Does anne boleyn's representation in the tudors and wolf hall betray the historical figure ?

1.1.3 Anne and Henry VIII's early relationship

Therefore, when Anne came back to England to be Catherine of Aragon's lady-in-waiting she, as Natalie Dormer who portrays Anne Boleyn in The Tudors, argues in an interview, «stood out»⁵⁴ in a court filled with young girls who never left England and who, therefore, were typical English girls. On the contrary, Anne, having been raised for many years in two different European courts, was considered by the English courtiers to be exotic as she had different manners, different capacities such as dancing or singing, but also a different fashion style, for instance the famous and quite daring French Hood she is depicted with in many portraits made after her death. Though we

53 «Anne Boleyn: A 16th-Century Feminist?».Op. Cit.

54 The Tudors- Natalie Dormer - Behind the Scenes. Accessed May 9, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=PgWNjUHuq4A&t=122s

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do not know precisely when or how Henry VIII noticed Anne Boleyn, Eric Ives claims in his biography that it may have occurred around 1526 («Having by or before 1526 discarded Mary Carey, Henry turned his interest on the younger sister»⁵⁵). The historian created a small chronology to try to see the evolution of Henry and Anne's relationship before they married but he also pointed out the fact that it cannot be taken for granted as not enough sources remain to prove his point («The difficulty in charting any emotional history, and the inadequacies of the sources, make this timetable necessarily speculative»⁵⁶).

What makes Anne Boleyn different from the King's other mistresses such as Elizabeth Blount or Mary Boleyn, is that Anne refused to bed him⁵⁷. During these years as Henry's «mistress», Anne is believed to have influenced the King to ignore the Pope's refusal to allow him to divorce Catherine, for instance, she is thought to have given Henry a copy of The Obedience of a Christian Man written by William Tyndale, an English scholar and a prominent figure of the Protestant Reformation, and who, later on, was the one who translated the Bible into English⁵⁸. In his controversial book, Tyndale argued that a Monarch was at the head of the church in his kingdom and did not have to submit to the Pope⁵⁹, an argument which pleased the King who is said to have claimed: «This book is for me and all Kings to read»⁶⁰. If Anne Boleyn really did give Henry a copy of Tyndale's work, she played a major part in the premise of the Church of England.

Though we do not know how Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII's relationship began, a document illustrates perfectly well the beginning of their affair. This document is known as Anne's prayer book, which is now part of the British Library collection in London, and in which Anne and the King wrote love notes to each other. These notes are available on the British Library website and we can see two notes written by Henry and Anne. On the first page which represents «the man of sorrows» to enhance that he is lovesick of his mistress, Henry wrote the following words in French, the language of courtly love; «If you remember my love in your prayers as strongly as I adore you, I shall hardly be forgotten, for I am yours. Henry R forever⁶¹.»

55 «The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn: 'the Most Happy'.»Op. Cit., p. 81

56 Ibid. p. 90

57 Ibid. p. 86

58 Ibid. p. 132

59 Ibid. p. 133

60 Ibid. p. 134

61 «Anne Boleyn's Book of Hours.» The British Library. Accessed May 10, 2019.

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Anne's answer is also very representative of their relationship as she wrote below the depiction of the Annunciation, when the angel tells the Virgin Mary that she will have a son. In other words, she reaffirmed her promise to give him the son he desperately wanted. Unlike the King she wrote the following words in English; «By daily proof you shall me find To be to you both loving and kind⁶²». Anne Boleyn's prayer book is an exceptional artifact for it is the only response we have of Anne to one of Henry's love notes, moreover it can be argued that Anne seems to have been quite clever to promise Henry to give him the son Catherine of Aragon failed to provide him with under the depiction of the Annunciation to have more impact (and perhaps to stress her faith)