mercredi 22 août 2012

Anne Boleyn, a son or the axe, un fils ou la hache



Third of 6 articles "Women of renaissance" links following and gathered here without this one (link) :
Jane Gray, reine malgré elle. French 

The 16th century, two giants share Europe and the Middle East: Suleiman, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire deemed invincible and Charles V, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire [which unites in him the two dynasties of Europe's most powerful, by his mother Queen Jeanne, those of the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, and by his father Maximilian, Austria-Hungary. With his colonies, the sun always shines on his land ... adjacent to those of Soleiman in the Balkans.] The other two powers are France of François 1st and weaker, England of Henry VIII Tudor.. which coalesce, betray, reconcile .. trying to partner Charles, to reduce or to flatter him. The common enemy, however is Suleiman the Magnificent.

But Ferdinand and Isabella, recent kings of Spain -by usurpation of the throne of Castille by Isabella- but already rich because of their colonies, had married their daughter Catherine to Arthur, dolphin of England who died at 16. Her dowry was huge. To keep it, Henry VII had married the young widow to her younger son, the future Henry VIII. So he is an ally of Charles, his "nephew" by his wife. But despite nine pregnancies, the unhappy Kate not managed to have another living child than the sordid Mary called the bloody, devout Catholic like her ... but completely illuminated. [Not to be confused with Mary the sister of Henry Tudor, aunt of the fada.]

The Ottoman Empire now. Armed with long-range guns unknown at the time, he threatened Charles .. already struggling with Francis in Italy. And it was after his victory against the French at Pavia, -the "disaster" of Pavia as french said- that Francis sign a pact with Soleiman! Dramatic for Charles as we’ll see shortly. Everything is there.

Before this time, Henry decided the "bang" that shook the Catholic world, to divorce ...of the daughter of the King of Spain, aunt of Charles, to remarry and have a son. Francis loves ! Is he for something in that ? Maybe a little, we shall see. Anything that can reduce Charles, for him, is blessed. Now, they are allies against the giant. In love with Anne Boleyn, Henry? The reality is more complex. Consider the case chronologically.

First, who is Anne? She is not like it is often said a pretty woman  brilliant and intriguing, or rather she is much more. Her ancestry is already unusual: she is born of a  improbable marriage between Elizabeth Howard -from one of the most illustrious families of the kingdom but not the richest, descendant of St. Louis .. and Thomas Boleyn (1), a beautiful first-come attached to Henry VII, talented but of obscure origin, probably his grandfather was a, ambitious cloth merchant who made ​fortune, made his sons well educated, in order they chose a politic career . Diplomat, speaking four languages ​​and friend with European elite, Thomas also took care of the education of his children. Anne was the most promising.

He sends her when she was 12 (?) years old in the Netherlands, in the courtyard of a close friend of him, the regent Margaret of Austria, a place of culture and freedom -read the Sorbonne!- where she meet the elite intellectual and artistic era, theologians, philosophers, poets, musicians. She impregnates herself of them, perfects his French, writes, plays music, dances to perfection and is appreciated by her grace, her assiduity in the study, vivacity and humor. Slender, dark brown complexion, a nose too long, a small chest .. but jet-black hair and big black eyes whose she plays virtuoso -nowadays she would be attractive- but not in her time. She was the opposite of the blondes, light and luscious beauties in fashion. No matter, it is by her intelligence, culture and elegance that she will create her style, her place. An event will serve her.

France was then the undisputed intellectual power; all European aristocrats speak or affect to speak the language rich and elegant of the country the most prestigious - not on the military point  however now-. Mary, the sister of Henry marries -despite her  will- the old and ugly King Louis of France; Anne was appointed her lady in waiting. She is now in the land of culture. Adorned his previous successes in Marguerite's courtyard, she is surrounded by lot of admirers, poets, artists of all countries, including Thomas Wyatt, the most famous and most fervent who dedicates her elegies (2). And when Mary departs, her pensum finished -Louis is dead-, Anne will be in the following of the new queen, Claude, the poor and deceived wife of Francis who died of exhaustion 24 years old at her 7th maternity. Claude who appreciated the "little Boleyn." And the king? So did he? No doubt. How far? Mystery. She never displays love affair, even royal, and about this period, apart from the coded Wyatt poems, we know little. Single? wise is more likely, given the habits of the time. For a prestigious marriage, a girl had to look like perfect, -to look like, not to be!- 
Better, her perfect bilingualism makes her the ideal interpreter for the mondanities of princes of all the world. With her chic, her daring clothing, she follows and then she does fashion; her style will mark England, Atiffet or tiny hat that she prefers to the Spanish heavy caps because they highlight her beautifull hair loose in the back. Now, she is a character. Ready to play seriously. In 1522, his father ordered him to return. She leaves her second country -she remained in France eight years, one-third of her life- and joins the dark Albion where waits for her a brilliant career. And death.

Did the wily François always seeking to drive allies against Charles, -Charles who is still Henry's friend but not for long- played a role in her ascension, promoting a francophile of talent in order to have a friend in England ? If it is he who has combined the case, we can say that it has succeeded beyond all expectations. For Henry, childishly jealous of the handsome french, a woman close of Francis was a "must"!. So naturally he falls in love with her, fascinated by her exotic fragrance and freedom of spirit. Their romance is not "the shepherdess and the prince," but the star and the king ... a king in trouble. Because he has finally decided to get rid of Catherine. And after a divorce from the aunt of Charles V and what will ensue, no princess will never want to marry him. Anne ran for a position, despite its prestige, impossible to fill politically. In the hopelessness of a rich and powerful alliance, Henry, who wants above all a broodmare, chooses the best candidate he could find, the brightest -a good choice although he bemoaned after, because Anne will gave birth to Elizabeth.- Noble as half? He make her father Earl, and her, marquise and her shopkeeper ancestry is erased.

Is he in love? In any case, he never loses the north. The fiery letters that he wrote her? Did not he write the same to Francis just before his betrayal? It's his style, infant, greedy, spontaneous and concealed influenced and twisted.. and only constant, determined and mercyless. The helpful and the pleasant is his motto. A son. A chicken layer, that's was he wanded above all.

And this is the tsunami, the break with Rome. It's done, Anne is Queen. After, came the bloody confiscationof the immense property of the church, beheadings and burning in chain. Anne will carry the weight of the schism, blood, horror. Now hated by everybody, the muse of poets became a fan of Tyndale, defendant the absolute power of the king against the church, that she made discover to Henry dazzled -so, thinking to build a base for her, she digs her grave.- For him the key is wealth and son, she brings him both, the money of the Church, in a sense, more that Catherine has never gave to him! and soon an heir, he hopes! quickly, he is 42 years old, she, between 28 and 34, not too young in this time. Alas, it was Elizabeth who comes... When came the third stillborn male, worse, deformed ! (3) her fate is sealed. Catherine died three months before, that's good.

He will do triple shot. People abhors Anne, fearing the vengeance of Charles, only delayed by the war that inflicts to him Francis, and the blood shed by her fault, in fact by Henry's fault but it is always better to attack the less powerfull, a woman. When she appears in public, fuse the words "bitch", which, at this time of ax and fire, is never punished. Nowadays, is it possible that a wife of a President to be insulted without reaction on his part? I must say she causes, provoks, her motto - "the happiest" - sounds bad at the time of beheading of More and Fisher and cremations of monks.

His race for power, and after, race to a son she fails to provide, a race against death, as he don't miss her ignore, the terrible angers of Henry, -but hers are the same-.. her whole life is a dance on the top of a volcano. Strong, she forehead, smiles bravely, always jokes, but hardens and sometimes looses her mind. She is alone. Her father, her family left her, only her brother -of very low weight- remains faithful. She has reached the end of her ability of upscale courtesan, the power, and she acts like any potentate -but without the strengt that allows it-. For her, nothing will be forgiven, especially now that she has missed her broodmare career. She is between 31 and 36 years old and after 3 or 4 (?) miscarriages, it's over. No one thinks that in such a context, a son or the axe! - successfully carry a child to term would be for any woman a miracle. Henry will get rid of her. -He has already provided for the replacement.- He will gain his pardon from his people.. and may be.. more again !

Here's his chance. Francis, soundly beaten by Charles at Pavia, humiliated, imprisoned a time, comes to sign the treaty of alliance with Suleiman -the enemies of my enemy are my friend-. The all-powerful caliph of Muslims allied to one of the chief of Christendom, for Charles, it is a disaster, an unthinkable betrayal that has never had its similar in history. Henry sniffs the wind, this is the time. He will reconcile with him. Tricky part but now the giant has Soleiman's sword in the back, playable. The past is the past, Catherine humiliated, the priests burned and other trifles weight little for the giant shaken. If he won the French, if Soleiman is of equal strength, so, both coalitions can destroy him. And if Henry plays with the two partners, it's done. Reason of state, even the King of England -now rich because of the property of the church he took- is worth taking. Yes, but there is still his boastful bitch (4) who always struts, but there is a simple way to make amends. Not?

And May 19, 1536 at 9 am, three months after the treaty of alliance between Francis and Soliman signed on 4 February, the head of Anne runs on the scaffold. Henry is fast. That's done. The same day, radiant, he celebrate his engagement with Jane Seymour by a banquet.  
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He will have a son but Jane will die, after two days of torture, open alive to extract the baby who does not pass otherwise as it is said. 

See also "women in history" (link); and about Anne Askew, burned alive for "heresy" (link)

And about Mary Stuart, raped by Bothwell -the rape in this period was the good way to catch a woman, then obliged to marry her raper.- So do Bothwell with Mary Stuart (link). In a sense, Henry was a gentleman ! 

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