Of all of Henry VIII's wives, one in particular has managed to become one of the most famous female figures in British history. Anne Boleyn, the controversial second wife of notorious King Henry, has fascinated scholars, historians and laymen alike for centuries. To say Anne is misunderstood would be an understatement. Modern perceptions of her vary from innocent victim to conniving vixen. One can only wonder how many of the more disparaging descriptors are simply veiled misogyny, and how much of it is truly deserved. Don't get me wrong--I live for Natalie Dormer's impassioned portrayal of Anne in Showtime's The Tudors, and am always eager to see actresses' interpretations of such a complex and contentious character. I love to see spirit in representations of Anne--to see a woman who took what she wanted in a time when women had little to no agency. But it's important to differentiate 21st century values from 16th century reality. In all likelihood Anne was simply a woman grappling with unprecedented circumstances, doing what she could to navigate court and sexual politics. And to have done so in such a way that still captures our interest today is an admirable feat in and of itself.
Adding to her intrigue is the fact that for such an oft-discussed historical figure, we don't really know what she looked like aside from a few unconfirmed paintings, and the few times her contemporaries put their impressions of her into writing. Of all the paintings associated with Anne Boleyn, the iconic portrait hanging in the National Portrait Gallery is probably the most famous and the one most widely accepted to be her. Alas, Tudor-era paintings are not known for their accuracy, but they're the best we've got. We also have a confirmed likeness of Anne in the form of a prototype lead medal struck during her brief reign in 1534, engraved with the motto "THE MOOST HAPPI." The medal, now in storage at the British Museum, has been badly damaged, but we can see some of the original engraved face--high cheekbones and a long face. Artist Lucy Churchill meticulously recreated a much-celebrated replica of the medal in 2012.
Given public perception of Anne at the time, it's not surprising that contemporary descriptions of her appearance are not the most flattering. For example, we learn she was "not one of the handsomest women in the world. She is of middling stature, with a swarthy complexion, long neck, wide mouth, bosom not much raised, and in fact has nothing but the King’s great appetite, and her eyes, which are black and beautiful..." Political bias aside, this still fails to conjure in the mind's eye what must be a fair picture of our Anne. Beauty standards in the 16th century were quite different from what we have today, and thus what to 16th century eyes may have been "not the handsomest woman," might, in fact, wow us at present with our modern sensibilities.
In any case, these descriptions of Anne's physical appearance inspire curiosity as to her demeanor, for it is generally understood to have been her personality that wooed Henry--not so much her looks. There was something very alluring about the way she carried herself. So alluring that Henry broke his country away from the Catholic Church in order to marry her. This much is fact--Anne's grace, intelligence and style are undisputed. Such accolades stood the test of political and religious climate at the time and color modern depictions of her today (albeit with strikingly beautiful actresses rather than not-so-handsome ones). And ironically, these enviable personality traits are often used to malign her character, to fuel the idea that she was the one who was really in charge--that she seduced Henry, and was nothing more than a power-hungry manipulator. This take, of course, does a great disservice to women everywhere in deflecting blame from the one abusing his position, and the only one who actually had marital obligations to fulfill. It's quite clear, in fact, that Anne was never really in control, as demonstrated by her ignominious end after only three years of marriage. This is not to say that Anne wasn't in love with Henry during their time together, but there were many forces at play, and Anne had little effective power in it all. Henry cared too much for his own self-preservation to allow himself to be taken advantage of. With little effort and little remorse he was able to put Anne, the mother of one of his children, to death on trumped up charges of adultery and incest. Henry married his third wife, Jane Seymour, the very next day.
Thus, Anne's engraved motto "The Moost Happi" stands out as an ironic artifact if there ever was one; a sad echo of new beginnings and optimism for the future that would never be.
Leave a comment