Anne Boleyn

When Anne Boleyn came to court, Henry's first wife, Catherine of Aragon, was popular in spite of not participating in politics or in the life of the court for some time. All sons by Henry had died young and the King was concerned about having a male heir to his throne in order to preserve the monarchy and prevent civil war.

Boleyn debuted at court in a masquerade ball in March 1522, where he conducted an elaborate dance accompanying the king's younger sister, several ladies of the court and her sister Mary (then, mistress of King ). A few weeks after this performance, Boleyn was known as the woman of fashion and most important of the court and referred to her as "the mirror of fashion" (glass of fashion).

At that time courting Henry Percy, son of the Earl of Northumberland, about 1522. The exact nature of their relationship is unclear. Many novels and film adaptations have idealized the story describing how the young lovers consummated their marriage. However, it is worth noting that it would be impossible to keep his engagement, if it had been accomplished and several of his biographers have suggested that Anne had seen too many reputations ruined to risk hers. A Catholic priest, George Cavendish, who had disliked her but was friendly with Henry Percy, later stated categorically that they had never been lovers. This appears unlikely that their relationship was sexual.

The idyll was broken in 1523 when Lord Henry's father refused to support the compromise. One theory is that the link was broken in secret, Cardinal Wolsey, Henry's chief minister, because King wanted to Anne for himself. It is impossible to know precisely if this was so, and historians are divided. The evidence, statements made by the sister of Anne, Mary and her husband, Sir William Carey, indicates that Henry was then involved in an affair with Mary Boleyn.

According to George Cavendish, Anne briefly sent the court a rural farm family, but no one knows for how long. When the court again assembled a coterie of friends and admirers and became famous for his ability to keep men away. The poet Sir Thomas Wyatt, wrote about it in the poem Whoso List to Hunt, which described it as unaffordable and headstrong, despite appearing to be demure and quiet. In 1525, Henry VIII fell in love with her and started chase.