Near contemporary painting of Anne Boleyn at Hever Castle, c. 1550
Anne Boleyn's most famous motto was 'the most happy,' and indeed she must have been overjoyed to begin her coronation festivities. After a long and traumatic courtship of seven years, she was finally married to the handsome King Henry VIII, and six months pregnant. Now she was going to be consecrated as Queen in a magnificent ceremony.
On May 29, 1533, a spectacular procession of barges set out to Greenwich to begin the journey to the Tower of London, where Anne would be staying before her coronation. About 50 barques followed the leading one with its green dragon making 'noises'. Then came the Mayor's boat with its silver and gold banners, and escutcheons bearing the arms of the King and Queen. One barge displayed a large model of a white falcon, one of Anne's emblems. People must have been overwhelmed by the splendour, and the cacophony, although Anne was not popular, because many remained sympathetic to poor Queen Catherine, treated horribly by Henry.
Queen Anne set out for the Tower of London in her barge at 3.00 pm. As it approached the Tower, more than a thousand guns were fired in a magnificent salute. Sir Edward Walsingham (the Lieutenant of the Tower) and Sir Kingston met Anne. The King embraced and kissed her lovingly.
Anne rested the next day. The Ceremony of the Knights of the Bath was also held on this day.
Queen Anne's Procession
Dressed in white cloth of gold with a gold coronet on her flowing, long dark hair, Anne looked stunning as she set out to Westminster Abbey the next day on her procession. Borne in a litter by the four Lords of the Cinque Ports, followed by ladies' chariots and ladies of the court wearing gowns of crimson and velvet, riding horses, she was watched by crowds of onlookers. Guilds dressed in their liveries lined up while the Recorder of London made a presentation to the Queen, and the Mayor gave her a purse of 1000 marks of angel nobles.
As Anne travelled along the route lined with its vivid scarlet, crimson and blue cloth, she witnessed several pageants to honour her. She especially liked seeing the 200 children who recited poetry praising her and the King in front of the Cathedral. After Anne ended her journey at Whitehall Palace, she secretly spent the night with Henry at Westminster.
Queen Anne's Coronation
June 1 must have been tremendously exciting for Anne. Her heart beat rapidly as she prepared for her her coronation day. Two dreams were coming true for Anne. She was about to be anointed as Queen, and she thought that she was carrying the King's heir.
Anne set out dressed in purple and ermine. Her procession to the Abbey included monks wearing gold copes, bishops and archbishops in their finest vestments and an array of courtiers. Her maids wore scarlet with Baltic fur. The Duke of Suffolk bore her crown while two earls carried her sceptres.
The soon-to-be consecrated Queen walked along a route lined with blue ray to the high altar with the Duchess of Norfolk carrying her train as the procession filed into the great Abbey. Her moment had come! She sat down briefly; then she prostrated herself before the altar while her friend and spiritual counsellor, Archbishop Cranmer prayed over her. (It must have been hard for Anne to do this when she was six months pregnant!) She sat on St Edward's chair to be anointed and crowned by the Archbishop, who then handed her her scepre and rod of ivory.
Anne was the only female Queen to be crowned with the St Edward's Crown. This showed the importance of the ceremony to Henry. She took the sacrament, and made the offering at the shrine of St Edward the Confessor. The King watched incognito from a special screen behind latticework. Anne must have been exhausted, but she was finally Queen in the eyes of God.
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