Few places are as deeply connected to Anne Boleyn’s story as the Tower of London. Today, it stands as one of England’s most famous landmarks, a site of royal ceremonies, imprisonments, and executions. For Anne, it was the setting of both her greatest triumph and her darkest hour. From her pre-coronation stay in the Tower’s royal apartments to her imprisonment and execution just three years later, its walls bear witness to the rise and fall of Henry VIII’s most infamous queen.
In this post, I will explore Anne’s time at the Tower – both as a celebrated queen-to-be and as a condemned traitor – as well as the lasting impact of her story on this historic site.
Anne’s First Visit: A Glimpse of Queenship (1532)
Anne’s first known visit to the Tower of London came in December 1532, just before she became Henry VIII’s wife. At this point, Anne and Henry had been involved for years, and he had spent much of that time fighting for their marriage to be recognised. On this visit, Henry brought Anne to view the crown jewels and tour the royal lodgings, including the apartments traditionally reserved for a queen.
It’s easy to imagine Anne walking through the Tower’s grand spaces, taking in the sights, and realizing just how close she was to becoming queen. The symbolism of the visit was clear: she was being shown the world that awaited her. Henry, ever the showman, would have wanted to impress Anne with the wealth and majesty of the monarchy. Perhaps she even laid eyes on the coronation regalia that would soon be used for her own grand ceremony.
For Anne, this visit must have been both thrilling and surreal. The Tower would later become the site of her imprisonment and death, but at this moment, it represented nothing but promise.
Anne’s Coronation and Her Days of Triumph (1533)
Anne’s next stay at the Tower was in May 1533, when she took part in the long-standing tradition of a queen consort spending time there before her coronation. This custom allowed the new queen to prepare for her formal entry into London and receive visiting dignitaries.
Anne’s accommodations would have been lavish – fit for the first crowned queen England had seen in decades. She stayed in the now-lost royal apartments, which were later destroyed, but at the time, they would have been a magnificent setting for a queen at the height of her power.
On the 29th of May, Anne left the Tower in a grand procession, traveling through London on a golden barge as thousands of spectators lined the streets. Just days later, she was crowned at Westminster Abbey in a ceremony filled with Tudor pageantry. The crown placed on her head was not the one traditionally used for queens but rather the imperial crown of England – an unmistakable statement of her legitimacy and Henry’s defiance of Rome.
At this point, Anne’s future seemed secure. She was pregnant with the long-awaited heir, and Henry had moved heaven and earth to make her his queen. But within three years, the very same Tower apartments that had been the setting of her triumph would become her prison.
From Queen to Prisoner: Anne’s Fall from Grace (1536)
On the 2nd of May 1536, Anne Boleyn was arrested and taken to the Tower of London. The rooms that had once celebrated her rise now confined her as she awaited her fate.
Accounts of Anne’s imprisonment reveal a woman in shock, struggling to process the betrayal and accusations against her. Though she reportedly maintained composure at times, she also displayed moments of deep distress – laughing hysterically before collapsing into tears.
For 17 days, she remained in the Tower, knowing that Henry had already turned against her. Her trial was a formality; the verdict had been decided long before she stepped into the courtroom. On the 15th of May, Anne was found guilty of adultery, treason, and plotting the king’s death. The punishment was execution.
On the morning of the 19th of May 1536, Anne walked out of her apartments for the final time. Dressed in a grey gown with a crimson underdress, she made her way to the scaffold. Before the gathered spectators, she delivered a short speech, carefully avoiding any words that might criticise the king. Moments later, she was beheaded by a French swordsman in what was, by the brutal standards of the time, a swift and merciful execution.
Anne’s body was placed in an arrow chest and buried in the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula within the Tower grounds, where she still rests today.
The Tower’s Legacy and My Personal Reflections
Anne Boleyn’s presence still lingers at the Tower. Visitors can walk the grounds where she once stood, see the site of her execution, and visit the chapel where she is buried. Though her apartments are long gone, the weight of history remains, and the Tower continues to be a place where her story feels tangible.
Every time I visit the Tower, I find myself struck by the sheer contrast between Anne’s two visits. The first, filled with excitement and possibility; the second, marked by fear and injustice. Standing on the execution site, it’s hard not to imagine what must have been going through her mind in those final moments.
The Tower of London holds Anne Boleyn’s legacy in its walls. It was the backdrop for her greatest triumph and her most heartbreaking downfall, making it one of the most important sites in her story. Today, visitors can stand in the very places she once occupied, reflecting on the woman who changed England forever.
If you have ever visited the Tower, what was your experience like? Do you feel a connection to Anne’s story when you’re there? Let me know in the comments!
