Book Review: The Final Year of Anne Boleyn by Natalie Grueninger

Genre: History, nonfiction
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Pub date: 11 November 2022

There are few women in English history more famous or controversial than Queen Anne Boleyn. She was the second wife of Henry VIII, mother of Elizabeth I and the first English queen to be publicly executed. Much of what we think we know about her is coloured by myth and legend, and does not stand up to close scrutiny. Reinvented by each new generation, Anne is buried beneath centuries of labels: homewrecker, seductress, opportunist, witch, romantic victim, Protestant martyr, feminist. In this vivid and engaging account of the triumphant and harrowing final year of Queen Anne Boleyn’s life, the author reveals a very human portrait of a brilliant, passionate and complex woman.

The last twelve months of Anne’s life contained both joy and heartbreak. This telling period bore witness to one of the longest and most politically significant progresses of Henry VIII’s reign, improved relations between the royal couple, and Anne’s longed-for pregnancy. With the dawning of the new year, the pendulum swung. In late January 1536, Anne received news that her husband had been thrown from his horse in his tiltyard at Greenwich. Just days later, tragedy struck. As the body of Anne’s predecessor, Katherine of Aragon, was being prepared for burial, Anne miscarried her son. The promise of a new beginning dashed, the months that followed were a rollercoaster of anguish and hope, marked by betrayal, brutality and rumour. What began with so much promise, ended in silent dignity, amid a whirlwind of scandal, on a scaffold at the Tower of London.

Through close examination of these intriguing events considered in their social and historical context, readers will gain a fresh perspective into the life and death of the woman behind the tantalising tale.

There are many books on Anne Boleyn, all of which I want to read, but I was really intrigued by this one focusing purely on the last year of Anne’s life and the events leading to her death.

Anne has long been the subject of debates, theories, and myths, so I was really pleased to see Natalie’s approach in covering these points.

Natalie approaches her work with meticulous detail, using primary sources to support her points whilst also avoiding becoming fact heavy. This makes for enjoyable and very interesting reading.

I found this account to be an absolute pleasure to read. Natalie does not just focus on the dreadful events leading to Anne’s death, but also times of happiness, including going on progress with Henry, where they stayed and what those accommodation looked (in some cases, may have looked) like at the time. Even the smallest details, such as distance travelled and which rooms the royal couple may have stayed in, are included.

That’s not all! Whilst Anne and Henry are away enjoying themselves, the politics of the court do not stop. Natalie ensures the goings on at court are not omitted, including ambassador correspondence. It is always fascinating to get a glimpse of the thoughts of Chapuys!

Myths and rumours about Anne are addressed using sources and reasoning why some sources may be biased or perhaps incorrect, or could be interpreted in different ways.

If you’re looking for something that doesn’t focus on the usual content about Anne (no offence intended here, I absolutely do want to read everything) and instead offers a unique insight specifically about her final months then I really recommend this.

The Final Year of Anne Boleyn offers a very thoroughly researched, meticulously referenced, and balanced account of those final months. It can be hard not to show unconscious bias when writing, especially where the Tudors are concerned, but Natalie manages to write an excellent account without any influence of readers’ opinions about those involved.

Not only is Natalie a wonderful author, but if you’re interested in her work, you should definitely check out her podcast ‘On the Tudor Trail‘. It’s a fantastic podcast covering a variety of Tudor related topics with guests (including myself).

As well as being extremely busy with her podcast, which recently exceeded 3 million downloads (absolutely incredible), Natalie also hosts various courses throughout the year.

Coming up on 17-18 February 2024 is a very interesting 2 day online course, ‘A Weekend with Elizabeth I’. The course features talks from seven Tudor experts!

Talks will be delivered by Dr Nicola Tallis; Professor Susan Doran; Dr James Taffe; Dr Owen Emmerson; Professor Maria Hayward; Professor Carole Levin; and of course Nataloe herself! (I think I just talked myself into attending!)

If you’d like to know more about the course, please visit Eventbrite