Setting the Stage: Tudor England Before Anne
A. Henry VIII’s Early Reign
- Ascending the throne in 1509, Henry VIII was a charismatic young king.
- Initially a devoted Catholic, he was admired for his military prowess and courtly charm.
- His first marriage to Catherine of Aragon, though politically advantageous, failed to produce a surviving male heir.
B. The Court and the Boleyn Family
- The Boleyns were rising in influence, thanks largely to Thomas Boleyn’s diplomatic skill.
- Anne Boleyn, educated in the courts of France and the Netherlands, returned to England as a cultured and sophisticated lady-in-waiting.
- Her presence at court coincided with Henry’s growing dissatisfaction with his marriage. shutdown123