Anne Boleyn Biography
Royalty
Anne Boleyn was the second wife of Henry VIII of England and mother of the future Queen Elizabeth I. A former lady-in-waiting for Henry's sister Mary Tudor, Boleyn married the king in 1533 after his first marriage to Catherine of Aragon was annulled. Princess Elizabeth was born later that year. By 1536 the king had grown disenchanted with Boleyn; she was charged with adultery and treason, imprisoned in the Tower of London, and then beheaded on 19 May 1536. (Shortly before dying she made a now-famous quip: "I heard say the executioner was very good, and I have a little neck.") Boleyn's date of birth is unknown, but generally agreed to be sometime between 1501 and 1507.Extra credit: According to legend, Boleyn had a small sixth finger on one hand; no firm evidence exists to affirm or deny that claim... She was played by Natalie Portman in the 2008 film The Other Boleyn Girl; Eric Bana played Henry VIII.
Anne Boleyn appears with Marilyn Monroe in our loop Supposed To Be Ghosts.
Four Good Links
The Six Wives of Henry VIII
Great detail on the lives of Boleyn and the other famous five
Anne Boleyn's Story
For younger readers, from Royal Paper Dolls
Before the Glory: Anne Boleyn Before Henry VIII
Colorful detail on Boleyn's personality; recaps the rumors about Boleyn's sixth finger and neck goiter
Anne Boleyn
Great resource on Henry VIII and his wives, with primary source material and biographies
Vital Stats
Birth
c. 1507
Birthplace
Death
19 May 1536
(execution by beheading)
Best Known As
The beheaded wife of Henry VIII
