her the post of abbess at the Clarissinian monastery.
After Sidonia's death in 1575, Duke Erich married Princess Dorothea of ​​Lorraine. But this marriage also remained childless.

Dorothea of ​​Lorraine (1545-1612):

Duke Erich II died at the age of 56 in the Italian city of Pavia from catarrh of the lungs. After his death, the duchy went without any delay to his Lutheran relative Julius of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (the only surviving legitimate son of Duke Henry from the pro topic).

This story, like the story about, about Elisabeth Christina of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel, about Charlotte of Wales, about taken by me from the collection "Women of the Welfs", authors Anita Roerig and Elisabeth E. Kwan. The publisher is Heinrich Prince of Hanover, younger brother of Ernst August of Hanover. There are only 20 stories about 20 Welf women. And the authors promise that they have more material.

You cannot write such books without cooperation with the Welfs, because a huge number of documents are in their private family archives.

Here is a photo of the publisher Prince Heinrich with the author Anita Röhrig:

Ann Bolein. Queen for 1000 days.

10 Interesting facts about Anne Boleyn.

The queen who changed the course of English history, the woman who was able to charm the king, who has been married for almost 20 years .. and dared to set her own rules on religion.

1) Even the century of Anna's birth is not exactly known. Some historians indicate the date 1499, which refers to the 15th century, while others .... tend to believe that it was the period from 1502-1507. (16th century). Anna was born in England (Hiver)
It remains only to guess about the real date of birth of the Queen.

2) Anne Boleyn is a woman who changed the history of an entire country. Anna was a staunch Protestant. While, the main part of Europe was ruled by the Roman Catholic Church.

3) Anna was the second and most famous of the wives of Henry VIII
The first meeting between Anna and the English king was a reception in honor of the Spanish ambassadors in 1522. At that time, Anna was about 14 years old.

By this time, the marriage of the king with Catherine of Aragon had already lasted 13 years (since 1509). Mutual claims and fatigue accumulated. Henry VIII constantly accused his wife of being unable to bear him an heir.
The next return of Anna to the court is attributed only to 1525-1526. The king resumed his courtship. But the girl was in no hurry to respond to his attempts at rapprochement. She did not want the fate of her mistress.
And Henry, more and more tormented by the desire to get an heir (by this time he had a daughter, Maria, who later received the nickname bloody), decided to offer Anna not the status of a favorite, but the status of wife and queen.

4) Many women gossiped about the amazing girl who managed to melt the heart of the king, a girl who, without possessing dazzling beauty, knew how to seduce and lead men.
She was even credited with having 6 fingers on her hand and a third breast.

5) The seven-year battle for marriage.
After an official proposal to Anna, Henry needed to get a divorce from Catherine of Aragon. The Catholic Church, led by the Pope, was categorically against this.
Then the king created the Church of England independent of Catholicism.

6) In 1533, Anna delighted the king with the long-awaited news of her pregnancy. And on January 25, 1533... in the strictest secrecy... King Henry VIII of England and Anne Boleyn got married.
But the new wife of the king was not as accommodating as Catherine. Wayward Anna began to establish her own rules, promoting and introducing Protestantism everywhere.

7) Dreams about the birth of an heir were soon dispelled when Anna gave birth to a girl. The girl was named Elizabeth.
(The age of Elizabeth's reign is called the "golden age of England").
The attitude of the king and Anne Boleyn cooled. Henry VIII began to actively look after one of the ladies-in-waiting, Jane Seymour. Despite this, Anna becomes pregnant a second time. But the situation is aggravated by the fact that the child is born dead.

8) Then the king finally decides to get rid of Anna, accuses her of high treason .. and takes her into custody in the Tower.

9) The show trial of Anna took place on May 19, 1536. Anna was beheaded with a sword. The King considered it a more humane execution...because...an ax would have caused more pain. Yes, and the executioner was discharged specifically from France.
Anna spoke about it like this: "I heard that the executioner is a master, and my neck is thin." Until her last breath, Anna behaved with dignity.

10) Anna's last words before her execution were: “I will die according to the law. I'm not here to blame anyone or talk about what I'm being accused of. But I pray to God that he save the king and his reign, for there has never been a kinder prince, and to me he has always been the most gentle and worthy lord and sovereign. I say goodbye to the world and from the bottom of my heart I ask you to pray for me.
After that, the former queen fell to her knees .. and said: “Jesus, take my soul. Oh, almighty God, mourn for my soul, ”and was beheaded for the amusement of the crowd.

P.S Just 10 days after the execution of Anne Boleyn, Henry marries Jane Seymour.

Queen consort Anne Boleyn was born in 1501 (some sources give 1507). During the marriage with the reigning king of England, the future queen was born -. Through this alliance, Boleyn became a key figure in the beginning of the reform movements in England.

Childhood and youth

Anne Boleyn comes from a noble family. The father of the future queen consort was Sir Thomas Boleyn, who was later given the title of Earl of Wiltshire and Ormond. Anna's mother, Lady Elizabeth Howard, belongs to an old aristocratic family. All his life the Boleyn family was at the English court. So, Thomas regularly traveled abroad with diplomatic missions from King Henry VIII. The ruler appreciated his skills and knowledge of several foreign languages. Mother worked as a maid of honor under Elizabeth of York and Catherine of Aragon.

The Boleyn family had their own estate, which was located in Blickling, Norfolk. In England, the family was among the most respected among the aristocracy. Noble origin in the future was not left unnoticed. Anna grew up with her brothers and sister Maria. The children spent their childhood in Hever Castle, Kent. Interestingly, the future queen consort did not receive primary education in the way that is customary in her class. My father went to Brussels on a diplomatic mission. A year later, the sisters are invited to the school, which was attended by Margaret of Austria.

Anne Boleyn was trained in reading, grammar, arithmetic, spelling, family genealogy, household management, foreign languages, needlework, singing, dancing, good manners and music. It was normal for a girl from a noble family to learn the basics of riding, playing chess or cards, archery. Young Anna charmed Margaret of Austria. The ruler soon invites the girl to the court, 12-year-old Boleyn calls "la petite Boulin" (little Boleyn).

Anne's parents plan to move to Paris, so Anne and Mary end up in the retinue of Princess Mary Tudor. It was planned that the sister of King Henry VIII would marry the French king Louis XII, but due to his advanced age, the ruler dies. The widow Mary Tudor returned to England, and Anne Boleyn continues to live at the court of King Francis I. For 7 years, the girl acted as a maid of honor to the Queen of France, Claude of France. This helped Boleyn complete her education.

Life at court

In 1522, Anna had to return to England because of the growing tension in relations with France. The first appearance at the court of Henry VIII happened in the same year. Spanish ambassadors were received in York. For the sake of this, they organized a unique performance "Chateau Vert" (in the lane "Green Castle"). Anna played the role of Perseverance in this performance. In company with other ladies, including Mary Boleyn, as well as the King's younger sister Mary, Anna performed an aerial dance.

Day by day, the popularity of the girl increased. People who met Anna were impressed by her sophistication, pleasant voice, lightness, energy and cheerfulness. The girl liked the attention of the fans, but did not show it. Anna did not want rumors of extramarital affairs around her name, as was the case with Mary. The girl was credited with an affair with King Francis I, some courtiers of the French court. Already in England, Sister Boleyn was the concubine of Henry Tudor.

queen consort

The history of the relationship between Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn is like a fascinating love story. For the first time, the king and the future queen consort met at one of the solemn events in 1522. The ruler did not show feelings and emotions until 1526. Henry Tudor was married to Catherine of Aragon for 17 years, but his wife never gave an heir.

From the moment she appeared at the English court, Anna managed to get engaged to Count Henry Percy. The wedding did not take place due to the reluctance of the parents of the lovers. There is an opinion that the king of England had a hand in the cancellation of the marriage: he really liked Anna Boleyn. For several years, the girl lived in the family estate. Only in 1526 did she become maid of honor to Catherine of Aragon and returned to the royal court.

Since that time, Anna Boleyn became the object of Henry's passion, who sent her expensive gifts, love letters with proposals to become a mistress. The girl was categorical and gave a negative answer. Anna did not want to be a mistress, she wanted to become a wife. Marriage with Catherine of Aragon was bursting at the seams. The king was dissatisfied with the absence of an heir, often cheated on her with favorites. The wife knew about this, but closed her eyes.

The love that flared up for Anna forced Henry VIII to turn to the Vatican with a demand to annul the alliance with Catherine. A special examination was required, since the king insisted on the illegality of marriage due to family ties with his wife. Catherine was categorically against the dissolution of the marriage. She did not like the future in the monastery. This meant that the woman would lose her title and other bonuses, and the daughter of Mary Tudor would become a bastard. Catherine of Aragon persuaded her nephew to take the Pope hostage. Henry VIII had to postpone the issue of divorce.

Perhaps this situation prompted the King of England to break off relations with the Catholic Church. Now the country has ceased to depend on the decisions of the pope. Researchers believe that the literature may have exaggerated the influence of Anne Boleyn on Henry VIII. By 1531, the king resettled Catherine. Instead, Anna appears in the palace. Secretly from everyone, the lovers get married a year later. Soon the couple has a child - daughter Elizabeth. Heinrich was disappointed in what had happened. Only Boleyn's charms helped save the union and protect the child.

The king deprives the titles and privileges of the first daughter. The act of succession states that Mary is an illegitimate child, therefore she has no right to claim the throne. The newly minted Queen Anne Boleyn plunges into the world of luxury. The king refuses nothing to his beloved. For her sake, the staff of servants was increased to 250 people. From the budget of England allocate money for expensive jewelry, new furniture, hats, dresses, even horses. Anna does not delight the English people with extravagance.

Boleyn's life is invaded by politics. The girl helps her husband with state affairs, meets with ambassadors, diplomats. Happiness does not last long: a year after the birth of her daughter, Anna has a miscarriage. This undermined the relationship between the spouses. Heinrich again begins to think about divorce, new favorites.

Boleyn does not intend to hide her emotions. The queen consort actively expresses her indignation. This led to a temporary separation of the spouses. The new pregnancy failed - there was a miscarriage. The desire to give birth to an heir does not leave Anna. But the king had already made up his mind. The ruler has a favorite - Jane Seymour. Previously, the girl was the maid of honor of Anne Boleyn.

Personal life

Anna Boleyn attracted the attention of men with her eccentricity, energy. The first admirer of the girl was Henry Percy. The man was the Earl of Northumberland. He was in the service of Cardinal Wolsey. Passion captured the lovers. At some point, young people decide to get married.

He opposed the Wolsey alliance. The cardinal treated the Boleyn family with disdain, and the king spoke out categorically. Percy fought to the last for the happiness of being Anna's husband, but all attempts were in vain. Now Boleyn was already expressing dissatisfaction, whose independence they tried to challenge.

In the biography of Anna, another suitor is indicated - the poet Thomas Wyatt. For a long time, young people enjoyed talking about creativity and other exciting things. Thomas was struck by the sensuality and passion of Boleyn. Wyatt was married at that moment, so Anna did not have any special feelings towards a man in love. The role of mistress was disgusting to the girl.

Death

The inability to give birth to an heir put Anna's life in jeopardy. Accusations of treason, including state ones, rained down on the girl. Crimes were punished severely - the guilty were executed. Boleyn's lovers included friends - Henry Norris, William Brerton, Francis Weston, Mark Smeaton, even George's brother. All the interrogated men unanimously repeated that they were trying to slander Anna. But those who wanted to get Boleyn out of the way had a different opinion on this matter.

In 1536, Anna was arrested and taken to the Tower, where the girl spent the last days of her life. On May 12, 1536, four of Boleyn's "lovers" were convicted. Only one of them pleaded guilty. And on May 15, Anna and George appeared before the court. Despite the fact that Boleyn denied all the novels attributed to her, the peers found the girl guilty of incest, infidelity and treason. According to official documents, Anna was supposed to burn at the stake, but the ex-queen is sentenced to death by chopping off her head.

An executioner is called from France. May 19, 1536 the girl rises to the scaffold. Anna's mantle with ermine is taken away, the moment of farewell comes. One of the ladies-in-waiting blindfolded Boleyn. The executioner takes the life of Anne Boleyn with a single swing of the sword. An unmarked grave was used for the burial of the ex-wife of the king. Only in 1876 a memorial plaque appeared on the chapel of St. Peter.

ghost story

There are legends that in England you can meet the ghost of Queen Anne Boleyn. Some consider this a unique opportunity to get to know the primeval country. Anna is seen first in one building, then in another - the girl does not have a specific habitat.

During her lifetime, Boleyn was energetic and cheerful. This is called the main reason that even after 5 centuries the queen retains a presence in the lives of the British and tourists. Some managed to capture the ghost of Boleyn in the photo.

Memory

• 1948 - play "A Thousand Days of Anne Boleyn"
• 1995 - opera "Royal Games"
• 2003 - the film "Henry VIII". The role of Anna Boleyn went to.
• 2007 - The Tudors series dedicated to Henry VIII. Anna played.
• 2008 - a new adaptation of the film "The Other Boleyn Girl". Two actresses were invited to the roles of the Boleyn sisters - and.
• 2010 - play "Anna Boleyn".

In the light of International Women's Day, I dedicate the post to the meanness of the Musketeers and honor the lively beauty Milady.
Few classics are as replete with blunders as Dumas' The Three Musketeers. Not to mention the fact that the entire historical conjuncture of the Richelieu era, to put it mildly, is pushed aside, and the facts are mercilessly shuffled, within the framework of the novel itself, the ends simply do not meet. The merry fellow Dumas clearly made fun of the ingenuous reader, lovingly describing the "nobility" of the villainous musketeers.

Take the beautiful-hearted D'Artagnan and his relationship with the vile intriguer Milady. Who is Milady anyway? That's right, France's spy in England. How does the novel actually begin? With the fact that Rochefort gives the newly recruited Milady the order of the Prime Minister of France. (I note: just in this scene, the vile intriguer unwittingly saves the health or even the life of D'Artagnan, distracting the "stranger from Meng" from him).

Further, throughout the novel, Lady Winter regularly serves the homeland of D'Artagnan, and he and his comrades are constantly trying to spoil her. In particular, keeping in touch with the French Queen (after all, a politically significant figure!) with the Prime Minister of England, relations with which are more than tense. The cardinal is trying to break this connection, and, it should be noted, successfully. And he's a villain! (By the way, although I try not to touch on history outside of Dumas, Buckingham's death prevented the English landing in France. Nothing to say, an excellent reason to execute the murderer!).
And why, in fact, did this enmity between D'Artagnan and Milady begin at all? She had, she had personal reasons even before the poisoning of Constance. And the poisoning was partly revenge for the bad deeds of D'Artagnan. But before touching on the misdeeds of the hero, let's remember how Milady came to such a life, that is, in other words, how her career as an intriguer, seductress and murderer began.
She began, according to Dumas, with monasticism, and one fine day, tired of singing psalms, she fled the monastery with a young priest (we will leave the motive of the insidious seduction of a poor virgin by a 15-year-old girl on the conscience of the Lille executioner - the narrator of this story). Lovers were caught, and even church jewels taken on the road were found from the priest. After that, the executioner of Lille - the brother of the fugitive - had to brand the thief and the apostate with his own hand. And at the same time, under a hot hand, and a failed daughter-in-law. It was, so to speak, a gesture of goodwill - no one asked him about it. And in general, with respect to his brotherly feelings, branding was, frankly, illegal, because the young nun was not caught red-handed.
After that, our lovers were still able to leave the hateful monastery and settle in the lands of the Comte de la Fère. It is clear that a young girl who had just escaped from the monastery liked everything around her very much. Especially the Count. She liked him so much that she set out to become a countess and became one. Let us note that, in general, there was nothing dishonorable either in desire or in deed. Except perhaps concealing the stigma. On the other hand, how do we know how the countess reasoned? The lack of virginity of the count's wife did not jar - "maybe the stigma will roll ... then ... when we finally become related ..."
As for the first lover, soon after the marriage of the future Milady and Athos, he left and hanged himself. This is very sad, but it confirms the seriousness of the young countess's intentions. Life "on two fronts" was clearly not included in them.
And what? They had just begun to live like a human being, when the count discovers the same (illegal!) brand on his wife’s shoulder (everyone remembers the circumstances: “Hunting in the forest, trumpeting horns ... the horse collapsed in the heat of the moment”). The wife at that moment was unconscious, but the count had no time to wait - he, not understanding who and why sealed his beloved wife, hung her, insensible, on the nearest tree and galloped away. Then he drank heavily.
It is clear that, having hung to the fullest on a bough in reflections on male psychology, the former countess did not think of anything good. After that, she really behaved very badly. But I still believe that the root of evil lies in the deep decency of the musketeer Athos.
So, after her resurrection, the offended lady poisoned her husbands, seduced recklessly, obtained information through the bed, and so on (by the way, she began to be called milady when she married Lord Winter. She really wanted to have titled children). The more expensive for her was the opportunity to communicate with a man just like that - for the soul. And bodies. In short, none other than D'Artagnan appeared on a date with de Wardes, whom she was passionate about at that moment. The dear mischief-maker spent the night with her on behalf of de Wardes. The next day, having come to meet her already on his own behalf, our prankster could not resist and announced: yesterday, they say, it was me too! Surpriseeeiz! But this did not cause delight in the deceived mistress. Yes, she had intrigued against him before. But the desire to strangle the prankster, perhaps, arose only then. And when Milady rushed at the deceiver with her fists, that very stigma was exposed. After that, the hunt for D'Artagnan began as a dangerous witness. Which, in fact, is understandable.
And finally - what good did D'Artagnan and his friends do, besides drinking, walking, working at the whim of a dissolute queen, putting spokes in the wheels of clever Richelieu?
Perhaps the only thing worth admiring them for is that they were faithful to each other, and even did not change the "owner" (whoever he was).

And now - I'll go and watch the film))))))))) And for some reason, as in childhood, it will be joyful from the cry "One for all and all for one!".

Who was Anne Boleyn - a woman with a disgusting character, forcing her husband to fulfill all her whims, or just a victim of venerable court intriguers interested in breaking off relations between England and the papacy in Rome? And to this day, scientists have not come to a consensus.

Family and French education

Even the date of Anna's birth is considered controversial. Some researchers tend to 1501, others to 1507. The girl's father was Sir Thomas Boleyn, valued by King Henry VIII for his diplomatic talents, and her mother, Elizabeth Howard, belonged to an ancient aristocratic family.

After a short home schooling, Anna and her sister Maria were sent to Paris to be educated. The girls are sent to the French capital as part of the retinue of Her Highness Marie Tudor, in 1514. The princess was preparing to marry Louis XII.

The return home took place in 1520, and was due to two reasons. The first reason is that Anglo-French relations worsened. The second - Thomas Boleyn decided to marry Anna to Lord Butler. But his plans were not destined to come true.

Contemporaries noted that Anna was elegant and graceful in French. She had excellent taste and an extraordinary mind.

Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII first meeting

Heinrich in love

King Henry VIII saw Anne at a reception in 1522 on 4 March. By that time, she was beginning an affair with Lord Henry Percy, a relative of the Duke of Northumberland, and things were quickly moving towards a wedding. His Majesty liked Miss Boleyn so much that he upset the marriage. Henry was urgently married to another aristocrat, and Anna was sent to a distant estate.

After the return of Miss Boleyn to the court, the king began to seek the attention of a young beauty. At that time, Henry was married to Catherine of Aragon. Anna did not want the fate of the royal favorite for herself, so she kept His Majesty at a distance. The king could not forgive his wife for not bearing him a son, and believed that by divorcing her, he could marry another. He proposed to Anne Boleyn, which she gladly accepted.

The divorce was long and complicated. In those days, for a woman, this was tantamount to a loss of honor and dignity, and children born in a divorced marriage were declared bastards and did not have the right to inherit.

Passionately in love, Henry could not wait long for the pope to give permission for a new marriage, and at the suggestion of his adviser Thomas Cromwell, he changed religion. This move allowed the king to proclaim himself the head of the Church and, by his decree, annul the marriage with Catherine of Aragon.

This decision caused discontent among the people, who sympathized with the former queen. Ordinary people blamed Anne Boleyn for everything. Despite everything, in January 1533, the lovers got married. By that time, Anna was already pregnant, and the king hoped for the birth of an heir.

Catherine of Aragon spent the rest of her life in a monastery, but she never recognized the divorce as legal. She died in 1536.

Capricious queen

Having become a legal wife, Anna showed herself not from the best side. Forcing Heinrich to indulge her whims, she demanded that he remove his best friends from him. The king fulfilled all her whims in the hope of having a son, but in the autumn Anna gave birth to a daughter. The girl was given the name Elizabeth. She later became Queen Elizabeth I of England.

Meanwhile, the behavior of the king's wife deteriorated completely. In the absence of her husband, Anna threw rich balls, spent crazy money on clothes and jewelry. The couple often quarreled. The king is tired of his eccentric wife. He already had in mind the maid of honor Jane Seymour and he decided to get rid of his wife. The court sentenced Anna to death for treason against the king. She was beheaded with a sword in 1536 on May 19.

Anne Boleyn in the Tower

When Anne Boleyn's daughter, Elizabeth, came to power, she completely rehabilitated her mother. Consciously or not, but Anna contributed to the separation of England from the Roman Church, and this earned her place in the history of foggy Albion.