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May 19, 2017

rimmer-henry-viii-and-anne-boleyn


William Rimmer (1816-1879),

Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, c.1845, oil on canvas, 23 15/16 x 20 inches. Brigham Young University Museum of Art, gift of C. Joseph Bowdring in memory of John Castano, 1980.

On May 19, 1536, Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII, was executed for treason. King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn were married for four years. Soon after their marriage Anne gave birth to the future Queen Elizabeth I, one of the most famous of all English monarchs. However, the King was obsessed with producing a male heir and Elizabeth's birth proved to be the beginning of the King's impatience with Anne. Over the course of the next few years, Anne had three miscarriages, and the King's attention moved from Anne to Jane Seymour, a lady in the English court. Anne was soon accused and arrested for treason. Just four days following her arrest she was executed at the Tower of London. King Henry and Jane Seymour became betrothed the day after Anne Boleyn's execution.