On a bright Whitsunday, June 1st, 1533, Anne Boleyn’s dreams culminated in a coronation unlike any other witnessed in English history. After a tense wait, she finally emerged from the Tower of London, no longer a guest but a queen. The Tower itself had undergone a transformation, its apartments refurbished to befit her new status. As she processed through the streets of London, she was a radiant vision, a queen in all but name. Adorned in rich purple velvet trimmed with ermine, Anne Boleyn rode in an open carriage, acknowledging the cheers of the crowd.
Westminster Abbey awaited, and the ceremony that unfolded there was a powerful statement. Anne wasn’t merely being crowned queen consort; she was afforded the same ceremonial honours traditionally reserved for reigning monarchs. Archbishop Cranmer placed the St Edward’s Crown upon her head, a weighty symbol of her status and the future king or queen she carried.
Three months later Anne Boleyn gave birth to a healthy baby girl, the future Queen Elizabeth I.
