Member
ChevIn 1534 Britain, Henry the Eighth has died in a roughly successful campaign in France. Defending the English occupied France from its late king, in a series of gruesome battles of attrition, Henry VIII, King of England, died before returning home of sweating sickness, just as his mother and father had before him. Thus his current wife, Anne, is proclaimed Queen, making their only child, Elizabeth heir to the throne above all. Crowned with mixed hopes of the people for the new queen, since the Protestantism has taken various roots in the country from German bishops, threatening to shake the vary island to its foundations. The widowed queen to the throne under bombardment to find a spouse, pending on the religion that will shape the very future of England. Many do not trust this widow Queen, rumors of her being a Witch circling through court, but she is as beautiful and charming as ever. Perhaps this young, dark Queen will be able to do as none have done before her.
Note: This is a politics based roleplay where cheating, lying, backstabbing and down right low down nonsense will either get you ahead or lose your head. Various positions are open, I will reserve judgment on the sheets pending on what you have written. You could be a lowly knight and rise to a duke or a scandalous man of the cloth. Ladies while not having to much 'Official' power can court, tempt and/or marry important figures to influence and get what you need.
Anne Tudor, Anne Boleyn, Marquess of Pembroke, Queen of England, France and Lady of Ireland
Age: 26 years of age
Bio/Personality:
Anne was the daughter of Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, and his wife, Lady Elizabeth Howard, and was educated in the Netherlands and France, largely as a maid of honour to Claude of France. She returned to England in early 1522, to marry her Irish cousin James Butler, 9th Earl of Ormond; the marriage plans ended in failure and she secured a post at court as maid of honour to Henry VIII's wife, Catherine of Aragon.
Early in 1523 there was a secret betrothal between Anne and Henry Percy, son of the 5th Earl of Northumberland. In January 1524, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey broke the betrothal, Anne was sent back home to Hever Castle, and Percy was married to Lady Mary Talbot, to whom he had been betrothed since adolescence. In February/March 1526, Henry VIII began his pursuit of Anne. She resisted his attempts to seduce her, refusing to become his mistress – which her sister Mary had been. It soon became the one absorbing object of Henry's desires to annul his marriage to Queen Catherine so he would be free to marry Anne. When it became clear that Pope Clement VII would not annul the marriage, the breaking of the power of the Catholic Church in England began. In 1532, Henry granted her the Marquessate of Pembroke.
Henry and Anne married on 25 January 1533. On 23 May 1533, Thomas Cranmer declared Henry and Catherine's marriage null and void; five days later, he declared Henry and Anne's marriage to be good and valid. Shortly afterwards, the Pope decreed sentences of excommunication against Henry and Cranmer. As a result of this marriage and these excommunications, the first break between the Church of England and Rome took place and the Church of England was brought under the King's control. Anne was crowned Queen of England on 1 June 1533. On 7 September, she gave birth to the future Queen Elizabeth I, whose gender disappointed Henry. He was not entirely discouraged, for he said that a son would surely follow and professed to love Elizabeth.
Yet as war broke out with France, he left quickly and said to of brought his mistress with him to battle. After the campaign, the sweating sickness took hold and carried him to fast yet painful death. Anne, seemingly bitter at her husband's constant and recent rejection, shed tears only before the people. Her daughter, Elizabeth, was sent to her own personal manor, to be governed and raised over by a relative. And thus Queen Anne of Britain reigns over all her husband had once ruled over.
I have never had better opinions of woman than I had of her. — Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, Anne Boleyn’s pastor and Boleyn family friend.
For her behaviour, manners, attire and tongue she excelled them all. — Lancelot de Carles
Her excellent grace and behaviour — George Cavendish, usher to Cardinal Wolsey, when explaining why Anne stood out from the rest of women at court.
She (Anne) knew perfectly how to sing and dance…to play the lute and other instruments. — Lancelot de Carles
Imbued with as many outward good qualities in playing on instruments, singing, and such other courtly graces, as few women were of her time. — William Thomas
I find her so bright and pleasant for her young age that I am more beholden to you for sending her to me than you are to me. — Archduchess Margaret of Austria, who trained Anne as a maid of honour in her household.
As for plot it would be the French monarchy going against Queen Anne and an inner turmoil, since Anne has a mixed review from most people in court. Some many are enchanted, others abhor her. Some women find her angelic, others find her to be a wolf in sheep's clothing. Britain is being slashed in two between Protestant and Catholics, those who support her and those who disclaim her as a false queen, not sanctioned by the Pope and Catholic church. Some think she might have hexed ,cursed or poisoned the previous queen, though she denies any involvement. So how shall you, the peers take sides? Are you for the strong and generous Queen Anne, or are you forever loyal to the Catholic Church. Or perhaps you are French as wish to take back you lands, in the name of your own King. Choose wisely, for whomever does not, they might mysteriously die, just as the previous queen did, or parish as the late king and his mistress were said to of. Is Anne a witch or a woman of power? And will France be in her graces for much longer? This is for the politic and fate to decide.
