The Coronation of Anne Boleyn

Anne Boleyn was crowned Queen of England on June 1st 1533. The ceremony took place at Westminster Abbey after four days of pageants. It was a spectacle that cemented her place and her power as consort. The woman for whom a king had changed the known world was now, most publicly and definitely, Queen of England.

 Anne Boleyn, Queen of England, 1533 - 1536

The importance that Henry placed on Anne for much of their relationship is often overlooked because of the dramatic way in which he discarded her less than three years after her magnificent coronation. But on June 1st 1533, her role at the very centre of royal power was on show for all to see. For Anne was crowned with St. Edward's Crown which, until then, had only been used for the coronation of a monarch.

Anne's coronation underlined the power of Henry VIII who had made her queen against the odds

This was a very visible sign of the influence that Anne held. Henry also needed to shore up his own position. He had invested everything in making Mistress Boleyn his wife. His rupture with Rome was just one part of the story. To make Anne his queen, he had removed and humiliated his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, who was aunt to Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and one of the most powerful men in Europe. Henry's decision had set him against many. Anne's coronation underlined his confidence in his decision. But it also showed the world that Anne was far more than just a wife. She was a queen to be reckoned with.

St. Edward's Crown at the time of James II. by then a replica of the original which Anne wore

Anne was also obviously pregnant by the time of her coronation. The crowning of his queen also celebrated the promise of an heir which both he and Anne were convinced would be a son. As they rode through the streets of London on that June day in 1533, the ultimate power couple were at the ultimate height of that power.

Kings and queens stayed at the Tower of London ahead of their coronations

The coronation of Anne Boleyn lasted four days. It started with the queen arriving in the heart of London on a flotilla of barges before she took up residence in the Tower of London as was traditional for kings and queens awaiting their coronation. The following day, new members of the Order of the Bath were invested in honour of the event, another royal tradition. Day three saw Anne, dressed in pure white, carried through the streets of the capital to be celebrated by the City of London. The pageant that attended her became one of the most famous events of Henry VIII's reign. Finally, on Whitsun, June 1st, Anne arrived at Westminster Abbey, dressed in purple and ermine, to be crowned as Queen of England.