The Death of Queen Ann Boleyn By Henry Tudor alias Ray Irving.

Hi again everyone,

It seems that Pamela's article has raised more questions than answers about why Anne was beheaded. I myself have done some further research on the matter and have come across articles which seem to back up the male heir theory as well as several other theories.

So I decided to ask a very good friend of mine, Ray Irving who has portrayed Henry VIII for nearly two years, for his insight on the subject. Ray has had the privilege of being asked to do part of a series with Rolf Harris during his Rolf on art programmes for the BBC, as well as constructing several ekits for use by primary school children, which have been authorized by the British Education department. You can visit Ray's site at www.henrytudor.co.uk

I hope by posting Ray's reply that we will be able to draw a line under the issue of Anne and move forward form here:

The Queen Ann Boleyn question has been answered by many people over the years from just one perspective, the Male heir problem. But, there was much more to it than just that, so here's my view which had been formulated by reading all books about Henry, visiting all the Castles and Palaces frequented by Henry, talking to HRP themselves and seeing behind the ropes at Hampton Court and finally being Henry for the past 18 months.

It goes back to the days when Ann Boleyn (Bollin) was a young girl with childlike looks, the sister of Mary who was King Henry's favorite mistress whilst still married to Catherine. His Queen Catherine after many confinements and still-births had grown fat and tired, whilst Henry still had some of the vigor of strength from his sporting life. Henry had proved to the world that he could Father a son because he named his illegitimate son by his mistress Bessie Blount, Henry Fiztroy. Fitzroy means Son-of-Royal who was purposely put into the public arena to prove Henry's manhood. Mary Boleyn a now married woman, to William Carey, had a son called Henry Carey who went on to be very prominent in Royal Courts, that also makes one wonder about who was the father! Getting back to Ann, she knew that Henry fancied her, she played him for 6 years before giving herself to him as a lover. Getting pregnant before marriage, Henry thought that a Boy was going to be born from a woman who rekindled the desires in his now aging body.

The annulment of Catherine's marriage became a national scandal, disapproved by the people who adored Catherine and making Ann the focus of hate. Henry was disappointed by the birth of the child another girl, Elizabeth. However Ann promised a Boy next time. Ann became more and more tired of Henry's advances, his eagerness to produce a boy by legitimate bond and his disappointment with Ann herself who was now not a secret, a desire to him. When the next child, a boy, died in childbirth it was the last straw for Henry, he had taken another mistress, Jane Seymour to rekindle the lost desire and he was looking for a way out of the marriage to Ann. His advisor, Cromwell was a devious character and thought up the framing of Ann to be a witch in the eyes of the people. Remember the people already hated Ann, so her fate was set.

The show trial, the fake evidence, even the myths about the six fingers were all thrown at Ann who didn't stand a chance.

At her execution Ann, spoke her mind and told the world of her belief that Henry had framed her, she was an innocent being murdered by the state so that Henry could have another go for a son with another woman. Losing her head was the noble death of a traitor, hanging-drawing-quartering would have been the other for non-nobles. Henry had a brief moment of compassion and gave Ann the sword executioner from France instead of the rough axe. Even this had some errors in it, the French swordsman was hired because Henry wanted the French to kill his Queen, after-all they had changed her name from Bollin to Boleyn, they had indoctrinated her mind with French court ways and he wanted to fight France.

Poor old Ann, the hapless victim of a ruthless, tyrannical, zealous man who held the power of life and death. She didn't stand a chance. Remember just what happened before the execution, Henry annulled the marriage on the grounds of Bewitchment, thus making his own daughter illegitimate just like his other one. Only a cold hearted, psychopath could do such a thing.

I hope this gives an insight to the mind of Henry VIII and would like to thank Ray for his time and effort in writing this piece for my blog.

I would also like to thank everyone who has posted a reply to Pamela's article and hope you will continue coming back to this site as well as my main website, A Guide to Castles of Europe in the future.


I would like to take this final opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas

Best wish

Stuart
www.guide-to-castles-of-europe.com

Boy...! What a week this has turned out to be

Hi everyone to this weeks update.

What a week. I have not been able to keep up with all the replies and posts to Pamela's article.

I am glad that everyone has taken an interest in the subject but would just like to reiterate that this blog is mainly a means to keep everyone who is a regular visitor to my website www.guide-to-castles-of-europe.com updated on what has been happening during the week.

I am happy, also, to post articles and stories sent in by my readers on anything related to castles either it being your photos, stories, travel tales etc. I find this the best way to share with the whole internet community the romance and mystery of some of Europe's most renowned and not so popular castles

With that out the way I hope you will continue coming back to my blog and also keep on visiting my website.

I am also thinking of adding a forum to the website so people can discuss any of the stories, articles, photos or pages that have been submitted and added to my site.

What do you think? Please let me know and if the response is favorable, then I will add a new section to the site.

So! To this weeks update.

I have added one new page to my castle pictures section and it is a photo of Hampton Court Palace which was sent in by Pamela after her trip to the UK in 2005.

Lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to wish every one a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and would like to thank you all for your continual patronage.

Merry Christmas

Stuart
www.guide-to-castles-of-europe.com

Covers and Romance Models - Authors response to comments listed

Hi All,

It seems Pamela's article and interview has created a talking point about why Henry VIII's wife Anne Boleyn was executed.

Below is pamelas reply:


First of all I would like to thank you for taking the time to read my article. The Henry VIII time period continues to fascinate me. In my opinion and through my studies, Anne could have been beheaded for many reasons. What leads me to believe she was beheaded for failing to produce a son was that Henry divorced his first wife, Catherine, after trying many years for a male heir.

This is one place I based my research of the article I wrote:

http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/bios/b2henry8.htm


I hope you have enjoyed reading Pamelas article and I am sure you will enjoy her next installment.

so until next time

Best wishes and have a great week

Stuart
www.guide-to-castles-of-europe.com

The Ghosts of The Tower of London - Pt2

Hi All,

As promised in my last update, Part 2 of the Ghosts of the Tower of london is now ready for your reading enjoyment.


In this final instalment of The Ghosts of the Tower of London, you will learn about the fate of Catherine Howard and discover the treachery behind the death of Lady Jane Grey who was Queen of England for only nine days.


The most grisly execution and thus haunting is that of the 70 year old Countess of Salisbury, the last of the Plantagenets. King Henry VIII had her executed for political reasons. The feisty Countess refused to put her head on the block like a common traitor. When her executioner came after her she ran, but was pursued by him, with his axe in hand hacking at her until he had hewn the Countess to death.


Her ghost has been seen reliving this truly gruesome act. Also the shadow of a great axe has been seen falling across the scene of her murder.


At one time the Tower of London was home to the Royal Menagerie. Lions, leopards, bears, birds, monkeys and an elephant, that was a gift from the King of France, were kept on exhibit. On the stroke of midnight in January of 1815 a sentry saw a bear from this menagerie emerge from a doorway. He lunged at it with his bayonet, it passed right through the apparition. The Sentry was later found unconscious, it is said he died of fright within two months of this encounter.


Something unseen and very frightening is in the Salt Tower. This is one of the most haunted areas of the Tower of London complex. This is a very old section, dogs will not enter this ancient building, and ever since one of the Yeoman Warders was nearly throttled by a force unseen, they will not go in the area after nightfall.


In 1864, a soldier whose post was to guard the Queen’s House at the Tower of London, saw a apparition so real, that after ignoring the soldiers three challenges, he charged with all his might at the intruder with his bayonet, only to go straight through the figure.


He was found unconscious at his post and was court-martialled for neglecting his duty. Luckily there were two witnesses who corroborated his story. The soldier was eventually acquitted.
Lady Jane Grey is another tragic story of a young life cut short at the Tower, due to the actions of others the most despicable of who was her own father.


She was the granddaughter of Mary (Henry VIII younger sister) and Louis XII of France. The Duke of Northumberland would lose everything if Henry VIII’s son was to die and Mary, who was Catholic, would become queen.
He and her father arranged her marriage to his son and persuaded her cousin Edward VI to name her his successor in case of his death instead of his two half-sisters. When Edward VI died she was crowned Queen of England, but the supporters of Mary overthrew her.


Her own father got scared and in hopes to save his own skin, left the Tower of London and went to Tower Hill to proclaim Mary I, as the Queen of England, Lady Jane never left the tower; she and her husband were immediately imprisoned and sentenced to death. Queen Mary carried out the execution of Lady Jane’s father-in-law but set both Jane and her husband free.


Her father was involved in a rebellion against Mary I, Lady Jane and her husband were again placed in the tower. Lady Jane watched as her husband was taken to Tower Hill where he was beheaded. She saw his body being carried back to the chapel, after which she was taken to Tower Green where she was beheaded. She was only 17 years old.


Lady Jane Grey’s ghost was last seen by two Guardsmen on February 12, 1957, the 403rd anniversary of her execution. She was described as a "white shape forming itself on the battlements". Her husband, Guildford Dudley, has been seen in Beauchamp Tower weeping.


Catherine Howard escaped from her room in the Tower of London. "She ran down the hallway screaming for help and mercy. She was caught and returned to her room." The next day she was beheaded. Her ghost has been seen sill running down the hallway screaming for help.


Other strange sightings at the Tower of London have been "Phantom funeral carriages" and “A lovely veiled lady that, upon closer look proves to have a black void where her face should be."


This concludes the brief insight to the Ghosts of The Tower of London. I hope this has fired your imagination enough so that you want to learn more about the Towers most GRUESOME PAST.


If you want to read about more haunting tales then visit my Haunted Castles page, where you can find out about the strange happenings at Windsor Castle or read about the Heroic tale of the two Pomeroy Brothers.


Best Wishes and Have a Great Day


Stuart Bazga
www.guide-to-castles-of-europe.com

A Guide to Castles of Europe was born from childhood dreams and aspirations. It is my hope to educate and stimulate you into exploring these castles for youselves.
You may copy or redistribute this article in its entirety including all links.


© 2005 http://www.guide-to-castles-of-europe.com - All rights reserved.

A Readers Photo of Hever Castle added to our Castle Pictures Section

Hi Everyone and welcome to this weeks round up.

The attached photo of Hever Castle was kindly submitted for inclusion into our Castle Pictures section by Pamela Seres a subscriber and contributor to my newsletter.

The photo was taken by Pamela during her trip to the UK this summer.

So....! All you out there who are thinking will he really put my picture on show? Well the answer is yes.

So if you have any pictures of a castle/s in Europe then why not send it in.

As always I would like to say a big HELLO to all my new subscribers to The Castle Times.

Be on the look out during the next few days for Part 2 of The Ghosts of the Tower of London.

That's it until next weeks round up.

So until then
Best wishes

Stuart
www.guide-to-castles-of-europe.com

Castles & Romance Cover Models by Pamela Seres

As promised during my last update, I am proud to publish an article written especially for Guide to Castles of Europe's blog and newsletter by American author and screen writer Pamela Seres.

So...! Without any further ado, grab a cup of your favorite beverage, sit back and enjoy the fist of many special articles just for you.



Castles have always been an interest of intrigue and mystery. In the Medieval times castles were homes to Kings, Queens and nobility. My first features will cover Henry VIII and His Six Wives and the castles that they once visited. I will also interview the historical romance cover model heroes who now grace the wildly popular castle covers to see what they know about castles and the nobility that once occupied them.

King Henry's second wife was probably his most popular wife in from a historical stand point as their union brought forth England's most beloved monarch, Queen Elizabeth I.

Hever Castle, the family seat in Kent, is where Anne probably spent her early childhood. Where she was born remains the debate as two places claim her; besides Hever Castle, Blickling Hall in Norfolk claim Anne was born there. Both properties belonged to her father, Sir Thomas Boleyn so either is possible.

Hever Castle is where it is said that Henry first saw Anne and first fell inlove with her despite having previously had her sister, Mary, as mistress who gave birth to one of King Henry's illegitimate children.

Anne had taken refuge at Hever Castle many times during her courtship with the King that led to her eventual marriage to Henry. We all know how that marriage turned out as she was beheaded for failing to produce a male heir. Hever Castle was later given to Anne of Cleves, Henry's fourth wife, who spent many of her last years of her life there.

Today many romance novels feature castles as the back drop for their stories. Castles brings us our dark but tormented heroes with mystery.

I have interviewed, Bill Freda, a Mr. Romance winner and cover model to get his take on what he knows about the fascinating castle covers he is on.


Why do you think that castles are an interest to many? And what if anything intrigues you about them?

I think castles are of interest because they hold many memories. Castles are not of our present era, thus they are filled with history, riches, and sometimes the supernatural. Castles have housed some of our greatest heroes, and even some villains. Royalty, power, and wealth, all things that are sought after by many. All of these things intrigue me about castles, but most of all...... the ability to go explore and get lost in such a structure. When I visited castles in Germany and England, I was more interested in the rooms that were not on the tour, than the ones that were!

What do you know about King Henry VIII & His Six Wives?

I know that if he knew the sex of a baby was determined by the man's chromosomes, there might have been a different type of head being cut off!!!

Would you ever contemplate Six Wives?

Only if I could keep them in different corners of the country and split my time equally at two months each! Having them all together in one place like Hugh Heffner is just asking for trouble!!!

What, so far if anything, have you learned about being the Dark Castle Lord, by being on a romance cover and working with the industry?

I've learned that chain male is not light and very cold. Also, it's time to stop using castle backdrops, and start using real castles!


I hope you have enjoyed the above ariticle and if you have any comments or suggestion for Pamela or Bill, then please let me know and I will pass them on for you.


For more information on Bill and his work, visit his web site at: http://www.billfreda.com/ as well as Pamela's site at: http://www.pamelaseres.com/.

So until my next update

Best wishes and have a great day

Stuart
www.guide-to-castles-of-europe.com

One new page added

I hope you will have enjoyed reading the first installment of The Ghosts of the Tower of London.

As mentioned in my previous posts, Ray Irving (aka Henry VIII) has sent me some more pictures of him dressed in all his royal splendor. This is the second of three and is Ray, sorry Henry with his pet Boo.

Also during the coming week I will be adding a short article which was written for inclusion of my newsletter by Pamela Seres, who as you know is a contributing author to our newsletter.

So..! Keep an eye out for it during the week.

That is it for this time around and as always I look forward to your company again next week.

Stuart

www.guide-to-castles-of-europe.com

The Ghosts of the Tower of London - Pt1

Hi Everyone,

As promissed last week here is the first part of the Ghosts of the tower of London. I hope you enjoy the read.



Over the coming week, I hope to lead you on a journey of discovery and adventure. Briefly taking a glimpse into a past so horrid. Of haunting tales and ghastly ends that awaited so many of her most famous occupants. Firing your imagination, so that you will delve deeper into her history for yourselves.

During her long and illustrious 900 years, The Tower of London has developed into one of the most haunted places in Britain. She has been home to beheadings and murders, torture and hangings, as well as being a prison to Queens and Nobles alike.

Thomas A. Becket is "the first reported sighting of a ghost at the Tower of London."

During the construction on the Inner Curtain Wall in the 13th century, Thomas appeared apparently unhappy about the construction, and it is said he reduced the wall to rubble with a strike of his cross. Henry III’s grandfather was responsible for the death of Thomas Becket, so Henry III wasted no time building a chapel in the Tower of London, naming it for the archbishop.

This must have pleased Thomas’ ghost because there were no further interruptions during the construction of the wall.

The Bloody Tower was the scene of the infamous disappearance of the two princes; Edward V (12) and Richard Duke of York (10), who are thought to have been murdered in 1483 on the probable command of the Duke of Gloucestershire, who was to be crowned Richard the III.
According to one story, guards in the late 15th century, who were passing the Bloody Tower, spotted the shadows of two small figures gliding down the stairs still wearing the white night shirts they had on the night they disappeared. They stood silently, hand in hand, before fading back into the stones of the Bloody Tower.

These figures were identified as the ghosts of the two princes. In 1674 workmen found a chest that contained the skeletons of two young children, they were thought to be the remains of the princess, and were given a royal burial not long afterwards. The story of the little princes is still to this day a heartbreaking story. They are "among the most poignant ghosts" in the Tower of London.

The most persistent ghost in The Tower of London is the ghost of Queen Anne Boleyn.

The King, Henry VIII, after learning the baby she carried for nine months was a boy and still born, accused by her of infidelity and treason.

She was taken to TOWER GREEN and was beheaded on May 19, 1536. Queen Anne appears near the Queen’s House, close to the site where her execution was carried out. She can be seen leading a ghostly procession of Lords and Ladies down the aisle of the Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula.

She floats down the aisle to her final resting place. Queen Anne is buried under the Chapel’s altar. Her headless body has also been seen walking the corridors of the Tower.

Sir Walter Raleigh lived quite comfortable compared to others who were imprisoned within the walls of the Bloody Tower. His "rooms" are still furnished as they were in the 16th century, and can be seen when visiting the Tower today. He was executed by James I, and has been seen looking exactly as he does in his portrait hanging in the Bloody Tower.

I hope you have enjoyed Pt1 to The Ghosts of The Tower of London. In Pt2 we discover what happend to Catherine Howard and Lady Jane Grey as well as the Horrific end to the Countess of Salisbury.

If these tales have brought your imagination back to life and you want to discover more ghostly and gruesome stories of times past. Then pay a visit to my Haunted Castles page where you can find out about the grisly goings on at Windsor Castle or read about the Heroic tale of the Two Brothers of Berry Pomeroy Castle in Devon.

Best wishes and have a great day!

Stuart Bazga
www.guide-to-castles-of-europe.com


© 2005 by guide-to-castles-of-europe.com - All rights reserved.
You may copy or redistribute this article in its entirety including all links.