Third of 6 articles "Women of renaissance" links following and gathered here without this one (link) :
The 16th century, two giants share Europe and the Middle East: Suleiman,
Sultan of the Ottoman Empire deemed invincible and Charles V, Emperor of the
Holy Roman Empire [which unites in him the two dynasties of Europe's most
powerful, by his mother Queen Jeanne, those of the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand
and Isabella of Spain, and by his father Maximilian, Austria-Hungary. With his
colonies, the sun always shines on his land ... adjacent to those of Soleiman
in the Balkans.] The other two powers are France of François 1st and weaker, England of Henry
VIII Tudor.. which coalesce, betray, reconcile .. trying to partner Charles, to
reduce or to flatter him. The common enemy, however is Suleiman the
Magnificent.
But Ferdinand and Isabella, recent kings
of Spain -by usurpation of the throne of Castille by Isabella- but already rich because of their colonies, had
married their daughter Catherine to Arthur, dolphin of England who died at 16. Her dowry was huge. To keep it, Henry VII had married the young widow to her younger son, the
future Henry VIII. So he is an ally of Charles, his "nephew" by his
wife. But despite nine pregnancies, the unhappy Kate not managed to have another
living child than the sordid Mary called the bloody, devout Catholic like her
... but completely illuminated. [Not to be confused with Mary the sister of
Henry Tudor, aunt of the fada.]
The Ottoman Empire now. Armed with long-range guns unknown at the time,
he threatened Charles .. already struggling with Francis in Italy. And it was after his victory against the French at Pavia, -the "disaster" of Pavia as french said- that Francis
sign a pact with Soleiman! Dramatic for Charles as we’ll see shortly.
Everything is there.
Before this time, Henry decided the
"bang" that shook the Catholic world, to divorce ...of the daughter
of the King of Spain, aunt of Charles, to remarry and have a son. Francis
loves ! Is he for something in that ? Maybe a little, we shall see. Anything
that can reduce Charles, for him, is blessed. Now, they are allies against the
giant. In love with Anne Boleyn, Henry? The reality is more complex. Consider
the case chronologically.
First, who is Anne? She is not like it is often said
a pretty woman brilliant and intriguing,
or rather she is much more. Her ancestry is already unusual: she is born of
a improbable marriage between Elizabeth
Howard -from one of the most illustrious families of the kingdom but not the
richest, descendant of St. Louis .. and Thomas Boleyn (1), a beautiful first-come
attached to Henry VII, talented but of obscure origin, probably his grandfather
was a, ambitious cloth merchant who made fortune, made his sons well educated, in order they chose a
politic career . Diplomat, speaking four languages and friend with European
elite, Thomas also took care of the education of his children. Anne was the
most promising.
He sends her when she was 12 (?) years old in the
Netherlands, in the courtyard of a close friend of him, the regent Margaret of
Austria, a place of culture and freedom -read the Sorbonne!- where she meet the
elite intellectual and artistic era, theologians, philosophers, poets,
musicians. She impregnates herself of them, perfects his French, writes, plays
music, dances to perfection and is appreciated by her grace, her assiduity in
the study, vivacity and humor. Slender, dark brown complexion, a nose too
long, a small chest .. but jet-black hair and big black eyes whose she plays
virtuoso -nowadays she would be attractive- but not in her time. She was the opposite of the blondes, light and luscious beauties in fashion. No
matter, it is by her intelligence, culture and elegance that she will create
her style, her place. An event will serve her.
France was then the undisputed intellectual power; all
European aristocrats speak or affect to
speak the language rich and elegant of the country the most prestigious - not
on the military point however now-.
Mary, the sister of Henry marries -despite her will- the old and ugly King Louis
of France; Anne was appointed her lady in waiting. She is now in the land of
culture. Adorned his previous successes in Marguerite's courtyard, she is
surrounded by lot of admirers, poets, artists of all countries, including
Thomas Wyatt, the most famous and most fervent who dedicates her elegies (2).
And when Mary departs, her pensum finished -Louis is dead-, Anne will be in the
following of the new queen, Claude, the poor and deceived wife of Francis who
died of exhaustion 24 years old at her 7th maternity. Claude who appreciated the
"little Boleyn." And the king? So did he? No doubt. How far?
Mystery. She never displays love affair, even royal, and about this
period, apart from the coded Wyatt
poems, we know little. Single? wise is more likely, given the habits of the
time. For a prestigious marriage, a girl had to look like perfect, -to look
like, not to be!-
Better, her perfect bilingualism makes her the ideal
interpreter for the mondanities of princes of all the world. With her chic, her daring clothing, she
follows and then she does fashion; her style will mark England, Atiffet or tiny hat that she prefers to the Spanish
heavy caps because they highlight her beautifull hair loose in the back. Now,
she is a character. Ready to play seriously. In 1522, his father ordered him to return. She
leaves her second country -she remained in France eight years, one-third of
her life- and joins the dark Albion where waits for her a brilliant career. And death.
Did the wily François always seeking to drive allies against Charles,
-Charles who is still Henry's friend but not for long- played a role in her
ascension, promoting a francophile of talent in order to have a friend in England ? If it
is he who has combined the case, we can say that it has succeeded beyond all
expectations. For Henry, childishly jealous of the handsome french, a woman close of Francis was a
"must"!. So naturally he falls in love with her,
fascinated by her exotic fragrance and freedom of spirit. Their romance is not
"the shepherdess and the prince," but the star and the king ... a
king in trouble. Because he has finally decided to get rid of Catherine. And
after a divorce from the aunt of Charles V and what will ensue, no princess
will never want to marry him. Anne ran for a position, despite its prestige, impossible to
fill politically. In the hopelessness of a rich and powerful alliance, Henry, who
wants above all a broodmare, chooses the best candidate he could find, the brightest -a good choice
although he bemoaned after, because Anne will gave birth to Elizabeth.- Noble as half? He make her father Earl, and her, marquise and her shopkeeper ancestry is erased.
Is he in love? In any case, he never loses the north.
The fiery letters that he wrote her? Did not he write the same to Francis just
before his betrayal? It's his style, infant, greedy, spontaneous and concealed
influenced and twisted.. and only constant, determined and mercyless. The
helpful and the pleasant is his motto. A son. A chicken layer, that's was he wanded above all.
And this is the tsunami, the break with Rome. It's done, Anne is Queen. After, came the bloody confiscationof
the immense property of the church, beheadings and burning in chain. Anne will carry the
weight of the schism, blood, horror. Now hated by everybody, the muse of poets became a fan
of Tyndale, defendant the absolute power of the king against the church, that she made discover to Henry dazzled -so, thinking to build a base for her, she digs her
grave.- For him the key is wealth and son, she brings him both, the money of the
Church, in a sense, more that Catherine has never gave to him! and soon
an heir, he hopes! quickly, he is 42 years old, she, between 28 and 34, not too young in this time. Alas, it was
Elizabeth who comes... When came the third stillborn male,
worse, deformed ! (3) her fate is sealed. Catherine died three months before,
that's good.
He will do triple shot. People abhors Anne, fearing
the vengeance of Charles, only delayed by the war that inflicts to him Francis,
and the blood shed by her fault, in fact by Henry's fault but it is always
better to attack the less powerfull, a woman. When she appears in public, fuse the words
"bitch", which, at this time of ax and fire, is never punished.
Nowadays, is it possible that a wife of a President to be insulted without
reaction on his part? I must say she causes, provoks, her motto - "the
happiest" - sounds bad at the time of beheading of More and Fisher and
cremations of monks.
His race for power, and after, race to a son she fails
to provide, a race against death, as he don't miss her ignore, the terrible
angers of Henry, -but hers are the same-.. her whole life is a dance on the top of
a volcano. Strong, she forehead, smiles bravely, always jokes, but hardens and sometimes looses her mind. She is alone. Her father, her family left her, only her
brother -of very low weight- remains faithful. She has reached the end of her ability
of upscale courtesan, the power, and she acts like any potentate -but without
the strengt that allows it-. For her, nothing will be forgiven, especially now
that she has missed her broodmare career. She is between 31 and 36 years old
and after 3 or 4 (?) miscarriages, it's over. No one thinks that in such a
context, a son or the axe! - successfully carry a child to term would be for any
woman a miracle. Henry will get rid of her. -He has already provided
for the replacement.- He will gain his pardon from his people.. and may be.. more again !
Here's his chance. Francis, soundly beaten by Charles
at Pavia, humiliated, imprisoned a time, comes to sign the
treaty of alliance with Suleiman -the enemies of my enemy are my friend-. The
all-powerful caliph of Muslims allied to one of the chief of Christendom, for
Charles, it is a disaster, an unthinkable betrayal that has never had its similar in history. Henry sniffs the wind, this is the time. He will reconcile
with him. Tricky part but now the giant has Soleiman's sword in the back,
playable. The past is the past, Catherine humiliated, the priests burned and
other trifles weight little for the giant shaken. If he won the French,
if Soleiman is of equal strength, so, both coalitions can destroy him. And if Henry plays with the two partners, it's done. Reason of
state, even the King of England -now rich because of the property of the church
he took- is worth taking. Yes, but there is still his boastful bitch (4) who
always struts, but there is a simple way to make amends. Not?
And May 19, 1536 at 9 am, three months after the treaty of alliance between
Francis and Soliman signed on 4 February, the head of Anne runs on the
scaffold. Henry is fast. That's done. The same day, radiant, he celebrate his engagement with Jane Seymour by a banquet.
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He will have a son but Jane will die, after two days of torture, open alive to extract the baby who does not pass otherwise as it is said.
See also "women in history" (link); and about Anne Askew, burned alive for "heresy" (link)
And about Mary Stuart, raped by Bothwell -the rape in this period was the good way to catch a woman, then obliged to marry her raper.- So do Bothwell with Mary Stuart (link). In a sense, Henry was a gentleman !
See also "women in history" (link); and about Anne Askew, burned alive for "heresy" (link)
And about Mary Stuart, raped by Bothwell -the rape in this period was the good way to catch a woman, then obliged to marry her raper.- So do Bothwell with Mary Stuart (link). In a sense, Henry was a gentleman !
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