minervacasterly:~Anne Boleyn’s Coronation~On the 1st of June 1533, Anne Boleyn was crowned Q

minervacasterly: ~Anne Boleyn’s Coronation~On the 1st of June 1533, Anne Boleyn was crowned Queen of England at Westminster Abbey. Two days before, eighteen knights of the Bath were created, and the day before, on the eve of her coronation, she rode from the Tower of London in a magnificent procession that didn’t disappoint. Now her day of triumph had finally come. To ensure that Henry VIII’s future heir’s legitimacy wouldn’t be questioned, Anne Boleyn while still pregnant, was crowned with the crown of St. Edward the Confessor. This was a crown that was reserved for Kings. Queen Consorts were crowned with the crown of St. Edith, a smaller yet still significant crown.To symbolize their virginity before marriage, queens would let their head down while awaiting to be anointed with the holy oils and crowned. Anne Boleyn went through the same process, and given their controversial union, Henry VIII made sure that her coronation would be something that would surpass that of her predecessors, including her rival, Catherine of Aragon.On Whitsunde, Anne Boleyn emerged from Westminster Hall to the Abbey where she prostrated herself before the altar in a cross position before being seated in the high chair. The archbishop of Canterbury anointed her with the holy oils on her breast and forehead as it was tradition and then placed on the crown on her head.In his biography on the Six Wives, the late historian David Loades, describes this event in the following manner:“The lavish display, the huge turnout of peers and dignitaries, the thousands of Londoners lining the route, even the prompt publication of the proceedings in the form of a tract entitled ‘The noble triyumphant coronacyon of queen Anne’, all indicate a shrewd political mind, and a keen eye for detail.”When the ceremony concluded, Anne Boleyn made a small offering to the shrine of St. Edward and was then escorted by her father to the great banquet that awaited her at Whitehall Palace (which was reputedly her favorite residence). Upon her arrival, the heralds cried:“Now the noble Anna bears the sacred diadem.”Two of the most memorable poems celebrating her coronation is by Nicholas Udall and Whittington. The first celebrated her insignia, the white falcon crowned, while the latter compared her to classical figures, extolling on her virtues. In addition to being compared to figures of the ancient world, she was also compared to religious icons such as her namesake, St. Anne. Anne’s role of religious matron and paradigm of wifely virtue was heavily emphasized.This was truly one of Anne’s best moments. Her victory was nearly complete. All she needed now was to give birth to Henry a male heir. When she gave birth on the 7th of September of that year, their heir turned out to be female and while her union to Henry was annulled making her daughter a bastard and Anne was executed shortly afterwards; Elizabeth still became Queen of England, becoming one of the longest ruling English monarchs and one of the most famous in history. -- source link

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