The Final Days of Anne Boleyn Pt 2: The Disputed Final Letter to Henry

While awaiting trial, Anne was reported to have written the below letter to King Henry VIII:

Your grace’s displeasure and my imprisonment are things so strange to me, that what to write, or what to excuse, I am altogether ignorant. Whereas you send to me (willing me to confess a truth and so obtain your favor), by such a one, whom you know to be mine ancient professed enemy, I no sooner received this message by him, than I rightly conceived your meaning; and if, as you say, confessing a truth indeed may procure my safety, I shall with all willingness and duty, perform your duty. But let not your grace ever imagine that your poor wife will be brought to acknowledge a fault, where not so much as a thought ever proceeded. And to speak a truth, never a prince had wife more loyal in all duty, and in all true affection, than you have ever found in Anne Bulen – with which name and place I could willingly have contented myself, if God and your grace’s pleasure had been so pleased. Neither did I at any time so far forget myself in my exaltation or received queenship, but that I always looked for such alteration as I now find; for the ground of my preferment being on no surer foundation than your grace’s fancy, the least alteration was fit and sufficient (I knew) to draw that fancy to some other subject.

You have chosen me from low estate to be your queen and companion, far beyond my desert or desire; if, then, you found me worthy of such honor, good your grace, let not any light fancy or bad counsel of my enemies withdraw your princely favor from me; neither let that stain – that unworthy stain – of a disloyal heart towards your good grace ever cast so foul a blot on me, and on the infant princess your daughter.

Try me, good king, but let me have a lawful trial, and let not my sworn enemies sit as my accusers and as my judges; yea, let me receive an open trial, for my truth shall fear no open shame. Then you shall see either my innocency cleared, your suspicions and conscience satisfied, the ignominy and slander of the world stopped, or my guilt openly declared. So that, whatever God and you may determine of, your grace may be freed from an open censure; and my offense being so lawfully proved, your grace may be at liberty, both before God and man, not only to execute worthy punishment on me as an unfaithful wife but to follow your affection already settled on that party for whose sake I am now as I am, whose name I could some while since have pointed unto – your grace being not ignorant of my suspicions therein. But if you have already determined of me, and that not only my death, but an infamous slander must bring your the joying of your desired happiness, then I desire of God that he will pardon your great sin herein, and likewise my enemies, the instruments thereof; and that he will not call you to a strait account for your unprincely and cruel usage of me at his general judgment-seat, where both you and myself must shortly appear; and in whose just judgment, I doubt not (whatsoever the world may think of me), mine innocency shall be openly known and sufficiently cleared.

My last and only request shall be, that myself only bear the burden of your grace’s displeasure, and that it may not touch the innocent souls of those poor gentlemen, whom, as I understand, are likewise in strait imprisonment for my sake. If ever I have found favor in your sight – if ever the name of Anne Bulen have been pleasing in your ears – then let me obtain this request; and so I will leave to trouble your grace any further, with mine earnest prayer to the Trinity to have your grace in his good keeping, and to direct you in all your actions.

From my doleful prison in the Tower, the 6th May.

This letter never reached the King. It was later found among the personal possessions of Thomas Cromwell after his arrest in 1540. There is some disagreement between historians about the authenticity of this letter. The arguments on both sides make some interesting points. 

For those who believe that this letter is a forgery, the biggest piece of evidence seems to be that the letter was not written in Anne’s hand. There are examples of Anne’s handwriting for comparison, and it is clearly not her handwriting. However, this is not necessarily the most compelling evidence for the letter as a forgery. It would not have been out of the realm of possibility that this letter was dictated to someone, most likely it would have been the Constable of the Tower, William Kingston. There has not been further evaluation of the handwriting to compare it to Kingston’s or even perhaps Cromwell himself. 

Another argument against the authenticity of the letter is that it is too familiar in tone. Because it was being written by a prisoner to the King, many historians suspect the personal tone to the letter. The tradition of the time would have dictated that a letter of this nature take a more formal tone. However, the tone of the letter would have been completely within what we know of Anne’s character. She was known to have a fiery disposition and took a very familiar tone not only with the King but others in court. In part, this characteristic contributed to her own downfall. Additionally, she would not be above appealing to Henry’s love for her as she professed her own innocence. When she had suspected that something may be afoot and Henry’s affection was waning in the days prior to her arrest, Anne had their daughter Elizabeth brought to Court. This was an attempt to remind Henry that she was the mother of his precious and precocious daughter, one who looked so much like him. 

Finally, there was also a certain level of defiance in the overall tone of the letter. This was not a woman begging for mercy and admitting to a crime. In fact, she did quite the opposite. The letter professed her innocence even before she had stood trial for the accusations laid against her. She was seeking to mitigate the situation as best she could. Not only did she protest her innocence, but she challenged Henry to give her a public trial. She acknowledged that in all likelihood Henry wanted to be rid of her and replace her with Jane Seymour. In the text of this letter, Anne alludes to this possibility. This would not be the first time that Anne had confronted Henry about his infidelity with Jane Seymour. 

Here is what we do know. 

If this letter was authentic, it never reached Henry. There could be any number of reasons of this, but it would be likely that Cromwell would have kept the letter from him in fear that it might persuaded to change his mind. 

If the letter was a forgery, it also never reached Henry. As Henry was becoming more known for his mercurial temper, it could have been written as a means of securing Anne’s fate if it seemed as though Henry might change his mind.

Of course both scenarios fit into the narrative that Cromwell helped orchestrate the downfall of Anne Boleyn due to differing views on what to do with the money that went to the Crown after the dissolution of the monasteries.

For further reading:

Anne Boleyn's Letter from the Tower: A New Assessment by Sandra Vasoli