An ancient castle dating back to the time of William the Conqueror- Windsor Castle does not immediately spark images of Anne Boleyn like the Tower of London and Hever Castle do but it is in fact a place she visited on many occasions.
Windsor Castle
Most notably, it is at Windsor Castle on the 1st September 1532 that Anne Boleyn received the title of marquis of Pembroke. It was a lavish ceremony witnessed by many members of the nobility. Whether or not Henry conferred the title on Anne as a way of increasing her social status so that her upcoming marriage to the king might be better received or simply as a ‘gift’ to Anne for having waited out the king’s long and painstaking divorce from Catherine of Aragon is not clear but I imagine it was a combination of the two. The following is an extract from Eric Ives’ The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn (2004):
If she was to meet him now (Francis I) as England’s intended queen, she needed status. This she was given at an impressive ceremony in Windsor Castle on the morning of Sunday, 1st September. There, her hair about shoulders and her ermine-trimmed crimson velvet hardly visible under the jewels, Anne was conducted into the king’s presence by Garter King-at-Arms, with the countesses of Rutland and Derby, and her cousin Mary Howard, the Duke of Richmond’s prospective wife, carrying the crimson velvet mantle and gold coronet of a marquis. Henry was flanked by the dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk and surrounded by the court, with the officers at arms in their tabards and La Pommeraye as a guest of honour. Anne kneeled to the king, while Stephen Gardiner read out a patent conferring on her in her own right and on her offspring the title of marquis of Pembroke. Henry placed on her the mantle and coronet and handed her the patent of nobility, plus another granting lands worth 1000 pounds a year.
Windsor Castle
Another documented visit occurred in the summer of 1533, after Anne’s coronation, when Henry refused to go on the usual summer progress due to Anne’s delicate condition and so the newlyweds retired to Windsor where Henry could hunt and Anne could wait patiently for her confinement and the birth of her ‘son’.
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle rightfully deserves its spot on the Tudor Trail and is an important stop on the Anne Boleyn journey. St. George’s chapel is also the final resting place of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour so it is well worth the visit!
St. George's Chapel
For more information on visiting the castle visit:
http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/default.asp?action=article&ID=34
Sources:
Ives, E. The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn, 2004.
Marsden, J. Winterbottom, M. Windsor Castle Official Souvenir Guide, 2009.
Thanks for the great information on Anne at Windsor. I didn’t realize that she was made Marquis of Pembroke here. That is very interesting. I visited Windsor last year and enjoyed it, including the Henry VIII Gate which still bore the Tudor Rose and Katherine of Aragon’s Pomegranate.
Hi Elizabeth,
I too hadn’t realised that this ceremony was held at Windsor. I’ve read so much about Anne Boleyn and about her being made marquis of Pembroke but had never researched where it took place until I came across the information while researching Anne’s connection to Windsor. I have actually come across some other very interesting information related to Anne and Windsor but want to confirm it with some other sources before talking about it here- so stay tuned!
I also visited Windsor last year and am now a little sad that I didn’t know this information then as I would’ve loved to have thought about Anne dressed in her ermine trimmed crimson velvet and covered in beautiful jewellery while I was there. Oh well, always next time.