Anyone not living under a rock (or who has been watching the CBC series The Tudors) is probably marginally acquainted with the story of King Henry VIII.

For my own purposes though, I’d like to recap King Henry VIII’s history as it concerns Anne Boleyn.

King Henry VIII’s court is a great centre of scholarly learning, artistic endeavours and “glamorous excess”. Henry himself is an accomplished musician, hunter, poet, sportsman and lover. However, for all his love and pursuit of the fairer sex, his own wife, Catherine of Aragon, is unable to provide him with the much needed and expected male heir to the throne.

That Catherine is a faithful and loyal wife, the keeper of his household and much beloved by the people of England does not concern Henry – he is anxious for a male heir and grows discontented with Catherine and blames her for not giving him a son.

Enter Anne Boleyn.

Anne is by all accounts an attractive, intelligent and accomplished young lady. Unfortunately she is also deceitful, vindictive, coldly ambitious, short-tempered and jealous.

Anne’s past is, in part, hushed up. She has been betrothed to James Butler, but no wedding ever occured. She was also courted by Henry Percy, they were engaged (and possibly lovers) however, no marriage ever took place. Anne’s older sister, Mary, failed to engage the king’s interest for very long and the Boleyns looked to Anne as their only hope of rising up in the world. Anne herself is not adverse to this. Why take a fairly common man when you can have a king?

Anne becomes a lady-in-waiting to Queen Catherine and one of the most popular young women at court. She is referred to as a “glass of fashion” and becomes known for her ability to hold men at arms length while retaining their good opinion and never losing her allure. King Henry is instantly enamoured.

King Henry courts Anne and, unlike most of his conquests, she refuses him until he promises that she will be his lawful wife and queen. Only then could she in good conscience be with him as he wished. Henry is utterly besotted and agrees to her demands.

Catherine is soon banished from court and all her old rooms are turned over to Anne.  Henry lavishes affection and trinkets on her – and soon enough they are secretly betrothed and then married. Only when Anne becomes pregnant do they have a public ceremony.

Anne has many of the King’s former advisors and aides executed on trumped up charges which are fully supported by King Henry. Anne’s immediate happiness and security is his first and foremost thought and his former supporters, already wary of Anne, pull away from Henry as well.

King Henry’s infatuation with Anne was not to last. The excitement of the chase was over, the thrill of secret betrothals and marriages was over and – worse – Anne had still not produced a son and heir. King Henry began to look for a way out that would leave him free and guiltless while Anne, unaware of her precarious position, spent money freely on whatever her heart desired.

Eventually, Anne is accused of adultery, incest and treason and is executed only days after some of her closest friends at court – including her own brother – are executed on similar charges.

Barring a few of the details (royal blood, executions, charges of treason etc.) King Henry and Anne’s relationship is not unlike some relationships I have witnessed personally.

I suppose it’s an old story really; wealthy young man meets beautiful opportunistic girl, falls in love, gets screwed over and loses his marbles. It’s old hat, but it still happens.

What puzzles me is why it still happens. Are these young men really that insulated from reality? Has life really been so easy for them that when a beautiful girl falls into their arms they really believe it’s that simple and easy and forever? Are the charms of these young women so potent that young men can’t see avarice and indifference when it’s looking them in the eye?

I suppose this is the benefit of a low-cut clothing and bedroom eyes, but it all seems so ridiculous!

And what about the Queen Catherines of the world? Where do they fit in? I would say that in Catherine’s case she was a martyr to the misery of having such a selfish shit for a husband. Then again, who hasn’t done this? Are there people who can say once they realized they were throwing good love after bad that they just stopped and moved on? I can’t say that of myself – I’m the sort to pine and dissect things at least for a time.

Catherine of Aragon proclaimed herself the true wife of King Henry and the true Queen of England right to the end. She never once wavered in her belief in their marriage and she always loved the Henry she saw in him even though it was rarely the Henry she got in reality.

That kind of faith in another is either rare and precious or completely stupid and pointless – I can’t decide which.