---
node: anne_boleyn
type: person
slug: anne_boleyn
title: "Anne Boleyn"
lead: "Anne Boleyn was the second wife of Henry VIII and mother of Elizabeth I. Her marriage triggered England's break with Rome, and she was executed on charges now widely regarded as fabricated."
published: 2026-07-11
updated: 2026-07-11
image_file: anne_boleyn.jpg
image_source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AnneBoleynHever.jpg"
image_author: "English school"
image_license: "Public domain"
---

## Who they were

Henry's determination to marry Anne drove the annulment crisis and the break with the pope; they married in 1533 and she was crowned queen. She gave birth to the future Elizabeth I but no surviving son. In 1536 she was arrested on charges of adultery, incest, and treason, convicted, and beheaded at the Tower — charges most historians consider trumped up.

## What they did

As queen she promoted reform-minded clergy and influenced the early English Reformation before her sudden fall.

## Legacy

Anne is remembered as a pivotal figure of the Reformation and as her daughter Elizabeth I's mother. Her rise and execution have made her one of the most written-about of English queens.