Anne Boleyn, c. 1501 or 1507 – 1536
Anne Boleyn arrived to England in 1521 from the French court. While a Maid of Honor to Queen Katherine, she had some notable romances before catching the eye of Henry VIII. She refused to be Henry’s mistress, inflaming his interest and sparking his battle with the Catholic church. The Church refused his request for an annulment from Queen Katherine. He severed ties to the Catholic church, declared himself head of the Church of England.
He had his new Church grant the annulment, and married Anne. She, too, struggled to produce a male heir, and Henry’s lusty loins were quickly ready to move on. Instead of dealing with another long divorce battle, Henry’s court charged Anne with treason, adultery, and i-n-c-e-s-t. She was found guilty and executed on May 19, 1536.
