The Anne Boleyn Collection II: Anne Boleyn & the Boleyn Family Read Online Free Page A
Author: Claire Ridgway
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Margaret of Austria's Influence on Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn's love of fine art, music, poetry and her love of illuminated manuscripts obviously had its beginning at Margaret's court. Margaret had many examples of the new style of Flemish illumination, as well as older masterpieces. She also had a vast collection of chanson, masses and motets by composers who Anne was later known to have loved. In addition, Margaret's palace was full of colourful tapestries and beautiful fabric. Eric Ives writes of how "in later life Anne was excited by fabric and colour"; 5 this love surely started in the Netherlands. Furthermore, Anne became the patron of artist Hans Holbein the Younger, just as Margaret was patron to top artists on the continent.
Margaret of Austria's palace at Mechelen also affected Anne Boleyn's taste in architecture. Whitehall Palace, the palace that Anne and Henry rebuilt, was a recreation of what Anne had seen in Mechelen. 6
Anne Boleyn's time at Margaret of Austria's court had a number of "important consequences": 7
• It was the foundation of her knowledge in French and "other courtly accomplishments" which influenced Mary Tudor to pick Anne to serve her in 1514.
• The skills she learned in Mechelen, which were then developed in France, probably made her "a not unworthy consort" for Henry VIII.
• Her time in Mechelen may have had an effect on the development of music and art in England. The Flemish style of music became popular and Hugh Paget points out that the Boleyns were patrons of Gerard and Lucas Hornebolt, "to whom we are indebted for the founding of the art of the miniature portrait in this country."
It is clear that this climate of culture rubbed off on Anne Boleyn and it is no wonder that Henry VIII saw Anne as a fitting queen consort and mother of his children. She had been educated with princes and princesses, she had style and culture, she was highly intelligent, and she could talk to him on his level and discuss the things he loved. She was a Renaissance woman and he saw himself as a Renaissance prince. There is no way, however, that Thomas Boleyn had any inkling in 1512 that his daughter would one day be queen, or that Margaret of Austria groomed Anne to be Henry VIII's consort. In 1512, Henry VIII had only been married to Catherine of Aragon for three years and was perfectly happy, anticipating that he would be married to Catherine for the rest of his life and that they would, in time, have a son and heir. But what Thomas Boleyn did do was to give his daughter the best chance of obtaining an appointment as a queen's lady, and in this he was successful. Anne was chosen in 1514 to serve Mary Tudor, Henry VIII's sister and Queen of France, and then in 1515 to serve Queen Claude, Francis I's wife. Anne had spent only a year at Mechelen, but that year had a dramatic impact on her and what she learned at Margaret's court was built on during her time in France.
The Effect on Anne
When you look at the education and experiences Anne had on the continent, and the women she mixed with from 1513 to 1522, you can understand why she had strong Reformist views, why she stood out at the English Court, why she caught Henry VIII's eye and why he deemed her a worthy consort and mother of his children. Anne Boleyn had received a princess's education, she had mixed with royalty and met Renaissance men and women, and she was an intelligent and ambitious woman. She was on Henry VIII's wavelength, they understood each other and had shared interests and passions. I don't believe that Anne seduced Henry or that she cast some kind of spell on him. I believe that their relationship was a true meeting of minds and that they fell in love.
Notes and Sources
1 Ives, The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn, 18.
2 Paget, "The Youth of Anne Boleyn," quoting Ghislaine de Boom, "Marguerite d'Autriche–Sauoie et la Pré–Renaissance" (Paris and Brussels).
3 Ives, The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn, 68.
4 Paget, "The
Margaret of Austria's Influence on Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn's love of fine art, music, poetry and her love of illuminated manuscripts obviously had its beginning at Margaret's court. Margaret had many examples of the new style of Flemish illumination, as well as older masterpieces. She also had a vast collection of chanson, masses and motets by composers who Anne was later known to have loved. In addition, Margaret's palace was full of colourful tapestries and beautiful fabric. Eric Ives writes of how "in later life Anne was excited by fabric and colour"; 5 this love surely started in the Netherlands. Furthermore, Anne became the patron of artist Hans Holbein the Younger, just as Margaret was patron to top artists on the continent.
Margaret of Austria's palace at Mechelen also affected Anne Boleyn's taste in architecture. Whitehall Palace, the palace that Anne and Henry rebuilt, was a recreation of what Anne had seen in Mechelen. 6
Anne Boleyn's time at Margaret of Austria's court had a number of "important consequences": 7
• It was the foundation of her knowledge in French and "other courtly accomplishments" which influenced Mary Tudor to pick Anne to serve her in 1514.
• The skills she learned in Mechelen, which were then developed in France, probably made her "a not unworthy consort" for Henry VIII.
• Her time in Mechelen may have had an effect on the development of music and art in England. The Flemish style of music became popular and Hugh Paget points out that the Boleyns were patrons of Gerard and Lucas Hornebolt, "to whom we are indebted for the founding of the art of the miniature portrait in this country."
It is clear that this climate of culture rubbed off on Anne Boleyn and it is no wonder that Henry VIII saw Anne as a fitting queen consort and mother of his children. She had been educated with princes and princesses, she had style and culture, she was highly intelligent, and she could talk to him on his level and discuss the things he loved. She was a Renaissance woman and he saw himself as a Renaissance prince. There is no way, however, that Thomas Boleyn had any inkling in 1512 that his daughter would one day be queen, or that Margaret of Austria groomed Anne to be Henry VIII's consort. In 1512, Henry VIII had only been married to Catherine of Aragon for three years and was perfectly happy, anticipating that he would be married to Catherine for the rest of his life and that they would, in time, have a son and heir. But what Thomas Boleyn did do was to give his daughter the best chance of obtaining an appointment as a queen's lady, and in this he was successful. Anne was chosen in 1514 to serve Mary Tudor, Henry VIII's sister and Queen of France, and then in 1515 to serve Queen Claude, Francis I's wife. Anne had spent only a year at Mechelen, but that year had a dramatic impact on her and what she learned at Margaret's court was built on during her time in France.
The Effect on Anne
When you look at the education and experiences Anne had on the continent, and the women she mixed with from 1513 to 1522, you can understand why she had strong Reformist views, why she stood out at the English Court, why she caught Henry VIII's eye and why he deemed her a worthy consort and mother of his children. Anne Boleyn had received a princess's education, she had mixed with royalty and met Renaissance men and women, and she was an intelligent and ambitious woman. She was on Henry VIII's wavelength, they understood each other and had shared interests and passions. I don't believe that Anne seduced Henry or that she cast some kind of spell on him. I believe that their relationship was a true meeting of minds and that they fell in love.
Notes and Sources
1 Ives, The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn, 18.
2 Paget, "The Youth of Anne Boleyn," quoting Ghislaine de Boom, "Marguerite d'Autriche–Sauoie et la Pré–Renaissance" (Paris and Brussels).
3 Ives, The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn, 68.
4 Paget, "The
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