Supposed letter by Anne Boleyn

Portrait of an Italian lady by Frans Pourbus, incorrectly identified by some as Anne Boleyn

I have only recently come across this letter supposedly written by Anne Boleyn to an acquaintance sometime after 1524.

First printed in 1769 as part of an article by an anonymous author comparing 18^th century manners to those of previous centuries.

Elizabeth Norton in ‘Anne Boleyn: In Her Own Words & the Words of Those Who Knew Her’ describes how the anonymous author claimed a friend had given him the letter along with the assurance that it was in fact written by Anne Boleyn before becoming queen (Pg.32).

Norton goes on to say that the author himself questioned the authenticity as he found that ‘there is something curious in the production.’ He also stated that he published it as he was given it, only ‘modernizing the style for the convenience of my readers’.

If would be wonderful if the letter was genuine as it would give us insight into Anne’s early years and arrival back at court but there is something very strange about the style. What immediately comes to mind is someone modern (well, Victorian) trying to take on the role of Anne.

Unfortunately, as Norton points out, the forger didn’t do a very convincing job. Apart from the style being far from Tudor, there are other obvious errors:

• The reference to Lord of Leicester is incorrect as this title was held by the Crown until Elizabeth I created Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester
• Elizabeth Fitzgerald, ‘ the Fair Geraldine’ was not born until 1527 and, according to Norton, no evidence exists to confirm that she was ever Surrey’s mistress

In conclusion I don’t believe this is at all reliable and in all honesty, think it is a very sorry attempt at forgery!

I am sure many of us could do a more convincing job.

But, as always, I leave it up to you to make your own decision. Try not to laugh too much…

Dear Mary,

I have been in town almost a month, I can’t say I have found any thing in London extremely agreeable, we rise so late in the morning, seldom before six o’clock, and sit up so late at night, being scarcely in bed before ten, that I am quite sick of it, and was it not for the abundance of fine things I am every day getting, I should be impatient for returning into the country. My mother, my indulgent mother, bought me yesterday, at a Merchant’s in Cheapside, three new shirts that cost fourteen-pence en ell, and I m to have a pair of stuff shoes, for my Lord of Norfolk’s ball, which will actually come in three shillings. The irregular life I have led since my coming to this place, has quite destroyed my appetite; you know I could manage almost a pound of bacon and a tankard of good ale for my breakfast, in the country; but here I find it difficult to get through half the quantity; though I must own, that I am generally eager enough for the dinner-hour, which is here unconscionably delayed til twelve in your polite families. I played at Hotcockles last night at the Lord of Leicester’; the Lord of Surrey was there, a very elegant young fellow, who sung us a song of his own composition on the Lord of Kildare’s daughter; it was very much approved and my brother whispered me, that the fair Geraldine, so the Lord of Surrey stiles his mistress, is the finest woman of the age. I should be glad to see her; for I hear she is as good as she is beautiful. Pray, my dear Mary, take care of the poultry, during my absence; poor things I always fed them myself: and if Margery has knitted me the crimson worsted mittings, I should be glad they were sent up the first opportunity. Adieu, my dear Mary, I am just going to mass, and you shall be speedily have the prayers, as you now have the kindest love of your own

Anne Boleyn

(Norton, Pg. 33)