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"Letter to Elizabeth" by decandler29

Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VII, and mother of Queen Elizabeth I- tells her story in her own words.

Category: Contests / April Short Story Writing Contest

Tags: Historical Fiction

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May 19, 1536

            Today they tell me, I will die. Though I knew it was inevitable, ‘tis hard to believe by beloved Henry’s passion for me has turned into such hatred. As I write these words, my scaffold is being constructed on the Tower Green, and I can plainly hear the sound of the carpenters. I am certain there will be a great crowd come to see me off, not out of love, but instead for their joy that “The Great *****” shall be rightfully disposed of. Like my beloved husband, I wonder at the hate of my people; I do not understand their feelings, and I worry what they will say of me to my precious daughter Elizabeth. So I shall write my own story, the real, true story, for my Elizabeth, that she may know the truth about her mother, Anne Boleyn, wife of King Henry VIII, and the Queen of England…

            I was born at Blickling Hall, in Norfolk in the year 1507; the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Boleyn. I was the youngest of three, my sister Mary and brother George being my siblings. In 1513, we were sent to different courts: I, to the court of Margaret of Austria; Mary to France: and George stayed home to join the English court.

            I stayed in Austria only a year, before joining Mary in France upon Princess Mary’s marriage to the ailing King Louis XII. ‘Twas strange to see such a vibrant

girl of only eighteen years, exchanging vows with a decrepit old man of fifty-and-two. The marriage lasted only eighty-two days, and upon her widowing, Princess Mary married Charles Brandon for love. Though the King, her brother, was angry for a time, the couple was soon invited to return home, and my sister with them. I stayed behind in France in service to the new French Queen, Claude.

            I remained in France for seven years, when in 1521, my father called me back to England to serve in Queen Katharine’s ladies, and to begin marriage negotiations with a Jamie Butler, son of the Earl of Ormonde.

I arrived in court to find a most disagreeable suitor in Jamie, and I did my best to avoid him, instead turning my affections towards Lord Henry Percy, son of the Earl of Northumberland. Lord Henry was one of Cardinal Wolsey’s household, and as such, we were able to spend much tome together in the Queen’s chambers.

At this time, my beautiful sister Mary was the King’s mistress, and therefore much favored at court. Though I was her sister, I was not received nearly as well, being quite different in looks compared to the other woman at court. They had blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin; in contrast, my black hair, dark eyes and ruddy skin made me seem more intriguing to the gentlemen of the court, and led to much tormenting by the jealous ladies of court.

But I was content in my love for Lord Percy, and we planned to marry for love like the King’s sister. Unfortunately, Wosley discovered our plans, and put an end to them by betrothing Lord Percy to Mary Talbot. I vowed revenge on Wosley for taking away my one true love, though I would not receive it for many years to come.

It was a short time after this that King Henry turned his eye on someone most curious- me. He declared himself “enchanted”, and begged for my favor most profusely. He tried in vain to secure me as his new mistress, but I would not besmirch my reputation. Then, he began to moan that his marriage to Katharine was accursed, and that he would rid himself of her, and take me as his wife. My family received this news eagerly, and the hungry expression in their eyes frightened me. I had nothing to fear at the time, I was the King’s favorite, and though that led to many enemies, I knew Henry would protect me.

Six years I waited for the King’s “Great Matter” to be resolved, when it became apparent that Henry had won, and would have his way, I finally relented and welcomed him to my bed, hoping to conceive the son Katharine never could.

Soon I was pregnant, and Henry decided we should be wed. We were married in secret with only my family as witnesses, in November of 1533. On Easter, our wedding was announced, and the priests prayed for “Queen Anne”. Queen Anne, me, Queen of England- the greatest kingdom in Christendom. Oh, how my heart trembled at the words!

Next I finally achieved my revenge on Wolsey. I convinced the King that Wolsey had been disloyal, and had mishandled his divorce from Katharine. Henry believed me, and sent, at my personal request, Lord Percy to arrest Wolsey for treason. Unfortunately Wolsey fell ill on the road to London, and died before my revenge was complete. But regardless, I had won.

My coronation was magnificent, I rode through London in a splendid new litter from the King of France, and I shone in a gown of silver. Yet as I passed by, there were no shouts of joy, no flowers thrown, nor caps doffed. Instead, there was silence. The only sound heard was the steps of the people in my train behind me, and the clod of the horses’ hooves. Though my triumphant entry was hardly a warm one, it certainly was colorful and costly. Still, I reveled in the firm pressure of the crown upon my head and the quickening babe within my womb.

On September 7, 1533, my darling daughter Elizabeth was born. I loved her from the first, and was enthralled by her perfect tinyness. She was the very image of her royal father, down to the tuft of golden red hair sprouting from the top of her little head. I was not foolish enough, however, to think the King would not be disappointed by a daughter, and knew that I must get pregnant again, and this time with a son.

I had several miscarriages over the next year, but I finally managed to carry a babe past the halfway point. It was at this time, January 7, 1536, that Katharine died, making my position even more secure, or so I thought. Henry was in a marvelous mood, and ordered everyone to dress in yellow and to celebrate. That afternoon he participated in a joust. I was in my confinement, and could not attend, so I was caught completely unawares when my uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, came barging in, announcing that the King had been knocked from his horse, and was dead. The news, though ultimately false, sent me into painful early labor, and the little prince the whole kingdom had prayed for, was born dead.

After this, Henry began looking at me less, and looking at my lady-in-waiting Jane Seymour more often. This should have been my first clue as to what was to come. The next clue cemented my fate in my own mind: I walked in upon Mistress Seymour sitting on the knee of none other than my own husband. The searing pain that tore through my heart at this sight, made me grieve for the immense wrong I had committed against the former Queen Katharine. I lost my temper, and stormed at them both, in my rage, attempting to tear a jeweled necklace from Jane’s neck, injuring my hand in the process. I knew something horrid was approaching, but I had little idea of what it would be.  

On the day of May 2, 1536, I was summoned before the King’s Privy Council, and informed of the charges against me: adultery, treason, witchcraft, and incest. Five men were charged with being my lovers, among them, my own dear brother, George. They convicted us all based upon a “confession” made by the lute player Mark Smeaton, as his poor body was stretched upon the rack.

So now I sit- waiting, waiting to die, hoping to be pardoned, and daring not to believe it will happen. I was Queen for but a short time, but with any hope, my precious Elizabeth will have much more luck than I, and will one day rule this great kingdom as the beloved Queen I had hoped to be…

Oh death rock me asleep,

Bring on my quiet rest,

Let pass my very guiltless ghost

Out of my careful breast.

Ring out the doleful knell,

Let its sound my death tell;

For I must die,

There is no remedy,

For now I die…

Defiled is my name, full sore

Through cruel spite and false report,

That I may say for evermore,

Farewell to joy, adieu comfort

For wrongfully you judge of me

Unto my fame a mortal wound,

Say what you list, it may not be,

Ye seek for that shall not be found.

 

Anne Boleyn


 



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Category Name: My Thoughts

I did not enjoy this story. I am not even sure what problem the protagonist faced. This story was okay. The story would have been better if the author had introduced the problem differently and made it feel more pressing. I really enjoyed this story. The author did a good job pulling me into the story by introducing an immediate and important problem for the protagonist.

This section is for overall comments and general ideas. The score should reflect how much you enjoyed the story.

Category Name: Character Development

The characters were not dynamic, credible, interesting, memorable or unique. I don’t care about or understand the characters because they were poorly developed. The characters were somewhat dynamic, credible, interesting, memorable and unique. I partially understood the thoughts, feelings, and actions of the characters. I somewhat connected with and care about the characters. The characters were very dynamic, credible, interesting, memorable and unique. I thoroughly understood their thoughts, feelings and actions. I felt connected with and cared about the characters.

This is act of bringing a character to life on the page. It is a combination of the author’s description of the character and the character’s dialog, action, and thoughts. Though all characters should be believable, the protagonist and antagonist are usually the most developed characters.

Category Name: Plot

I finished reading the story so the plot must have unfolded, but I am not sure what the plot was. The characters did not achieve or grow by solving the problems they faced in this story. There were definite wrinkles in the way the plot unfolded leading to the final conflict. The plot was loosely tied to the achievement and growth of the characters. The way the protagonist overcame some of the problems flowed unnaturally with the story. I could see the plot unfolding through a series of escalating problems that lead to the final conflict. The plot helped me understand the achievements and growth of the characters. The way the protagonist overcame the problems flowed naturally with the st

In fiction a plot is all the events in a story, particularly rendered towards the achievement of some particular artistic or emotional effect. In other words it's what mostly happened in the story. The plot draws the reader into the character's lives and helps the reader understand the choices that the characters make.

Category Name: Dialog

The dialog seemed like cold words on paper. I had a hard time following it. I didn’t learn very much about the characters through the dialog. Through the dialog I could sometimes see the characters learn and grow while occasionally discovering new facets of their personalities. The dialog was generally consistent with the character. Through the dialog I could see the characters learn and grow while simultaneously discovering new facets of their personalities. The dialog was true to the character and it helped me understand the characters emotions.

Category Name: Setting

The setting created a haze in my mind that detracted from the story. I am lost in time and space because I don’t know when or where this story takes place. The setting was described adequately, but not well enough to bring it to life in my mind. The setting did not add to or detract from the story. I am pretty sure I know when and where the story takes place. The author engaged all of my senses while vividly describing the setting. The setting helped me better understand the setting and plot. I know when and where this story takes place.

The setting is where a story takes place. The choice of setting and its description helps the story come alive in the mind of the reader. Appropriate setting contributes to the plot and mood of the story.

Category Name: Mechanics

The story contained so many mechanical errors that it was hard to follow the plot or understand certain sentences or paragraphs. Occasional mechanical errors were distracting, but these errors did not inhibit me from being able to understand the plot or connect with characters in the story. I rarely if ever noticed mechanical errors. As far as I could tell, the writing was clear and correct.

Mechanics includes sentence structure, verb agreement, grammar, spelling, voice, punctuation and aspects of basic style.

Note: The purpose of ReviewFuse reviews is NOT to provide comprehensive copy editing, but rather to "ignite creativity." Reviewers should not feel obliged to point out every grammar or spelling error (though they certainly can if they wish), but should focus on this area only to the degree that errors make a story hard to follow or understand.

Inline comments are the most helpful and important aspects of your review.

Click on a paragraph or highlight text from the paragraph to provide inline comments. While detailed grammar correction is welcome, the purpose of inline commenting is to spark the author's creativity. This is best done by expressing feelings, questions, and concerns you have about the story while you are reading.

1. May 19, 1536

2.             Today they tell me, I will die. Though I knew it was inevitable, ‘tis hard to believe by beloved Henry’s passion for me has turned into such hatred. As I write these words, my scaffold is being constructed on the Tower Green, and I can plainly hear the sound of the carpenters. I am certain there will be a great crowd come to see me off, not out of love, but instead for their joy that “The Great *****” shall be rightfully disposed of. Like my beloved husband, I wonder at the hate of my people; I do not understand their feelings, and I worry what they will say of me to my precious daughter Elizabeth. So I shall write my own story, the real, true story, for my Elizabeth, that she may know the truth about her mother, Anne Boleyn, wife of King Henry VIII, and the Queen of England…

3.             I was born at Blickling Hall, in Norfolk in the year 1507; the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Boleyn. I was the youngest of three, my sister Mary and brother George being my siblings. In 1513, we were sent to different courts: I, to the court of Margaret of Austria; Mary to France: and George stayed home to join the English court.

4.             I stayed in Austria only a year, before joining Mary in France upon Princess Mary’s marriage to the ailing King Louis XII. ‘Twas strange to see such a vibrant

5. girl of only eighteen years, exchanging vows with a decrepit old man of fifty-and-two. The marriage lasted only eighty-two days, and upon her widowing, Princess Mary married Charles Brandon for love. Though the King, her brother, was angry for a time, the couple was soon invited to return home, and my sister with them. I stayed behind in France in service to the new French Queen, Claude.

6.             I remained in France for seven years, when in 1521, my father called me back to England to serve in Queen Katharine’s ladies, and to begin marriage negotiations with a Jamie Butler, son of the Earl of Ormonde.

7. I arrived in court to find a most disagreeable suitor in Jamie, and I did my best to avoid him, instead turning my affections towards Lord Henry Percy, son of the Earl of Northumberland. Lord Henry was one of Cardinal Wolsey’s household, and as such, we were able to spend much tome together in the Queen’s chambers.

8. At this time, my beautiful sister Mary was the King’s mistress, and therefore much favored at court. Though I was her sister, I was not received nearly as well, being quite different in looks compared to the other woman at court. They had blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin; in contrast, my black hair, dark eyes and ruddy skin made me seem more intriguing to the gentlemen of the court, and led to much tormenting by the jealous ladies of court.

9. But I was content in my love for Lord Percy, and we planned to marry for love like the King’s sister. Unfortunately, Wosley discovered our plans, and put an end to them by betrothing Lord Percy to Mary Talbot. I vowed revenge on Wosley for taking away my one true love, though I would not receive it for many years to come.

10. It was a short time after this that King Henry turned his eye on someone most curious- me. He declared himself “enchanted”, and begged for my favor most profusely. He tried in vain to secure me as his new mistress, but I would not besmirch my reputation. Then, he began to moan that his marriage to Katharine was accursed, and that he would rid himself of her, and take me as his wife. My family received this news eagerly, and the hungry expression in their eyes frightened me. I had nothing to fear at the time, I was the King’s favorite, and though that led to many enemies, I knew Henry would protect me.

11. Six years I waited for the King’s “Great Matter” to be resolved, when it became apparent that Henry had won, and would have his way, I finally relented and welcomed him to my bed, hoping to conceive the son Katharine never could.

12. Soon I was pregnant, and Henry decided we should be wed. We were married in secret with only my family as witnesses, in November of 1533. On Easter, our wedding was announced, and the priests prayed for “Queen Anne”. Queen Anne, me, Queen of England- the greatest kingdom in Christendom. Oh, how my heart trembled at the words!

13. Next I finally achieved my revenge on Wolsey. I convinced the King that Wolsey had been disloyal, and had mishandled his divorce from Katharine. Henry believed me, and sent, at my personal request, Lord Percy to arrest Wolsey for treason. Unfortunately Wolsey fell ill on the road to London, and died before my revenge was complete. But regardless, I had won.

14. My coronation was magnificent, I rode through London in a splendid new litter from the King of France, and I shone in a gown of silver. Yet as I passed by, there were no shouts of joy, no flowers thrown, nor caps doffed. Instead, there was silence. The only sound heard was the steps of the people in my train behind me, and the clod of the horses’ hooves. Though my triumphant entry was hardly a warm one, it certainly was colorful and costly. Still, I reveled in the firm pressure of the crown upon my head and the quickening babe within my womb.

15. On September 7, 1533, my darling daughter Elizabeth was born. I loved her from the first, and was enthralled by her perfect tinyness. She was the very image of her royal father, down to the tuft of golden red hair sprouting from the top of her little head. I was not foolish enough, however, to think the King would not be disappointed by a daughter, and knew that I must get pregnant again, and this time with a son.

16. I had several miscarriages over the next year, but I finally managed to carry a babe past the halfway point. It was at this time, January 7, 1536, that Katharine died, making my position even more secure, or so I thought. Henry was in a marvelous mood, and ordered everyone to dress in yellow and to celebrate. That afternoon he participated in a joust. I was in my confinement, and could not attend, so I was caught completely unawares when my uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, came barging in, announcing that the King had been knocked from his horse, and was dead. The news, though ultimately false, sent me into painful early labor, and the little prince the whole kingdom had prayed for, was born dead.

17. After this, Henry began looking at me less, and looking at my lady-in-waiting Jane Seymour more often. This should have been my first clue as to what was to come. The next clue cemented my fate in my own mind: I walked in upon Mistress Seymour sitting on the knee of none other than my own husband. The searing pain that tore through my heart at this sight, made me grieve for the immense wrong I had committed against the former Queen Katharine. I lost my temper, and stormed at them both, in my rage, attempting to tear a jeweled necklace from Jane’s neck, injuring my hand in the process. I knew something horrid was approaching, but I had little idea of what it would be.  

18. On the day of May 2, 1536, I was summoned before the King’s Privy Council, and informed of the charges against me: adultery, treason, witchcraft, and incest. Five men were charged with being my lovers, among them, my own dear brother, George. They convicted us all based upon a “confession” made by the lute player Mark Smeaton, as his poor body was stretched upon the rack.

19. So now I sit- waiting, waiting to die, hoping to be pardoned, and daring not to believe it will happen. I was Queen for but a short time, but with any hope, my precious Elizabeth will have much more luck than I, and will one day rule this great kingdom as the beloved Queen I had hoped to be…

20. Oh death rock me asleep,

21. Bring on my quiet rest,

22. Let pass my very guiltless ghost

23. Out of my careful breast.

24. Ring out the doleful knell,

25. Let its sound my death tell;

26. For I must die,

27. There is no remedy,

28. For now I die…

29. Defiled is my name, full sore

30. Through cruel spite and false report,

31. That I may say for evermore,

32. Farewell to joy, adieu comfort

33. For wrongfully you judge of me

34. Unto my fame a mortal wound,

35. Say what you list, it may not be,

36. Ye seek for that shall not be found.

37.  

38. Anne Boleyn

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