Anne Boleyn

Anne Boleyn was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the second wife of Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and execution for treason made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval marking the start of the English Reformation.

In 1526, Henry VIII began his pursuit of Anne. She resisted his attempts to seduce her, refusing to become his mistress. Henry focused on annulling his marriage to Catherine, so he would be free to marry. Henry and Anne formally married on 25 January 1533, after a secret wedding. Anne was crowned queen on 1 June 1533. On 7 September, she gave birth to the future Queen Elizabeth I. Anne subsequently had three miscarriages and by March 1536, Henry was courting Jane Seymour.

Henry had Anne investigated for high treason in April 1536. On 2 May, she was arrested, tried, convicted and beheaded four days later. Historians view the charges, which included adultery, incest and plotting to kill the king, as unconvincing.