© National Portrait Gallery
Anne Boleyn was born circa 1501 at Blickling in Norfolk to the courtier and diplomat Sir Thomas Boleyn and his wife Elizabeth Howard the daughter of the Duke of Norfolk. Anne was considered beautiful with dark eyes, long dark hair and a lively personality. At the age of 13 she worked in the French court. Here she worked for Mary, Henry VIII's sister, who had married the king of France. When the king, Louis, died, Mary returned to England. Anne stayed in France as maid-in-honour to the new queen.
In 1522, Anne returned to England and worked for Catherine of Aragon's household. Anne fell for a young man who worked at the court called Henry Percy. She became secretly engaged to Percy - who was already engaged to someone else. The engagement was ended after an intervention by both Henry VIII and Cardinal Wolsey. Percy was forbidden from ever seeing Anne again and Anne was banned from the Royal Court. However, by 1526 she had caught the eye of Henry who openly wanted her to be his mistress - which she refused to do.
Henry embarked on his plan to divorce Catherine and marry Anne. After seven years of intrigue, plotting and papal confrontation they were married in January 1533, Anne was crowned queen in June 1533 and she gave birth to the future Queen Elizabeth in September. But Anne, now in her early 30's, had a sharp tongue on her and made enemies at court. Most significantly, her next two children were stillborn and Henry had befriended one of her maids of honour - Jane Seymour.
In May 1536, Anne was arrested, charged with treason and held in the Tower of London. Anne was executed on May 19th 1536 and her body was laid to rest in the Chapel of St Vincula at the Tower of London.
