Anne Boleyn

Anne Boleyn (b. 1507(?) - d. May 19, 1536), second wife of Henry VIII and mother of Elizabeth I. Anne was the daughter of an Earl and a lady at court. The was regarded as quite good looking by the standards of the day and was a notorious flirt. When Henry VIII divorced his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, he secretly wed Anne. The marriage was later made public. Anne gave birth to Elizabeth in 1533 but failed to produce the male heir that Henry needed to satisfy the rules of succession. Anne was accused of treason (in the form of an alleged adulterous affair with a court musician, Mark Smeaton), convicted, and beheaded.

contributed by Ed Behr [email protected]