Coronation of Anne Boleyn
King Henry VIII had spent over two decades married to Catherine of Aragon without securing a male heir. His only legitimate child was Princess Mary, leaving the Tudor dynasty in perilous condition. The king sought an annulment on the grounds that Catherine had previously been married to Prince Arthur, his deceased older brother. Pope Clement VII refused this request under pressure from Emperor Charles V, who held the pope prisoner. This refusal forced Henry to split England from the Catholic Church and begin the English Reformation. As Supreme Head of the Church of England, the king gained authority to end his own marriage. He did so promptly, stripping Catherine of her title as queen consort on the 23rd of May 1533. Thomas Cranmer, the new Archbishop of Canterbury, declared the validity of Henry's marriage to Anne five days later. That secret wedding had taken place in Dover around Saint Paul's Day.
The first pageant for the new queen took place on the 29th of May on the River Thames. Anne rowed from Greenwich to the Tower of London while another boat fired salutes nearby. An artificial dragon spouted wild fire into the air during the procession. Another boat carried a pageant featuring a mount with maiden musicians playing instruments. Anne's falcon badge appeared prominently on these vessels. Imperial ambassador Eustache Chapuys reported that Anne's barge had been seized from Catherine of Aragon. Henry VIII kept himself in the background while giving Anne a prominent position. When she was on the river, he came always before her secretly in a barge. A sketch plan for the banquet in Westminster Hall shows Anne seated under a canopy while Henry stayed in a closet nearby. Even his presence in the Abbey during the service remains uncertain according to historical records.
On the 31st of May 1533 there was a triumphant coronation procession from the Tower of London to Westminster Hall. The event was intended to begin at two in the afternoon but ended up taking place three hours late. Anne Boleyn was carried in a litter draped with white cloth of gold through major streets of the city. Her hair was worn loose like a bride's as she traveled. The Lord Mayor of London and his entourage received the queen along the way. The procession moved northwest of the Tower toward Fenchurch Street where children dressed as English and French merchants greeted her. Anne likely passed through Tower Hill, where three years later her brother and alleged lovers would be executed. She observed a costly pageant sponsored by the merchants of the Steelyard designed by Holbein. It featured the Greek god Apollo surrounded by the Muses who gave gifts to the queen. Continuing down Gracechurch Street, the procession halted at Leadenhall Street for another spectacle featuring a castle topped with red and white roses sprouting forth. An angel wearing armour descended and crowned the falcon landing on a stump clearly referencing Anne's badge. The initials HA interlaced with a knot were painted everywhere throughout the route.
On the 1st of June 1533 Anne was led from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey for her coronation. The Lord Mayor and aldermen dressed in crimson velvet received Anne in Westminster Hall before eight in the morning. The queen herself appeared an hour later dressed in robes of purple velvet and ermine fur. Her hair was free-flowing and she wore a circlet made of gold and gems. After the procession of lesser nobles, the Marquis of Dorset and Earl of Arundel followed carrying the sceptre and rod of ivory. Then came the Earl of Oxford carrying the crown followed by the Lord High Steward and Earl Marshal's deputy. The queen walked barefoot while her canopy was carried by four Lords of the Cinque Ports. Her robe was held up by Bishops of London and Winchester while the train was managed by Dowager Duchess of Norfolk. Anne rested briefly on a chair after which she prostrated in front of the altar, a difficult task for a woman well into pregnancy. She stood up and was then anointed and crowned Queen of England by Archbishop Cranmer with St Edward's Crown. She received the rod and sceptre in her left and right hands respectively. The Queen's sceptre with a dove had been refurbished by Cornelis Hayes in May.
Although the celebrations for the coronation were lavish, the general populace did not receive Anne well. Contemporary accounts clearly demonstrate this negative reaction to the new queen. A Te Deum was sung and the crown was swapped for a lighter one made specifically for the queen following the ceremony. Mass was held with Anne receiving the sacrament and making offerings at Saint Edward the Confessor's shrine. Anne retired for brief rest before the procession returned to Westminster Hall supported by her father and Lord Talbot. Upon return to the palace she rested again while the celebratory feast was prepared. Despite all the pageantry involving Apollo, Muses, falcons, and interlaced initials HA painted everywhere, public sentiment remained hostile toward Anne Boleyn. Her visible pregnancy during the event added urgency to legitimizing both herself and her unborn child as the long-awaited male heir expected by many.
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Common questions
When did Anne Boleyn get married to Henry VIII?
Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII were secretly married in Dover around the 25th of May 1533, which is Saint Paul's Day. Archbishop Thomas Cranmer declared their marriage valid five days later on the 30th of May 1533.
What happened during Anne Boleyn's coronation procession on the 31st of May 1533?
The coronation procession began three hours late at two o'clock in the afternoon and moved from the Tower of London to Westminster Hall. Anne traveled in a litter draped with white cloth of gold while children dressed as merchants greeted her along Fenchurch Street and Gracechurch Street.
Who crowned Anne Boleyn Queen of England on the 1st of June 1533?
Archbishop Thomas Cranmer crowned Anne Boleyn Queen of England using St Edward's Crown inside Westminster Abbey. The ceremony included anointing and the presentation of a rod and sceptre held in her left and right hands respectively.
How did the public react to Anne Boleyn's coronation in 1533?
Contemporary accounts show that the general populace did not receive Anne well despite the lavish celebrations. Public sentiment remained hostile toward Anne even though pageants featured Apollo, Muses, falcons, and interlaced initials HA painted everywhere.
Why was Anne Boleyn's pregnancy significant during her coronation?
Anne's visible pregnancy added urgency to legitimizing both herself and her unborn child as the long-awaited male heir expected by many. Her condition made the task of prostrating before the altar difficult for a woman well into pregnancy.