Despite reigning as Queen of England for only around 1,000 days, Anne Boleyn is undoubtedly one of the most impactful royal consorts in English history.
The second wife of King Henry VIII and the first Queen of England to be executed, Anne encouraged religious reform and played a key role in England’s break from Rome and the Catholic Church.
- Where was Anne Boleyn born?
- Where is Anne Boleyn buried?
- Explore the map of places linked to Anne Boleyn.
Anne faced her end when she was imprisoned and executed in the Tower of London in 1536. But Anne’s legacy lives on in the many castles, houses and palaces she lived in and visited throughout her life and short reign.
1. Blickling Hall, Norfolk
It is thought that Anne Boleyn was born in around 1501 at Blickling Hall.
The manor Anne experienced in her early years was home to the Boleyn family for over a century. It was bought by her great-grandfather, the merchant and politician Sir Geoffrey Boleyn.
Although the manor Anne would have seen is no longer there, the current Blickling Hall was built on the same site in the early 1600s.
2. Hever Castle, Kent
Anne spent much of her childhood at Hever Castle alongside her parents, brother George, and sister, Mary. Anne’s father inherited the estate after his father died in 1505.
In the summer of 1513, a young Anne left her parents at Hever and was sent to the Low Countries (now present-day Belgium, The Netherlands, and Luxembourg) to serve Margret of Austria at the Hapsburg court.
She went on to serve Henry VIII‘s youngest sister, Mary Tudor, who married King Louis XII of France in 1514, and Queen Claude of France at the French court. Anne remained away from her family home for 9 years. This period was vital in developing Anne’s skills and education, shaping her for the English court.
As of June 2024, visitors to Hever Castle can now enter the re-interpreted Boleyn Apartment, the only known surviving suite of rooms that the Boleyn family occupied.
3. Palace of Whitehall, formerly York Place, London
Anne returned to England in 1522 to join the royal household of Henry VIII’s first wife, Queen Katherine of Aragon.
It was at Whitehall Palace that Anne made her first recorded appearance at the English court and possibly met Henry for the first time. They took part in a Shrovetide pageant in early March, in which Anne played the role of Perseverance.
Anne refused to be the King’s mistress, and when Henry decided he wanted to marry Anne, the Pope refused to grant Henry an annulment for his marriage to Katherine of Aragon. Anne and Henry’s chief minister, Thomas Cromwell, pushed him to ignore the Pope and create his own Church of England.
This break from Rome gave Henry the power to divorce Katherine, and after courting Anne for 7 years, the couple finally married in a secret ceremony at Whitehall Palace on 25 January 1533.
Unfortunately, the Tudor Whitehall Palace (occupied by Henry VIII’s Lord Chancellor, Cardinal Wolsey) was destroyed in a fire in 1698. However, the wine cellar was left intact, and it lies hidden beneath the more modern building currently used by the Ministry of Defence.
4. Windsor Castle, Windsor, Berkshire
Before her marriage to Henry, Anne received the title of Marquess of Pembroke at Windsor Castle on 1 September 1532.
This title granted Anne a significant amount of land but also elevated her status dramatically.
She was the first woman to be given this title, and as Henry’s first marriage to Katherine was not yet annulled, Anne now had a title in her own right, signalling to the court that she was here to stay.
5. Westminster Abbey, London
On 1 June 1533, Anne was crowned Queen of England in Westminster Abbey. She was about 6 months pregnant at the time, carrying the future Queen Elizabeth I. The celebrations were lavish and lasted 4 days.
Anne Boleyn was the last queen consort in England to be crowned independently.
6. Westminster Hall, London
One of the most ancient parts of the Palace of Westminster is Westminster Hall, which was first built in 1097.
After Anne’s coronation ceremony, it was the site of an elaborate banquet, with over 80 dishes being served.
7. Greenwich Palace (also known as The Palace of Placentia), London
On 7 September 1533, Anne gave birth to Princess Elizabeth in her private apartments at Greenwich Palace.
Planned jousts to celebrate the birth of a son were subsequently cancelled as the birth of a daughter was seen as a disappointment and did not warrant the same public celebration.
No one could predict that their daughter would one day become queen and serve as the Tudor’s longest-reigning monarch.
The Tudor Greenwich Palace fell into disrepair in the 17th century and was eventually demolished.
8. Hampton Court Palace, Richmond upon Thames, London
Originally built for Cardinal Wolsey, Henry took ownership of Hampton Court in 1529. It quickly became the favoured royal palace, with Anne visiting many times.
As early as June 1529, Anne had her own private lodgings at Hampton Court. It is possible that the rooms were situated in the West Range, now below the astronomical clock. These rooms are not open to the public.
After Anne’s execution, Henry ordered all traces of Anne to be removed from the palace. However, some architectural details were missed, and they remain in the Great Hall today.
9. Hatfield House, Hertfordshire
In December 1533, a 3-month-old Princess Elizabeth was sent to live at Hatfield House, a place she came to know well for most of her childhood. Anne visited her daughter here numerous times.
Sadly, Anne had several miscarriages after the birth of Elizabeth, and the couple had no more children.
All that is left of the palace that Anne and her daughter knew is the Banqueting Hall, pictured above.
10. Sudeley Castle, Winchcombe, Gloucestershire
Sudeley Castle is often famed as the final home and resting place of Henry VIII’s last wife, Queen Katherine Parr. However, it was also one of the stops on Henry and Anne’s 1535 Summer Progress, in which they toured the south west of England.
The pair visited the castle from 21 to 26 July. On the trip, Henry met with Thomas Cromwell at nearby Winchcombe Abbey to plan the dissolution of the monasteries.
Known for having many disagreements, Anne disapproved of Cromwell’s plans to redirect monastic wealth to the crown, believing the resources should go to more charitable causes.
11. Tower of London, London
Less than 1 year later, Cromwell made divisive moves against Anne to plot her downfall, constructing a case that accused the queen of adultery, incest and high treason.
Anne was imprisoned in the same apartments she stayed in on the eve of her coronation at the Tower of London.
Just 3 years after being crowned Queen of England, aged around 36 years old, Anne was executed by an expert swordsman at the Tower of London, on 19 May 1536.
Her daughter, Princess Elizabeth, was almost 3 years old when she was left motherless. Just 11 days later, Henry married his third wife, Jane Seymour.
Although many believe Anne Boleyn entered the Tower of London through what is now known as Traitor’s Gate (which was reserved for prisoners), she entered through the court entrance at Byward Tower.
Visitors can see Byward Tower, and the same wooden gates Anne passed through, near the current entrance to the Tower of London.
12. Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula, Tower of London
Anne Boleyn was buried in the Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula within the Tower of London’s walls. A memorial plaque for Anne was added in the 19th century.
Her burial site is marked at the high altar, which is situated next to Henry VIII’s fifth wife and Anne’s cousin, Katherine Howard, who faced the same fate of execution in 1542.
Written by Ellie Butcher
Further reading
I found this really interesting, especially as our family found out that I am first cousin 15 times removed to Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard. The architecture is stunning too. 🙂
Remarkable.
My mother, Dorothy Joan Laux, always told me that she was a direct descendant of Ann Bolyn. And also said that her maiden name, Laux, was in the ‘Book of Yale’. I have never looked any of this up or tried to see if any of this is true. But, it’s still fascinating to read about, if related or not! Ha!
Disappointed to not see Great Fosters, near Windsor, shown in the above photos, as that was Anne Boleyn’s Hunting Lodge