90 Chronicle of King Henry VIII
91 Abbott
92 Wriothesley; Excerpta Historica (LP 1107)
93 Froude, Note D in Thomas (LP 911)
94 Aless
95 Carles
96 Chronicle of King Henry VIII
97 Carles; Froude, Note D in Thomas (LP911); Excerpta Historica (LP 1107)
98 Harleian manuscripts
99 Histoire de la Royne Anne de Boullant; Froude: Pilgrim (LP 911)
100 Wriothesley
101 Histoire de la Royne Anne de Boullant
102 Ibid
103 Younghusband
104 Excerpta Historica (LP 1107); George Wyatt
105 Wriothesley
106 Froude, Note D in Thomas (LP 911)
107 Excerpta Historica (LP 1107)
108 Ridley: Henry VIII
109 Chronicle of King Henry VIII
110 Abbott
111 Chronicle of King Henry VIII
112 Ibid; Tytler; Strickland
113 George Wyatt
114 Carles
115 Abbott
116 Chronicle of King Henry VIII
117 George Wyatt
118 Carles
119 Wriothesley
120 Chronicle of King Henry VIII
121 Froude, Note D in Thomas (LP 911)
122 LP
123 Milherve; Histoire de la Royne Anne de Boullant
124 SC
125 Erickson: First Elizabeth
126 Carles
127 Froude, Note D in Thomas (LP 911)
128 Anthony; Abbott
129 Carles. Annabel Geddes, the former Director of the London Tourist Board who founded the London Dungeon, has suggested that Anne’s head was sewn back onto her body by her women before burial, as Charles I’s was in 1649, but no eyewitness account mentions this.
130 LP
131 Wriothesley
132 Wainewright; Wriothesley
133 Maria Hayward; Ives
134 Lisle Letters
135 LP
136 Froude, Note D in Thomas (LP 911)
137 Harleian manuscripts
138 Bell
CHAPTER 14: WHEN DEATH HATH PLAYED HIS PART
1 LP
2 Ibid
3 Ibid
4 Corpus Reformatorum
5 SC
6 State Papers
7 LP
8 Ibid
9 Ives; “Faction”
10 LP
11 Ibid
12 LP; Erickson: First Elizabeth
13 LP
14 Friedmann
15 Ives: “Frenchman”
16 LP
17 Constantine
18 Friedmann
19 Williams: Henry VIII and His Court
20 LP
21 Jenkins
22 Lisle Letters
23 Rawlinson manuscripts
24 Gross
25 Additional Manuscripts; Fraser
26 History of the King’s Works; Fraser
27 Coverdale’s Bible, with Anne Boleyn’s initials embossed on the binding, is now in the British Library.
28 LP
29 Lisle Letters
30 LP
31 Hall
32 LP
33 Ibid
34 Ibid
35 LP; Warnicke
36 LP
37 Ibid
38 LP
39 Foxe
40 Lisle Letters; LP
41 Harleian manuscripts
42 LP
43 LP; Lisle Letters
44 LP; Lisle Letters; Complete Peerage
45 Wriothesley
46 Journals of the House of Lords
47 Lisle Letters; LP
48 LP; Wriothesley (editorial notes); Kelly
49 LP
50 Statutes of the Realm
51 Elton: Policy and Police
52 LP
53 Ibid
54 Lisle Letters; LP
55 She died at Reading Place, a tenement of the Abbot of Reading, in the Ward of Baynard’s Castle in London, and was buried in the Howard aisle in St. Mary’s Church, Lambeth (LP; Nichols).
56 LP
57 Ibid
58 Dictionary of National Biography; Complete Peerage
59 Cavendish: Metrical Visions
60 LP
61 Ibid
62 LP. The original is Cotton manuscript Vespasian, FXIII, f199.
63 Porter
64 LP
65 Ibid
66 LP; Fox
67 Smith: Tudor Tragedy
68 Cited by Williams in Henry VIII and His Court.
69 Smith: Tudor Tragedy
70 Statutes of the Realm
71 SC
72 LP
73 Original Letters
74 By Julia Fox in Jane Boleyn
75 LP
76 Lisle Letters
77 LP; Lisle Letters
78 Henry VIII: A European Court in England
79 LP
80 Ibid
81 Ibid
82 Ibid
83 Ibid. Later, in 1538, Audley was given Walden Abbey in Essex, which he converted into Audley End House; the present house was built on its site in the early seventeenth century.
84 Murphy
85 LP
86 The Renaissance at Sutton Place; LP; Royal manuscripts
87 LP
88 Ibid
89 Murphy
CHAPTER 15: THE CONCUBINE’S LITTLE BASTARD
1 Neale: Elizabeth
2 Williams: Elizabeth; LP
3 LP
4 Perry
5 Waldman
6 LP
7 Neale
8 LP
9 Cotton manuscript Otho
10 LP
11 Ibid
12 Ibid
13 Ibid
14 Excerpta Historica (LP 1107)
15 LP
16 Ibid
17 Erickson: First Elizabeth
18 LP
19 VC
20 Clifford; Prescott
21 VC
22 SC
23 VC
24 SC
25 LP
26 Cited by Neale in Elizabeth
27 Lisle Letters
28 Cited by Somerset
29 Ridley: Elizabeth I
30 Strype
31 Cited by Somerset
32 Relations Politiques de France avec l’Ecosse
33 SC
34 Erickson: First Elizabeth
35 Gristwood
36 Foxe
37 Arnold
38 VC
39 Ibid
40 Erickson: First Elizabeth
41 Jenkins. It is often stated that she made only two recorded references to Anne Boleyn, but that is not true.
42 Somerset
43 Statutes of the Realm; Ridley: Elizabeth; Neale: Elizabeth I and Her Parliaments; Johnson
44 Dunn
45 VC
46 Somerset
47 Ibid
48 “Household Expenses”
49 Parker
50 Calendar of State Papers, Foreign; Borman. I am indebted to Dr. Tracy Borman for drawing my attention to this reference.
51 Ives; Somerset; Ives: “Fall Reconsidered”
52 Elizabeth: Exhibition Catalogue
53 LP
54 Ibid
55 Ibid
56 Ibid
CHAPTER 16: A WORK OF GOD’S JUSTICE
1 Ives: “Faction”
2 LP
3 “Vitae Mariae”
4 Clifford
5 Cavendish: Metrical Visions
6 Friedmann
7 VC
8 Bruce; Loades: Henry VIII and His Queens
9 Warnicke: “Fall”
10 LP
11 SC
12 Ives: “Fall Reconsidered”
13 Somerset: Ladies in Waiting
14 Loades: Henry VIII and His Queens
15 Ives: “Faction”
16 Loades: Henry VIII and H
is Queens
17 Smith: Henry VIII
18 Loades: Henry VIII and His Queens
19 Loades: Mary Tudor
20 LP
21 Strickland
22 Lofts; Strickland
23 Warnicke; Cutts
24 Brewer’s British Royalty
25 Abbott
26 Bell
27 This plan is reproduced in Younghusband’s The Tower From Within.
28 Dodson
29 LP
30 Bell
31 VC
32 Bell
33 Abbott
34 Bell
35 Abbott
APPENDIX: LEGENDS
1 Forman; Jones; Underwood; Westwood and Simpson
2 Underwood
3 Foister
4 Forman
5 Forman; Underwood
6 Forman; Jones
7 Underwood
8 Ibid
9 Ibid
10 Abbott
11 Jones; Matthews; Underwood
12 Underwood
13 Ibid
14 Forman; Abbott
15 Underwood
NOTES ON SOME OF THE SOURCES
1 LP; Bernard: “Fall”
2 Ives: “Faction”
THE LADY IN THE TOWER
The Fall of Anne Boleyn
Alison Weir
A READER’S GUIDE
QUESTIONS AND TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION
1. Has Alison Weir made a convincing case for Anne Boleyn’s innocence? George Bernard has just published a book, Fatal Attractions, in which he argues that Anne was guilty as charged. You may wish to read his book too, and discuss how historians using the same sources can ar -rive at such different conclusions.
2. Alison Weir states in the introduction that she was constantly amazed at what she discovered about Anne Boleyn’s fall. What surprised you most about this book?
3. In her acclaimed novel Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel paints a sympathetic portrait of Thomas Cromwell. How does that compare with Alison Weir’s portrayal of the historical Cromwell? Which struck you as being the most accurate depiction of the man? Does Alison Weir build a strong enough case to support her contention that he was the prime mover in Anne’s fall?
4. One reviewer on Amazon complained that “Alison Weir’s inherent loathing of Anne Boleyn” comes across strongly in this book. The author would, of course, contest that, on the grounds that she has been as objective as a historian should be, and that she found much to ad mire in Anne at this crucial time in her life. Has the author been as objective as she claims? Or did it seem to you that she “loathed” her subject?
5. Some historians question the veracity of the diplomatic reports of the Imperial ambassador, Eustache Chapuys, which are one of the major sources for Anne’s fall. Has Alison Weir weighed his evidence wisely? How close do you think he was to the events he describes?
6. Of all the documents that are missing from the records of Anne Boleyn’s fall, which do you think would be the most significant, or the most useful to historians?
7. Until the appearance of this book, historians accepted that Anne’s father, the Earl of Wiltshire, was not among the committee of peers who passed judgment on her. Alison Weir has presented evidence to refute this view. Do you find it convincing?
8. Has Alison Weir made a sound case for the identification of Anne Boleyn’s remains?
9. Having read this book, which film or television portrayal of Anne Boleyn’s fall and execution do you think comes closest to the truth?
ALISON WEIR—A CLOSER LOOK
Alison Weir is one of Britain’s foremost historians and popular authors whose books, both biographies and novels, have been hugely successful. Her nonfiction works include The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Katherine Swynford, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Elizabeth the Queen. Her historical novels, namely Innocent Traitor, The Lady Elizabeth, and The Captive Queen, have been bestsellers both in the UK and in America.
Alison grew up in Westminster, London, and has since lived in Norfolk, Sussex, Scotland, and Surrey. She attended the City of London School for Girls, then trained to be a history teacher at the North Western Polytechnic in London. The teaching methods employed were rather too trendy for her liking, so she left teaching for some years for a career in the Civil Service.
Her interest in history dates back to the age of fourteen when she read her first adult novel, Henry’s Golden Queen by Lozania Prole, which told the story of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon. Enthralled and excited by it, she embarked on her own research into the Tudor period. In her spare time she would head to the school library and spend hours in the history section. She quickly filled exercise books with notes about the Tudor dynasty, wrote a biography of Anne Boleyn and several historical plays, and drew up royal family trees on rolls of wallpaper. Her genealogical research would one day feature in her first published book, Britain’s Royal Families.
Writing and history remained a passion and a hobby for many years. During the 1960s and 1970s, Alison wrote several historical books, including the first version of The Six Wives of Henry VIII, but could not find a publisher willing to take on her work.
Alison was a civil servant for nine years, then a full-time mother to her children. However, in 1989 she became a published author when Britain’s Royal Families was brought out by The Bodley Head. She continued to write on a part-time basis while running a school for children with learning difficulties. In 1997 she became a full-time author and has to date published sixteen titles.
Alison has been married to Rankin Weir since 1972. They have two grown-up children, John and Kate, and live in Surrey.
“I do a hectic schedule of events—sixty-seven last year and sixty-six the year before—so when I’m at home, I adhere to a strict writing schedule, working from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm, and then from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm. Fortunately, my husband is a brilliant chef, so I don’t have to plan menus, shop, or cook. We entertain quite a lot, and I’m often at the theatre, but whatever time I take out from my writing schedule, I have to make up, and I have a rule that I write for a minimum of two hours each day—at that point, emails and other commitments have to be set aside. Once I’m ensconced in my writing, I’m in another world—I love it!
“I’m a friend of Shakespeare’s Globe, and am transported when I attend performances there. I also go to the RSC at Stratford-upon-Avon, one of my favorite places.
“I love films and television. I tend to watch a whole series on DVD late at night rather than hope to catch each episode as it is aired, as I’m so busy these days that I don’t have time to check the TV listings or watch any programs. I love good drama—classics like Upstairs, Downstairs, The Darling Buds Of May, House of Cards, Bramwell, To Serve Them All My Days, and The Six Wives Of Henry VIII are favorites. I watched and enjoyed The Tudors, but the historian in me was cringing! With that budget, why couldn’t they have gotten it right factually?
“When it comes to films, I like classics such as Richard III with Sir Laurence Olivier, Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon, and anything directed by Alfred Hitchcock. My favorite film of all time has to be Love Actually—to be honest, anything with Hugh Grant or Colin Firth has me hooked!
“I do listen to a wide range of music from different eras. I love medieval and Tudor music, as well as rock music—the Beatles, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Roxy Music, the Mission, and the Sisters of Mercy, and also more modern bands such as the Killers, R.E.M., Snow Patrol, and the Dandy Warhols. My favorite band of all time has to be the Walker Brothers.
“I write ghost stories for fun in my spare time; a few have now been published. I’m a nervous flier, so I write them on planes to take my mind off my fear—it really helps me to relax. I am interested in the supernatural—I think most people are, but I think that the evidence for it should be subjected to the same rigorous scrutiny as historical research. But I have a vivid imagination: I used to terrify myself with ghost stories as a child, but I don’t get so frightened by an eerie tale these days, altho
ugh I love going on ghost walks with a guide.
“I’m fortunate to have traveled a great deal in Europe and in America on book tours, so I have seen some fabulous places. I only got back into flying in 2005 because I used to be terrified of it, and in 1994, having flown for the first time in thirty years, I had vowed never to step on a plane again. However, I wanted to see Venice, and that’s what got me back on a plane. After that, I started doing book tours in America, and holidaying in various places, and in the past five years I have taken over forty flights. I’m still nervous and I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it!
“America is always very welcoming to me. The people are so enthusiastic about British history. It’s a fabulous place. I thought the West Coast was fantastic and Los Angeles and San Francisco were won der -ful. I also enjoyed Boston, Atlanta, Washington, and Philadelphia. In Atlanta, I was given a private tour of Margaret Mitchell’s house and the Gone With The Wind museum, which made me feel very privileged. I have a thing about that film—I love it.
“I enjoy traveling nearer to home and have been to many Euro pean countries too. I love the food, history, and countryside of France, and I adore Italy. I have recently returned from Berlin, which is one of my favorite cities. We go to the Dordogne most years. The beautiful châteaux and medieval hilltop villages draw me back again and again.
“I’ve also enjoyed cruising in the Mediterranean and Caribbean, and on the Danube with my mother. I love cruising, and waking up each morning to blue seas and tropical islands. It was amazing.
“I love sampling the food in different countries. I don’t understand people who go abroad and then want to eat British food. Part of the fun is trying new flavors and cuisines. There aren’t many foods I don’t like. I adore Italian and French cuisine, and seafood is a favorite.
“I enjoy nothing more than a nice glass of ice-cold white wine. Pinot Grigio is my favorite, although I like many others. Sitting out in the evening in the French countryside with friends and a good bottle of wine is one of life’s great pleasures!”
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Alison Weir Page 50