Anne Boleyn has been described as both a saintly woman who started the English Reformation, and as a "goggle-eyed whore" who wrecked a happy marriage and was the most notorious woman in Christendom. As most people are, Anne Boleyn fell somewhere near the middle. Certainly, she was the center of major events in both politics and religion, and effected much change, lasting long after her death. However, she was also quick tempered and ambitious, and was not above seeing that her way was met, even at the expense of others. Anne was a woman who went from being a complete unknown to one of the most famous women in her time, and as such, much of her life remains a mystery. Since she was not liked by most people, the image that is left to us is coloured by prejudice, and we cannot know what she was really like. There was no such thing as an unbiased press in her day, so historians must put together the pieces of the puzzle and read between the lines in order to get a more well rounded idea of her personality.

Anne was clearly a very talented and intelligent woman. She was able to read and write in both English and French, quite an accomplishment for a woman in the 16th century, and also excelled in "courtly" pastimes, such as singing, dancing, and acting. She designed much of her own clothing and was a trendsetter in fashion; all the ladies at court followed her example. Also, she was a gifted poet and musician, and a few pieces still exist that are believed to be written by her. She also enjoyed hunting, archery, and falconry, and enjoyed watching jousts and other mediaeval pageants. Anne had a great love of animals, especially her beloved greyhound. Far from being a retiring woman, Anne took great interest in the running of the country, and influenced much of the policies adopted in her reign as Henry VIII's queen. In short, she was active in both body and mind, and shared many of the same interests as Henry himself.

Anne's appearance is also up for debate. She is usually described as being only moderately attractive, having a middle height, slender frame, and thick, long black hair. Her eyes, described as "black and beautiful", were said to be her best feature. Her skin was described as "sallow", or yellowish, and her bosom "not much raised." She also had the dubious honour of being said to have several small defects, including a wen, or large mole, on her neck, and a small deformity on her right hand, described as either an extra nail on her small finger, or as a sixth finger. Most of these claims, however, were made by hostile people after her death, so these should be discounted as false. The fact that Anne held the attentions of a king for well over eight or nine years, as well as being admired by several others, suggests that she was indeed attractive, and almost certainly not deformed. She was not considered a conventional beauty, since the preference was, as is today, for fair, blond-haired women, yet she had a magnetic aura that drew many near her. She still commands attention almost 500 years after her death.

The exact date of birth of Anne Boleyn can never be known for certain. Since the birth of a second daughter into a family of only moderate social standing was not considered newsworthy, no official record exists of her birth. For this reason, historians argue greatly as to the exact year of her birth. Tradition has held that she was born around 1507, since one document describes her as being "not quite 29 years of age" at her death, placing her birth near April or May of 1507. Now, several historians argue that she was born much earlier, perhaps as early as 1500-01, on the basis that she would have been too young to enter the Austrian and French courts as a "fille d'honneur", or lady-in-waiting. However, I tend to agree with the later date of 1507, since Anne's father was exceptionally ambitious and probably saw the value in encouraging Anne's obvious talent and precocious nature. Also, Anne is on several occasions mentioned explicitly in documents as being "bright and pleasant for her young age", implying that she was younger than was usual. Also, it seems likely that Henry would have been more likely to fall for a young woman of nineteen than a mature woman of twenty-six. Nineteen was considered well beyond a marriageable age, twenty-six would have seemed almost spinsterish in the 1500's, and while Henry clearly loved Anne, he also needed a woman who would likely be able to bear him healthy (male) children.

Anne Boleyn was the youngest surviving child of Elizabeth Howard and Thomas Boleyn. Again, it's hard to know for certain the exact placement of birth the three children fall in, but it seems probable that Mary was the oldest, perhaps born around 1500(?), then George at 1504(?), and finally Anne at 1507. This places Anne at the very young age of 6 or 7 when her first major event happened. In 1513, she was sent off to the Hapsburg court to serve the regent Margaret of Austria. Sea travel was always difficult, and this voyage seems to have been worse than usual. It is thought that Anne hated sea travel, perhaps because of such a horrible journey at such a young age. However, Anne bounced back and showed herself to be worthy in the court atmosphere. She quickly began learning French and was fascinated by the worldly Margaret. In an ironic twist of irony, one of her strongest future opponents, Charles V of Spain, was also brought up in the same court, though he would have been several years older than Anne and of a much higher station. It is therefore doubtful that they would have known each other very well at the time. Regardless of this, it was a perfect way for Anne to learn all she could, for it was thought that the most refined courts were abroad in Europe, especially in France.

So, when the opportunity came for Anne to be transferred to the French court in 1514, Sir Thomas immediately seized it. At this time, an alliance with France was being devised, and Henry arranged for his younger sister Mary to wed the French king, Louis XII; a marriage of opposites, since Mary was young and vivacious, and Louis was a elderly man of fifty-two! Therefore, when Mary was sent to France, English attendants were required, and since Anne could also speak French, she fit perfectly into this arrangement. Also, Anne had the joy of being reunited with her sister Mary, since Mary also joined the retinue for the royal marriage. It was here that the differences between the two sisters became apparent, for while Anne was learning all she could about the arts, music and fashion, her sister Mary became schooled in other things, and acquired a rather tarnished reputation. The French court under Francis was by all means a sexual one, and Mary seemed to be enjoying herself a little too much for the taste of the French.

Sadly, the royal marriage didn't last long; Louis died only a few months later on January 1, 1515. Although Mary didn't exactly grieve her husband's death, her position was difficult as a young widow in a foreign land. Louis' successor, the infamous Francis I, was concerned that Mary might be pregnant and bear the King's child, barring him from the throne. To add to this, it seems the new king was attracted to the newly widowed queen, and Mary had a hard time avoiding his advances. When the man she loved, Charles Brandon, visited France, he secretly married Mary, incurring the wrath of her royal brother, Henry, when they returned safely back to England.

Since Mary was now back in England, there was little need for the large household of English ladies, and while most returned back to their homeland, Anne stayed on. It seems that the new French queen, Claude, was taken by the "la petite Boulaine", and since it fit in well with her father's ambitious schemes that she stay on in France, Anne served in Claude's household. Mary Boleyn, however, seems to have left in a bit of disgrace, and Anne vowed that she would never follow her example. In fact, although many enemies described Anne as a loose woman of infamous character, she was on the contrary quite chaste and moral for her time. In France, Anne learned from two remarkable and different woman, the new queen, Claude, and King Francis' sister, Marguerite d'Angouleme. While Claude was deemed virtuous and quiet, Marguerite was extremely cultured and participated greatly in matters of state. At this time, religious reform under Martin Luther began in Germany, and Marguerite took great interest in the new learnings. It seems clear that Marguerite was a great influence on Anne, since much of Anne's personality and political leanings can be described as being similar to Marguerite's. Yet serving Queen Claude was also good for Anne, teaching her reserve and maidenly behaviour.

In June of 1520, a famous meeting between the French and English kings, called the Field of Cloth of Gold, took place, and it is likely that Anne was an attendant of Queen Claude's and may have seen Henry VIII for the first time. Certainly, it was an exciting and expensive spectacle, but the meeting was merely for show and held no political significance. However, Anne continued to thrive in France, and it soon became thought that "no one would have taken her to be English by her manners, but a native-born Frenchwoman." It is this young, cultured woman of fourteen in late 1521 that returned to England to dazzle the English court.