For hundreds of years, has been painted as a scheming adulteress, typically pitted in opposition to first spouse, the scorned .
Historic narratives marvel at their famed rivalry and focus closely on their variations: Catherine the religious Roman Catholic, and Anne the reformist seductress.
However a latest exhibition has solid a brand new gentle on the 2 Queens, highlighting their similarities and giving perception into their relationship earlier than changing into “love rivals”.
It additionally recasts Anne as a deeply spiritual lady who, slightly than plot to mattress the monarch, bided her time, serving as a lady-in-waiting to the King’s Consort and even incomes her “respect”.
When Anne was executed on Might 19, 1536, she had been discovered responsible of adultery, incest and conspiracy, prices broadly understood to be false, accelerated by the King and fuelling the concept that Anne was merely a calculating temptress.
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An exhibition at , the seat of the Boleyn household from 1462 to 1539, introduced collectively the prayer books of each Anne and Catherine for the primary time in virtually 500 years.
Supported by analysis from its co-creator Kate McCaffrey, it proves the 2 ladies had rather more in frequent than beforehand thought. Each discovered solace in godly devotion, in response to the findings, and Catherine extremely revered Anne.
Professor Suzannah Lipscomb, whose e-book Six Queens: The Wives of Henry VIII might be revealed later this yr, backed this view.
Writing within the exhibition catalogue, she mentioned: “For hundreds of years, there was this alleged rivalry. In actual fact, there have been many extra similarities in these clever, educated and decided ladies, whose studying favoured expression of their piety. Catherine’s faith is commonly used as a code for dutiful dullness whereas Anne is seen as an attractive siren to whom God meant little. This isn't correct.”
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Ms McCaffrey spent three years researching the 2 queens, inspecting their .
Each books had been printed in Paris in 1527. Anne’s had been misplaced for a few years however was ultimately purchased in 1910 by the American-born magnate William Waldorf, who had just lately acquired Hever Fort.
In the meantime, Catherine’s had been bought by the financier John Pierpont Morgan, additionally within the early twentieth century.
“However there are variations in these books,” Ms McCaffery mentioned. “Anne’s is best high quality and extra colourfully adorned, which exhibits her as the approaching lady. It's fairly potential that Henry himself gifted it to her.”
Anne even took her e-book of hours to , solely parting with it moments earlier than the sword struck her neck.
The e-book contained quite a few inscriptions within the margins, one among which learn: “Bear in mind me once you do pray that hope dothe led from day after day.”
The exhibition painted Anne as a deeply spiritual lady and refuted the notion that she used promiscuity to seduce King Henry.
Though it's thought Anne agreed, in precept, to marry Henry in 1527, Ms McCaffrey believes she was in all probability cautious her older sister Mary had already engaged in an affair with the King.
“Watching her develop into the King’s mistress after which be unceremoniously solid apart influenced Anne’s determination to carry out,” she mentioned.
Anne purposefully didn't consummate her relationship with Henry till .
Ms McCaffery claimed the misrepresentation of Anne has been fueled by historical past books, and tv and movie portrayals. “The scholarly narratives of the Victorian period perpetuated the sinner Anne versus the saint Catherine thought,” she mentioned.
“Demonising Anne was not exhausting due to the scandalous prices in opposition to her, and Anne because the bewitching temptress is extra compelling.”