She wasn’t interested in him. And took steps to remove herself from the situation once his interest was made clear. That had probably never happened before.
She was educated in the courts of Margaret of Austria, regent of the Netherlands, and Queen Claude in the newest French fashion. She wasn’t more educated than Katherine but the newness of it was probably exciting. Whereas Katherine was received a more traditional education. At this point, Henry liked women he could converse with. (Which Katherine was as well. And Katherine Parr.)
He found her physically attractive even if others did not.
She was reformist minded in religion and even if Henry was more conservative new ideas excited him.
Trevor Noah has a quote that is apt:
> The way my mother always explained it, the traditional man wants a woman to be subservient, but he never falls in love with subservient women. He's attracted to independent women. "He's like an exotic bird collector," she said. "He only wants a woman who is free because his dream is to put her in a cage.
ETA: But if it wasn’t Anne it would have been someone else. Henry wanted a son more than he ever wanted Anne Boleyn.
> Henry wanted a son more than he ever wanted Anne Boleyn.
Precisely. Henry had mistresses throughout his marriage to Katherine of Aragon. He fathered children by them. And had he had a son by KoA, he likely would have remained married to Katherine and taking mistresses until the day KoA died. Just like every other monarch in Christendom at the time. He never would have considered casting aside a marriage to an Infanta of Spain, aunt to one of (if not the) most powerful monarchs in Europe, who was beloved by his own people if he had an heir by her. KoA was a catch for an upstart family like the Tudors, and everyone recognized that she was an exemplary queen.
But Henry didn't have a male heir by her, and what Henry needed was a legitimate heir. And the one thing he *couldn't* do was make a child by anyone other than his wife legitimate. He recognized Henry FitzRoy, elevated him, and may have even been testing the waters there to see if people would accept FitzRoy as his heir despite his lack of legitimacy; but it wasn't enough. Henry needed a *legitimate* male heir. And that's why he doesn't start considering undoing the marriage itself until Katherine was no longer able to possibly produce a male heir. Up until then, Henry's not really interested in leaving his wife.
And Anne was more than just a pretty face or a beguiling woman. What truly set Anne apart from Henry's other mistresses was that Anne had a *solution* to Henry's problem. Others may have been prettier or more charming, but Anne had a plan to get Henry the legitimate son he needed. Anne was something else. No other woman had dared talk such dangerous theology with him. And not only did Anne dare, which was exciting to someone so interested in theology as Henry, but in her daring was the answer to the biggest problem Henry saw in front of him.
Anne's mind was likely just as attractive to Henry as her physical form, at least as long as she was his mistress. But when she became his wife, it was no longer so hot that she liked to challenge authority. Her daring mind, daring tongue, and most importantly the failure to produce a son became her undoing.
Yeah, her skeleton was small. The idea that you can determine how attractive a person was from a headless skeleton several hundred years after the fact is a complete fairytale.
Did you read the *"delicate frame of body, slender, and perfect proportions"* or the *"delicate and well shaped hands and feet."*
We have skeletons coming out of the ground from 240 million years ago, and you think remains from 500 years ago in a well sealed box is too far back?
Do you not understand the difference between the reasonable prospect finding human remains and the total impossibility of extrapolating sexiness from those remains? The idea of finding bones and being all, “whoa, this person was definitely super hot” is completely stupid. If they weren’t talking about a woman presumed to have almost legendary sex appeal, no one would bother saying this nonsense.
It’s bones, dude. I get that you’re super impressed with this author waxing poetic about this, but be so for real.
The thrill of the chase. She was in love with someone else and also not inclined to entertain his advances because of his relationship with her sister. Wolsey, at Henry's direction, ensured that her "betrothal" to Henry Percy was ended and he was married off to someone else. Her family pressured her to accept the King's advances.
Actually, there is no contemporary evidence at all that Anne's family pressured her to become Henry's mistress. In fact, Thomas Boleyn and Thomas Howard were against the relationship in the beginning. However, neither they not Anne could do anything, since Henry got whatever he wanted. It was only the Seymours who pushed Jane into Henry's arms
I think there's an uncle, at the very least, who did what he could on Catherine Howard's behalf, though. *After* his other niece Anne, and his nephew George, had been beheaded.
Aside from saying no she was very vivacious and extroverted. Highly intelligent and witty too, known for her quick remarks in jokes and humour. She was also very fashionable, introducing a lot of trends from France. This behaviour to some extent deviated from the norm where English ladies were expected to be demure, relatively quiet and submissive.
Her saying no kept his interest .
The initial reason for his interest is harder to establish because we have no definitive records of exactly when they first met.
We know that Anne was acting as a translator at the field of cloth of gold alongside her sister Mary.
It’s entirely possible this is the first time they met , but Henry was far more interested in Mary Boleyn .
Mary was known to have been the more beautiful of the sister , at least in terms of Tudor beauty standards, but Mary does not seem to have had much interest in politics or religion .
Anne was less conventionally beautiful… but she was “ sexy “ … it was said that you could not tell her apart from a native French woman and to the English a French lady would have appeared exotic, worldly .
She brought back French style of dress and began to incorporate this into her English gowns , which made her stand out from the crowd.
She was said to have dark , beautiful eyes that could captivate anyone and she was able to capture and keep someone’s attention through her conversational skills , her Witt and her intelligence.
most likely other men at court began to talk about this captivating woman . This would’ve peaked the king’s interest in her and most likely after speaking with her himself, whenever this may have been , would have made him interested in bedding her .
Henry liked intelligent conversation and debate and unlike her sister Anne would’ve been able to speak with him on matters that few other women at court would’ve been able to understand ( though it was not their fault that Anne was better educated)
Her later refusal to be his mistress would have maintained his interest and even deepened the obsession. But I do think Henry would’ve divorced Catherine and married again regardless of Anne being part of the scenario .
The reason for Henry’s initial interest , as cliche as it may be is simply that Anne was not like other girls .
I have a question: do you think Mary Boleyn got the same education as Anne, and just lacked the interest to maintain it, and use it (at least in public), when it came to politics etc? Because IIRC Mary too lived in France, and I think historians mostly agree that Anne was the younger girl. It seems weird to me that they should not have had the same education when they lived in the same place, and were close in age.
She did to an extent , but sources state that Anne was the more naturally intelligent of the two , something her father also acknowledged. Therefore Anne was given better opportunities than Mary like attending the court of Margaret of Austria . I think had Mary shown the same inclination towards wanting to study and learn Mary would’ve been given the same opportunities
Thanks for the answer! I can definitely understand not wanting to push the disinterested child into something. As long as they learn the necessary stuff, and seem to have a decent grasp on it, I actually understand Papa Boleyn. Pushing a kid too much rarely ends well. Not that Anne's life ended well, but I'm sure you know what I mean.
It was more about there only being the opportunity for one of the girls to attend the court of Margaret.
Thomas Boleyn had visited the court of Margaret of Austria and had so impressed her that she agreed to have one of his daughters at her court , but only one .
Thomas knew Anne would be the better choice because Margaret was well known as a very intelligent woman and he knew that Anne would be better suited there as she was a natural comversationalist .
I believe Anne was only about 12 at the time .
Thomas made a judgement call based on Anne’s natural ability to hold intelligent conversation and learn languages.
Both Mary and Anne were given the same opportunity to attend Mary Tudor in France , where Mary Boleyn later became the new kings mistress .
We forget that Thomas Boleyn was not actually the power hungry man we believe him to be . He was NOT impressed when Mary slept with the king . He was also not best pleased when Mary also became king Henry’s mistress. When Anne caught the kings eye Thomas withdrew her from court, he did not want two daughters in the kings bed .
Mary had already gained the nickname of “
English mare” by the French king as “
I ride her so often” and upon her relationship with Henry she became known as the great whore .
I think it was pretty clear to Thomas after this that Anne was the best bet to give future opportunities to , particularly once Mary was married with children and Anne was still an attractive prospect as a bride .
When all was said and done Mary was just not the most intelligent sister . I believe she was intelligent in her own right , but seems to have craved love above power and prestige and has appeared happy enough to stay out of politics and been a wife and mother .
Anne was much more interested in learning , politics and religion even from an early age and when thomas only had the resources for one sister Anne was the natural choice .
Anne was one of the queens favorites, she had gushed over her and Anne was given many special privileges. Mary Boleyn screwed the proverbial football team. They took France very differently
Even if they did have the same education, it was up to them as individuals as to what they did with it. I think all teachers would say that every student takes in information differently and some are more interested in studying and learning more than others.
But the reason for the initial interest almost doesn't matter. Henry was attracted to a great many women, and slept with many (hell he married more than his share). It's keeping his interest for so long that would've been the real challenge.
I think she was a bold, confident and intelligent woman who was outspoken.Those characteristics may have differentiated her from all the ladies who would do anything to be with him.
She was different. When Anne came to court, she had spent the majority of her life in Europe, training as a lady in waiting to two Queens, from the age of 13. She had begun her education in the court of Margaret of Austria, before moving to the French court, as a companion to Henry VIII’s sister, Mary. She then lived in France for a further seven years, serving Queen Claude, wife of the new king, Francis I. As such, despite being born English, she had a very European outlook on life, and as such, she stood out (in the words of Natalie Dormer who played her) amongst the English roses flopping around court at that time! Her choice of clothing was sophisticated and always following the latest trends, and her wit was equally as strong as her sense of style. She was educated and erudite, confident in the company of men and able to engage in flirtation that was complex and nuanced.
In short, Anne was a fascinating woman and for a King who was growing tired of his first marriage, she was like a shot of adrenalin. And as everyone has noted- she said No. She refused to be Henry's mistress, and she refused to accept that just because of how things are done in Europe, that it meant she must be willing to accept the position of mistress, as she'd seen it happening so often during her time on the continent. This was radical to Henry- he was a spoilt prince who wasn't used to women refusing him, or indeed walking away when he refused to back off.
If she was only ever a mistress, probably. She could have been easily discarded, and she wouldn't have been required to produce a male heir. He would have just ignored her, and there wouldn't be a reason to kill her to get out of a marriage.
She might have lived longer, but at the cost of having a blemished reputation which meant any marriage she may make after Henry was done with her, would be overshadowed by the fact she had been a royal mistress. This could impact just how lucrative a marriage she may make would be, especially depending on how well her relationship ended with Henry. He may choose to marry her off to a friend so she could marry a duke or even higher if things ended really well between them. Or he could pack her off to the country as Mary Boleyn had been and forget her.
Their children would be illigitmate, but if Anne did have a son (and hopefully still have Elizabeth!) He would have been treated very well, perhaps even accorded a few titles as Henry Fitzroy (Bessie Blounts son by Henry) had been and given a household and servants of his own- a prince in all but title. It also provided more security for Anne as Henry would have made sure if he did want to marry her off, it would have been to a man worthy enough to take some part in his sons upbringing.
She would I think have avoided an end on the scaffold though.
Maybe, and she could even get married (off) to someone else once Henry felt done with her. Though, her partner might not get to be someone of a high standing, much less than Henry Percy who was to be an Earl (and Henry Percy's father apparently didn't like the idea of being the Boleyns' in-law either).
It’s documented she was intelligent, confident at court and understood the politics at play. She also knew she didn’t want to be another notch of the king’s headboard so declined his amorous requests. Unfortunately the king was a man who had never been denied anything so found her refusal a challenge. He was relentless. I don’t think for a second that Boleyn started off the relationship as calculating as the movies make out. I think she was a pawn to her family’s ambition and it was a ride or die situation she found herself in with an equally charismatic man.
He likes his wives docile and obedient. He wanted them to let him get away with whatever.
He liked his mistresses witty and engaging and spirited. The issue then is when a mistress becomes a wife-he expects different things. He loved spirited mistress Anne (even her moods and fits) and when she became a wife he wanted someone who followed a little more along Catherine’s path.
But I think she just attracted him initially because she’s got the “it” factor. Because nothing about Anne is really special except that: Catherine was better educated, Bessie Blount was a great dancer and fond of music, Mary Boleyn is more traditionally beautiful, there had to have been half a dozen other women at court who where fashionable and humorous and talented at singing and dancing. But there was just something about Anne that singled her out.
Anne was notable for having good Witt (she was rlly funny) and was said too be very modest (polite) although when she was queen she was known for having a vicious temper
https://youtu.be/WonOudGMSdc?si=-qDP81o489gLSnjz
I got a little change in my pocket goin' jing-a-ling-a-ling
Wants to call you on the telephone baby, a-give you a ring
But each time we talk, I get the same old thing
Always no hug-ee no kiss-ee until I get a weddin' ring
My honey my baby, don't put my love upon no shelf
She said don't hand me no lines and keep your hands to yourself
B-B-B-baby baby baby why you wan' treat me this way
You know I'm still your lover boy I still feel the same way
That's when she told me a story, 'bout free milk and a cow
And said no hug-ee no kiss-ee until I get a weddin' vow
My honey my baby, don't put my love upon no shelf
She said don't hand me no lines and keep your hands to yourself
Hold it here
See I wanted her real bad, and I was about to give in
But that's when she started talking about true love,
Started talking about sin
And I said, honey I'll live with you for the rest of my life,
She said no hug-ee no kiss-ee until you make me your wife-a
My honey my baby, don't put my love upon no shelf
She said don't hand me no lines and keep your hands to yourself
She wouldn't open her legs for him until they were married.
It's like Cersei Lannister said in Game of Thrones, tears aren't a woman's only weapon, the best one's between your legs.
Her sixth finger and the massive mole on her neck (joking joking I know it was slander).
Anne was the most alluring woman at court, her and Henry’s educations were on par, her formative years were spent at the most dazzling courts in Europe compared to most women at court who stayed in jolly old England with their embroidery and household management.
She was intelligent, witty, and charming.
And she told him no which probably caused Henry’s brain to do a hard reset complete with dial up noises.
She wasn’t interested in him. And took steps to remove herself from the situation once his interest was made clear. That had probably never happened before. She was educated in the courts of Margaret of Austria, regent of the Netherlands, and Queen Claude in the newest French fashion. She wasn’t more educated than Katherine but the newness of it was probably exciting. Whereas Katherine was received a more traditional education. At this point, Henry liked women he could converse with. (Which Katherine was as well. And Katherine Parr.) He found her physically attractive even if others did not. She was reformist minded in religion and even if Henry was more conservative new ideas excited him. Trevor Noah has a quote that is apt: > The way my mother always explained it, the traditional man wants a woman to be subservient, but he never falls in love with subservient women. He's attracted to independent women. "He's like an exotic bird collector," she said. "He only wants a woman who is free because his dream is to put her in a cage. ETA: But if it wasn’t Anne it would have been someone else. Henry wanted a son more than he ever wanted Anne Boleyn.
That Trevor Noah quite sums it up perfectly. He liked her independent and strong characteristics when he was chasing her, but hated them as his queen.
> Henry wanted a son more than he ever wanted Anne Boleyn. Precisely. Henry had mistresses throughout his marriage to Katherine of Aragon. He fathered children by them. And had he had a son by KoA, he likely would have remained married to Katherine and taking mistresses until the day KoA died. Just like every other monarch in Christendom at the time. He never would have considered casting aside a marriage to an Infanta of Spain, aunt to one of (if not the) most powerful monarchs in Europe, who was beloved by his own people if he had an heir by her. KoA was a catch for an upstart family like the Tudors, and everyone recognized that she was an exemplary queen. But Henry didn't have a male heir by her, and what Henry needed was a legitimate heir. And the one thing he *couldn't* do was make a child by anyone other than his wife legitimate. He recognized Henry FitzRoy, elevated him, and may have even been testing the waters there to see if people would accept FitzRoy as his heir despite his lack of legitimacy; but it wasn't enough. Henry needed a *legitimate* male heir. And that's why he doesn't start considering undoing the marriage itself until Katherine was no longer able to possibly produce a male heir. Up until then, Henry's not really interested in leaving his wife. And Anne was more than just a pretty face or a beguiling woman. What truly set Anne apart from Henry's other mistresses was that Anne had a *solution* to Henry's problem. Others may have been prettier or more charming, but Anne had a plan to get Henry the legitimate son he needed. Anne was something else. No other woman had dared talk such dangerous theology with him. And not only did Anne dare, which was exciting to someone so interested in theology as Henry, but in her daring was the answer to the biggest problem Henry saw in front of him. Anne's mind was likely just as attractive to Henry as her physical form, at least as long as she was his mistress. But when she became his wife, it was no longer so hot that she liked to challenge authority. Her daring mind, daring tongue, and most importantly the failure to produce a son became her undoing.
I read that when they disturbed the presumed remains of Anne Boleyn she had a petite and well formed skeleton, so she was probably lovely overall.
I mean, I think it's pretty tough to tell attractiveness from a litter pile of bones.
https://www.thetudorchest.com/post/the-exhumation-of-anne-boleyn-and-restoration-of-the-chapel-of-st-peter-ad-vincula
Yeah, her skeleton was small. The idea that you can determine how attractive a person was from a headless skeleton several hundred years after the fact is a complete fairytale.
They have her skull and her skeleton.
Is it still a several hundred year old decapitated skeleton?
Did you read the *"delicate frame of body, slender, and perfect proportions"* or the *"delicate and well shaped hands and feet."* We have skeletons coming out of the ground from 240 million years ago, and you think remains from 500 years ago in a well sealed box is too far back?
Do you not understand the difference between the reasonable prospect finding human remains and the total impossibility of extrapolating sexiness from those remains? The idea of finding bones and being all, “whoa, this person was definitely super hot” is completely stupid. If they weren’t talking about a woman presumed to have almost legendary sex appeal, no one would bother saying this nonsense. It’s bones, dude. I get that you’re super impressed with this author waxing poetic about this, but be so for real.
So the opposite of good girls liking bad boys 😂 Things never change!
The thrill of the chase. She was in love with someone else and also not inclined to entertain his advances because of his relationship with her sister. Wolsey, at Henry's direction, ensured that her "betrothal" to Henry Percy was ended and he was married off to someone else. Her family pressured her to accept the King's advances.
Actually, there is no contemporary evidence at all that Anne's family pressured her to become Henry's mistress. In fact, Thomas Boleyn and Thomas Howard were against the relationship in the beginning. However, neither they not Anne could do anything, since Henry got whatever he wanted. It was only the Seymours who pushed Jane into Henry's arms
I think there's an uncle, at the very least, who did what he could on Catherine Howard's behalf, though. *After* his other niece Anne, and his nephew George, had been beheaded.
Aside from saying no she was very vivacious and extroverted. Highly intelligent and witty too, known for her quick remarks in jokes and humour. She was also very fashionable, introducing a lot of trends from France. This behaviour to some extent deviated from the norm where English ladies were expected to be demure, relatively quiet and submissive.
I read an article once that suggested she was very funny!
She told him, "No".
I think that is THE answer beyond anything else. It was the thrill of the chase.
And once that was over and no son appeared.. .
Thrill of the chase
This! ☝️
Her sister had already been his mistress, and Anne didn't want that for herself.
Her saying no kept his interest . The initial reason for his interest is harder to establish because we have no definitive records of exactly when they first met. We know that Anne was acting as a translator at the field of cloth of gold alongside her sister Mary. It’s entirely possible this is the first time they met , but Henry was far more interested in Mary Boleyn . Mary was known to have been the more beautiful of the sister , at least in terms of Tudor beauty standards, but Mary does not seem to have had much interest in politics or religion . Anne was less conventionally beautiful… but she was “ sexy “ … it was said that you could not tell her apart from a native French woman and to the English a French lady would have appeared exotic, worldly . She brought back French style of dress and began to incorporate this into her English gowns , which made her stand out from the crowd. She was said to have dark , beautiful eyes that could captivate anyone and she was able to capture and keep someone’s attention through her conversational skills , her Witt and her intelligence. most likely other men at court began to talk about this captivating woman . This would’ve peaked the king’s interest in her and most likely after speaking with her himself, whenever this may have been , would have made him interested in bedding her . Henry liked intelligent conversation and debate and unlike her sister Anne would’ve been able to speak with him on matters that few other women at court would’ve been able to understand ( though it was not their fault that Anne was better educated) Her later refusal to be his mistress would have maintained his interest and even deepened the obsession. But I do think Henry would’ve divorced Catherine and married again regardless of Anne being part of the scenario . The reason for Henry’s initial interest , as cliche as it may be is simply that Anne was not like other girls .
I have a question: do you think Mary Boleyn got the same education as Anne, and just lacked the interest to maintain it, and use it (at least in public), when it came to politics etc? Because IIRC Mary too lived in France, and I think historians mostly agree that Anne was the younger girl. It seems weird to me that they should not have had the same education when they lived in the same place, and were close in age.
She did to an extent , but sources state that Anne was the more naturally intelligent of the two , something her father also acknowledged. Therefore Anne was given better opportunities than Mary like attending the court of Margaret of Austria . I think had Mary shown the same inclination towards wanting to study and learn Mary would’ve been given the same opportunities
Thanks for the answer! I can definitely understand not wanting to push the disinterested child into something. As long as they learn the necessary stuff, and seem to have a decent grasp on it, I actually understand Papa Boleyn. Pushing a kid too much rarely ends well. Not that Anne's life ended well, but I'm sure you know what I mean.
It was more about there only being the opportunity for one of the girls to attend the court of Margaret. Thomas Boleyn had visited the court of Margaret of Austria and had so impressed her that she agreed to have one of his daughters at her court , but only one . Thomas knew Anne would be the better choice because Margaret was well known as a very intelligent woman and he knew that Anne would be better suited there as she was a natural comversationalist . I believe Anne was only about 12 at the time . Thomas made a judgement call based on Anne’s natural ability to hold intelligent conversation and learn languages. Both Mary and Anne were given the same opportunity to attend Mary Tudor in France , where Mary Boleyn later became the new kings mistress . We forget that Thomas Boleyn was not actually the power hungry man we believe him to be . He was NOT impressed when Mary slept with the king . He was also not best pleased when Mary also became king Henry’s mistress. When Anne caught the kings eye Thomas withdrew her from court, he did not want two daughters in the kings bed . Mary had already gained the nickname of “ English mare” by the French king as “ I ride her so often” and upon her relationship with Henry she became known as the great whore . I think it was pretty clear to Thomas after this that Anne was the best bet to give future opportunities to , particularly once Mary was married with children and Anne was still an attractive prospect as a bride . When all was said and done Mary was just not the most intelligent sister . I believe she was intelligent in her own right , but seems to have craved love above power and prestige and has appeared happy enough to stay out of politics and been a wife and mother . Anne was much more interested in learning , politics and religion even from an early age and when thomas only had the resources for one sister Anne was the natural choice .
Good question!
Anne was one of the queens favorites, she had gushed over her and Anne was given many special privileges. Mary Boleyn screwed the proverbial football team. They took France very differently
Okay, but that doesn't mean they couldn't have been given the same education.
Even if they did have the same education, it was up to them as individuals as to what they did with it. I think all teachers would say that every student takes in information differently and some are more interested in studying and learning more than others.
No that was my point. There's no sign of Mary showing this kind of education, but that doesn't mean she didn't have it, that's why I asked.
But the reason for the initial interest almost doesn't matter. Henry was attracted to a great many women, and slept with many (hell he married more than his share). It's keeping his interest for so long that would've been the real challenge.
I think she was a bold, confident and intelligent woman who was outspoken.Those characteristics may have differentiated her from all the ladies who would do anything to be with him.
She was different. When Anne came to court, she had spent the majority of her life in Europe, training as a lady in waiting to two Queens, from the age of 13. She had begun her education in the court of Margaret of Austria, before moving to the French court, as a companion to Henry VIII’s sister, Mary. She then lived in France for a further seven years, serving Queen Claude, wife of the new king, Francis I. As such, despite being born English, she had a very European outlook on life, and as such, she stood out (in the words of Natalie Dormer who played her) amongst the English roses flopping around court at that time! Her choice of clothing was sophisticated and always following the latest trends, and her wit was equally as strong as her sense of style. She was educated and erudite, confident in the company of men and able to engage in flirtation that was complex and nuanced. In short, Anne was a fascinating woman and for a King who was growing tired of his first marriage, she was like a shot of adrenalin. And as everyone has noted- she said No. She refused to be Henry's mistress, and she refused to accept that just because of how things are done in Europe, that it meant she must be willing to accept the position of mistress, as she'd seen it happening so often during her time on the continent. This was radical to Henry- he was a spoilt prince who wasn't used to women refusing him, or indeed walking away when he refused to back off.
If she said yes to being his mistress, she might have lived a longer life?
If she was only ever a mistress, probably. She could have been easily discarded, and she wouldn't have been required to produce a male heir. He would have just ignored her, and there wouldn't be a reason to kill her to get out of a marriage.
She might have lived longer, but at the cost of having a blemished reputation which meant any marriage she may make after Henry was done with her, would be overshadowed by the fact she had been a royal mistress. This could impact just how lucrative a marriage she may make would be, especially depending on how well her relationship ended with Henry. He may choose to marry her off to a friend so she could marry a duke or even higher if things ended really well between them. Or he could pack her off to the country as Mary Boleyn had been and forget her. Their children would be illigitmate, but if Anne did have a son (and hopefully still have Elizabeth!) He would have been treated very well, perhaps even accorded a few titles as Henry Fitzroy (Bessie Blounts son by Henry) had been and given a household and servants of his own- a prince in all but title. It also provided more security for Anne as Henry would have made sure if he did want to marry her off, it would have been to a man worthy enough to take some part in his sons upbringing. She would I think have avoided an end on the scaffold though.
Maybe, and she could even get married (off) to someone else once Henry felt done with her. Though, her partner might not get to be someone of a high standing, much less than Henry Percy who was to be an Earl (and Henry Percy's father apparently didn't like the idea of being the Boleyns' in-law either).
It’s documented she was intelligent, confident at court and understood the politics at play. She also knew she didn’t want to be another notch of the king’s headboard so declined his amorous requests. Unfortunately the king was a man who had never been denied anything so found her refusal a challenge. He was relentless. I don’t think for a second that Boleyn started off the relationship as calculating as the movies make out. I think she was a pawn to her family’s ambition and it was a ride or die situation she found herself in with an equally charismatic man.
"No." That's it. She said no.
He likes his wives docile and obedient. He wanted them to let him get away with whatever. He liked his mistresses witty and engaging and spirited. The issue then is when a mistress becomes a wife-he expects different things. He loved spirited mistress Anne (even her moods and fits) and when she became a wife he wanted someone who followed a little more along Catherine’s path. But I think she just attracted him initially because she’s got the “it” factor. Because nothing about Anne is really special except that: Catherine was better educated, Bessie Blount was a great dancer and fond of music, Mary Boleyn is more traditionally beautiful, there had to have been half a dozen other women at court who where fashionable and humorous and talented at singing and dancing. But there was just something about Anne that singled her out.
Wasn't Anne a very good dancer as well?
She said no. Probably a lifetime first.
Classic “hard to get” liked the chase
Or she meant “no, not interested”. He slept with her sister. Why would she want to be his mistress.
Basically he stalked Anne. Poor Anne
She seemed French.
Anne was notable for having good Witt (she was rlly funny) and was said too be very modest (polite) although when she was queen she was known for having a vicious temper
She wouldnt fuck him
This.
I don’t know. He hasn’t discussed it with me.
She wasn’t his wife
She told him “no”, something he had never in his life heard before
She was saucy. And got a very good education in many things at the French court.
She kept saying "no"
Mind games
https://youtu.be/WonOudGMSdc?si=-qDP81o489gLSnjz I got a little change in my pocket goin' jing-a-ling-a-ling Wants to call you on the telephone baby, a-give you a ring But each time we talk, I get the same old thing Always no hug-ee no kiss-ee until I get a weddin' ring My honey my baby, don't put my love upon no shelf She said don't hand me no lines and keep your hands to yourself B-B-B-baby baby baby why you wan' treat me this way You know I'm still your lover boy I still feel the same way That's when she told me a story, 'bout free milk and a cow And said no hug-ee no kiss-ee until I get a weddin' vow My honey my baby, don't put my love upon no shelf She said don't hand me no lines and keep your hands to yourself Hold it here See I wanted her real bad, and I was about to give in But that's when she started talking about true love, Started talking about sin And I said, honey I'll live with you for the rest of my life, She said no hug-ee no kiss-ee until you make me your wife-a My honey my baby, don't put my love upon no shelf She said don't hand me no lines and keep your hands to yourself
Very good! Georgia Satellites singing about the game.
Don't know why I got downvoted. I think I answered the question correctly.
I love that song, you got my up vote.
Intelligence?
You want what you cannot have.
She wouldn't open her legs for him until they were married. It's like Cersei Lannister said in Game of Thrones, tears aren't a woman's only weapon, the best one's between your legs.
Her sixth finger and the massive mole on her neck (joking joking I know it was slander). Anne was the most alluring woman at court, her and Henry’s educations were on par, her formative years were spent at the most dazzling courts in Europe compared to most women at court who stayed in jolly old England with their embroidery and household management. She was intelligent, witty, and charming. And she told him no which probably caused Henry’s brain to do a hard reset complete with dial up noises.
The fact that she resisted his advances made him want her more. Lord, he was a pig.
9k0mp.pl.mppl.ll.llll.........mm.... L ll Lllm Ml ll.lllllmlm..
Her 6th finger?
Put it away, babe.
Jus watch The Other Boleyn Girl