Saturday, March 29, 2014

Chapters 9-12


Chapter 9-Sunday August 18, 1527, Anne returned to her chambers to find her father, Duke of Suffolk and Norfolk (Anne’s uncle), Charles Brandon and another leading man waiting. Charles Brandon was one of King Henry’s childhood friends now nobleman and coutiers of the King’s court. He was married to the King’s sister and spoke with a smooth and velvety voice that could lose yourself in (pg128).  The Duke had a chameleon like ability about him, appeared aged. He was later included in a plot against Anne. Charles spoke to Anne telling her of the Cardinal Wolsey lining his pockets with the King’s money and they needed her to convince the King to get rid of him (pg 130)…now Anne has been officially been drug into the center or politics and scandals (pg132)! Mid August came and it was time to pack up and leave Palace Beaulieu and go to Richmond Palace. King Henry decided to stop for the night at Havering. This would be the first time Anne didn’t go to him at his request for dinner. She said she wasn’t feeling well but she was just wanting to be alone, having torn feelings about the 21st century.  The next morning Anne was summoned to the King, he was very concerned about her falling ill. She told him she was feeling much better and the next thing you know it was very heated with Henry gripping her thighs while kissing uncontrollably in between her legs. Anne made him stop although concerned of how he would react to someone telling him no...too her surprise he was respectful agreeing they wait until they were married (pg135).  On the second day they continued to travel to London to the barges that would take them up river. Anne traveled with Katherine’s Royal barge. For the first time as they were going down the river enjoying everything in view, Anne saw the remains of traitor’s heads that had been chopped off being pecked at by the circling ravens above, it made her nauseous. Thankfully no one noticed because of all the laughter and chatter going on around her. Finally coming up to one more of Henry’s great palaces, Anne thought of it as fairytale. The King’s apartments were on the first floor and the Queens on the second. Life was getting back to normal. Fall fell upon them and September 30, 1527 came, Anne was to meet the man would later destroy.

 

Chapter 10-On a day off from tending to the queen, wearing a black gown with velvet (another gift from the King) Anne made her way to visit the King. She was seen by Cardinal Wolsey. Wolsey was there to help seek out the annulment of the marriage to Katherine. Wolsey was surprised to see Anne there and questioned why she was in the King’s privacy chambers.  He even told her that she should be smart enough not to make the same mistakes of her sister. Anne responded as politely as she could with the anger she was feeling, saying she wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t for his interference of her becoming the Countess of Northumberland (pg142).  Anne informed Henry that she ran into Wolsey and that he had implied that she was his whore. Next George Cavendish (one o Wolsey’s men) came to let the King know the Cardinal wished to speak to him. Anne let him know to come to the King. In a way of defending Anne’s honor the king instructed Wolsey he could speak in front of her (pg146). The Cardinal let King Henry know that Francis could not support the annulment of Henry and Katherine. But bringing gift from his French cousin, first being the confirmation that the French King would sign the treaty of friendship and solidarity. Four week later, in early October, once again King Henry and his court will be moving to the Palace of Placentia at Greenwich. This was not only one of King Henry’s favorite residences but the place where  some of Anne’s most memorable occasions in her life were to take place (pg148).

 

Chapter 11- First I want to say that this was a LONG chapter!Excitement was all around because of the festivities for Ordre de Saint Michel. I had to look this up because I had no idea what it meant. From what I can gather it is something to confirm loyality of knights to the king. Cardinal Wolsey had planned the celebration with a joust, dancing and a grand banquet (pg149). During this time Wolsey started at least respecting Anne but still didn’t want her to have the relationship with the king. But Anne needed him because he was very important for the role of the annulment to Katherine. By now the Anne was frustrated by always being the other woman and the friends and of the Queen, King and Boleyn’s were starting to divide for loyality. Some were for taking sides for both but even the Princess Mary started to think of Anne as a whore (pg151). Anne was frustrated with jealous watching the King with the Queen by his side and decided to sneak away with her friend Nan for fresh air. Nan was described as a woman of young, vibrant and full of joie de vivre (cheerful enjoyment of life, I had to look this up to). George Zouche had become interested in Nan. While out enjoying the crisp, cool air for November, the girl talk was underway by Anne and Nan. Finding out that Nan had fallen in love with George but also more importantly, finding out that Nan overheard a conversation of the Queen with one of her ladies, the Queen believes that the King intends on making Anne his Queen (pg156). Nan was telling Anne this to find out for herself, for the first time this is when Anne admitted it to her friend in confidence.  George Zouche came upon the ladies so Anne left Nan to be alone for them to speak. Anne was going through the rose area and found her brother out looking for her because the King was asking for her but didn’t see her. She explained her frustration as to why she left and they talked for a bit reminissing back to when they were children carefree, escaping and playing together (pg159). Riding away to a tower the King used as a wine cellar for fine wine and a place to take his mistresses (including Mary).  Anne started reflecting about the Palace of Greenwhich and the things that would happen there. Such as giving birth 6 yrs later to Queen Elizabeth I, this was a disaster to the King because it wasn’t a male heir. Also 3 yrs later signing a death warrant against her for treason, incest and adultery (pg162). Brother George brought back to the 16th century asking about her thoughts, Anne never answered but asked about his marriage. After the moments together they went back to a furious father. Later that evening was the grand feast at the Banquet House including a Masque dance including 6 men and ladies. Anne took advantage of this opportunity to annoy the Queen by dance very provocatively in front of her knowing the King would be watching (pg165). Next they were to dance together not caring what Katherine would think and shaming her by the way they danced together intimately. Late that evening Anne was requested to meet the King in his Privy Chambers, she had never been there this late in the evening before. The King told her she was no longer going to be waiting on Katherine but she would have 3 ladies of her own (pg172). Anne was so thrilled!

 

Chapter 12- Anne left the castle to go back home to Hever with her mother. The rumors were spreading like wildfire that she was the reason for the annulment. This was to help prevent anything getting to the Pope. Before Ann left she asked Nan, Mary and Joan to be her first 3 ladies and to leave the Queen when the time was right (pg176). This journey back was terrible cold on Anne and her mother, so cold that on the day they arrived the snow started falling and didn’t stop for at least the next week, ending up with 2ft. Life was getting back to normal for them, Anne back in the library reading the novel Roman de la Rose. But returning to her Book of Hours. Elizabeth soon gave Anne an original copy of the banned New Testament (pg179). Her mother tells her that she believes that Anne was chosen by God to show the King the corruption of the church and that she was disappointed by the Mary wasn’t intelligent enough for this. Anne was defensive for Mary, but Elizabeth made it clear how her acts with the King of France were shameful that the French King would say that he rode her so much her said she was an English Mare. When they returned to England she then fell right into the King’s bed. Still in the library Anne opened the book that had the Last Judgement picture inside. Anne started having feelings of frustration for the 16th century Anne. 21st century Anne at that moment wrote Le Temps Viendra, Je Anne Boleyn underneath the picture (pg182). This was one of the few examples of Anne’s writing.

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