Author(s): Laura Beatty

Children's

The wife who lost her head

Anne Boleyn was beautiful, gifted and clever. As a teenager, when she arrived at the English court after completing her education in France, she soon caught the eye of King Henry VIII.

Henry wooed Anne with passionate love letters, and finally, after a great struggle, was allowed to marry her, having secured a divorce from his first wife Catherine of Aragon.

Love soon turned sour, however, as Anne realised that all her husband wanted from her was a son and heir. The birth of Elizabeth, the future queen, in 1533, was a disaster; and the consequences for Anne were deadly.