Changes

By 1527 Henry had fallen for Anne Boleyn.  She was not content to be a mistress, which set about a chain of events that shook up the nation.  Henry sought papal consent to have his marriage to Katherine annulled since she had previously been married to his brother.  The papacy, which was under a great deal of pressure from the Spanish not to grant the request, refused.  This brought about the downfall of Cardinal Wosley in Henry's sight since he had virtually guaranteed their acceptance.  Henry then made the decision to break from the Catholic Church who he claimed had no right to interfere in the political succession of England, which he stated was occurring since he had no male heir through Katherine.  Catholic clergy then had to sign an oath to the king over the Pope.  Many could not sign -- and died.  With Henry now head of the Church, his divorce was granted and he married Anne in 1533 - a very unpopular queen with the people who had loved Katherine.  Anne had a daughter in 1533 (the future Queen [[Elizabeth I]]) and not a son like Henry desired.  She became pregnant again, but her son was stillborn. (In terms of  shaping policy, Anne, who was strongly committed to Protestantism, was the most influential wife. Historians have vigorously debated explanations for the trial and execution of Anne in 1536. One school emphasizes contentious court factions in which Queen Anne was an innocent pawn. G. W. Bernard (1991) argues that she and the five men executed with her were probably guilty of incest and adultery as charged. Both points of view were also expressed by contemporary diplomats reporting from London, who may have been misled by rumors and deliberate government misinformation. Use of traditions of courtly love to explain Anne's relationship with the other accused (opening herself to slander) is speculative. Direct evidence for actual guilt is not convincing. Warnicke (1993) offers a controversial explanation: Anne gave birth to a deformed fetus in January, 1536, provoking in Henry, who learned of the miscarriage and its circumstances after some delay, both rage and fear, as well as a certainty of his consort's adultery and witchcraft, an explanation necessary not only to his psyche but to the preservation of the reputation of his kingdom and the schismatic church that he headed

By 1527 Henry had fallen for Anne Boleyn.  She was not content to be a [[mistress]], which set about a chain of events that shook up the nation.  Henry sought papal consent to have his marriage to Katherine annulled since she had previously been married to his brother.  The papacy, which was under a great deal of pressure from the Spanish not to grant the request, refused.  This brought about the downfall of Cardinal Wosley in Henry's sight since he had virtually guaranteed their acceptance.  Henry then made the decision to break from the Catholic Church who he claimed had no right to interfere in the political succession of England, which he stated was occurring since he had no male heir through Katherine.  Catholic clergy then had to sign an oath to the king over the Pope.  Many could not sign -- and died.  With Henry now head of the Church, his divorce was granted and he married Anne in 1533 - a very unpopular queen with the people who had loved Katherine.  Anne had a daughter in 1533 (the future Queen [[Elizabeth I]]) and not a son like Henry desired.  She became pregnant again, but her son was stillborn. (In terms of  shaping policy, Anne, who was strongly committed to Protestantism, was the most influential wife. Historians have vigorously debated explanations for the trial and execution of Anne in 1536. One school emphasizes contentious court factions in which Queen Anne was an innocent pawn. G. W. Bernard (1991) argues that she and the five men executed with her were probably guilty of incest and adultery as charged. Both points of view were also expressed by contemporary diplomats reporting from London, who may have been misled by rumors and deliberate government misinformation. Use of traditions of courtly love to explain Anne's relationship with the other accused (opening herself to slander) is speculative. Direct evidence for actual guilt is not convincing. Warnicke (1993) offers a controversial explanation: Anne gave birth to a deformed fetus in January, 1536, provoking in Henry, who learned of the miscarriage and its circumstances after some delay, both rage and fear, as well as a certainty of his consort's adultery and witchcraft, an explanation necessary not only to his psyche but to the preservation of the reputation of his kingdom and the schismatic church that he headed

Never popular with the English people, Henry had tired of her as well.  She was sent to the [[Tower of London]] and was executed after being convicted of adultery and incest on dubious evidence.  She was executed by sword rather than the cleaner-cutting axe to indicate the extremity of her crimes. It did, however, free the king to remarry again -- a course of action he would take four more times.

Never popular with the English people, Henry had tired of her as well.  She was sent to the [[Tower of London]] and was executed after being convicted of adultery and incest on dubious evidence.  She was executed by sword rather than the cleaner-cutting axe to indicate the extremity of her crimes. It did, however, free the king to remarry again -- a course of action he would take four more times.