Good evening my wonderful friends! Its 76°/99% humidity @ 3:20 AM from my Houston back yard tonight. Much cooler tonight because of some much needed thunderstorms today! Below - two completely different castles. The first is Hever Castle and my favorite so far. it was where Anne Boleyn grew up and still very nicely preserved. I could feel the spirits of the Boleyn family and feel the trials and tribulations of all these people, as they were caught in King Henry VIIIs web of love/hate, as well as reward and retribution. Henry VIII came here many times to court Anne. So the story goes - he and Anne would walk to a nearby oak tree and talk endlessly with the watchful eyes of many servants, staff, and family members peering from every window. Henry had already had an affair with Annes sister Mary and even had a child by her. Even though Anne was determined that she would not have the same fate, she was basically powerless to stop Henry once he had Anne in his sights. She did however, convince Henry that if he really wanted her he would have to marry her. And that was quite complicated because of Henrys marriage to Catherine of Argon - Queen Isabella of Spains daughter! But Henry was not going to let anything stop him from marrying Anne. So when the Catholic Church refused to sanction his divorce with Catherine - Henry simply established his own national church - the Church of England. And since this newly founded denomination was directly under his control Henry has little trouble getting his divorce there. And quickly married Anne. And really it does appear that Anne truly loved Henry -- for at least several years. More on that later :) And in the second picture here, of Hampton Court - where I love to go when I am in England. This was also frequented by Anne Boleyn when marrried to Henry. Before they were married Hampton Court was built especially for Cardinal Wolsey, Henrys cheif minister. Second in power over England, he only answered to Henry. And before Henry met Anne, Henry was so pleased with Cardinal Wolsy that he authorized the building of one of the worlds largest palaces. When I walk from the train station, and approach Hampton Court, I am amazed at its massive size and scale. So hard to believe that it was built for just one man! But it wasnt going to last - when Cardinal Wolsey failed to convince the Vatican to grant Henry his divorce, his world came crashing down. Henry had him banished and moved further up the country, and later arrested. Supposedly Cardinal Wolsey died of natural causes in route back to the Tower in London to face official charges, but many historians have serious doubts about that and think Wolsy was quietly done away with.
Posted on: Sat, 30 Aug 2014 09:04:47 +0000
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