Anne Boleyn: 500 Years of Lies

by Hayley Nolan

Now, I hate to be pedantic about this, but we cannot call a man who murdered two of his wives ‘romantic’. Henry’s not being intimidated by strong women and making them his equal, while commendable and progressive, doesn’t cancel out or override his violence towards women.

If a man can kill a woman, whatever the extenuating circumstances it was never love.

flirty demeanour wasn’t to blame for his year-long harassment. Her repeatedly turning him down wasn’t the ultimate example of when a girl says no she really means yes. Her accepting him for reasons less than love doesn’t mean she was ruthless and deserved her downfall, that she had it coming or ‘paid the price’.

We need to stop normalising this disturbing interpretation of powerful women just as much as we need to stop romanticising these narratives from history.

However, in situations like this, acts of mercy for someone you were supposedly once hopelessly in love with might include hearing their defence against the accusations, giving them a lesser sentence, letting them live. Not once during the investigation was Anne Boleyn herself ever questioned or asked to explain what had happened, so we can’t now turn round and claim that the manner in which she was to be brutally murdered was a sign of Henry’s everlasting love for her.

Death by sword was no act of mercy.

ANNE BOLEYN 1501–1536 They say few mourned her, but that’s not true. Many mourned Anne Boleyn.

So, when historians state that few mourned Anne, perhaps what they should say is that few were allowed to mourn her.

now is not a time to sleepwalk through life turning a blind eye, believing if it’s not affecting us, then it’s not our responsibility. Take note from what you’ve just read, for history has a nasty habit of repeating itself. This is why it’s so important we know the truth about what really happened, in order to make damn sure it never happens again. History is watching you.