In October 1532, King Henry VIII rode from his palace at Greenwich (the place where he and Mary Boleyn had married to separate partners) to start his journey to Calais to meet with King Francis I of France.
With K(C)atherine of Aragon sent away from court at the time, Henry took Anne Boleyn with him as well as a few thousand lords and ladies, one of which was Mary Boleyn.
From London, they stopped at Stone in Kent and then on to Canterbury. It was at Canterbury Cathedral when the ‘Nun of Kent’, Elizabeth Barton shouted prophecies of how Anne Boleyn would ruin the king.
Elizabeth Barton was born in 1506 in the village of Aldington, close to the City of Canterbury. By nineteen she began to have visions while working as a domestic servant for Thomas Cobb, a farmer, by predicting the death of a child in the household. Elizabeth was becoming so well-known that she had a private meeting with Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and even met with King Henry twice before they met this time at Canterbury.
All had run smoothly until Elizabeth had openly opposed the king’s wishes, stating that if the king was to marry Anne Boleyn, he would die within months and go to Hell. She was eventually arrested for treason in 1533 and forced to admit her visions were untrue. She was hanged at Tyburn on 20th April 1534, she was only twenty eight years old and her body was buried at Greyfriars Church, Newgate with her head being placed on a spike on London Bridge. She was the only woman to have been treated this way, which is an indication of the king’s wrath after the public scene she had made at Canterbury in front of himself and the Boleyn sisters.
After the royal party’s visit to the Cathedral, they stayed at the house of Sir Christopher Hales, on the outskirts of Canterbury, Kent. He had prosecuted Thomas Wolsey two years before and would later appear for the king at the trial of Thomas More, John Fisher and even Anne and George Boleyn. Watching them all being found guilty and sent them to their deaths.
From Canterbury, they travelled through Kent to reach Dover, staying at Dover Castle. A place known to the king and the Boleyns. At the age of three years old, Prince Henry as he was then, was appointed the Lord Warden of Cinque Ports and became the nineteenth Constable of Dover Castle, a position he held for sixteen years, visiting the place and even personally taking up a office there. George Boleyn, brother to both Anne and Mary Boleyn, would take up this same role in 1533.
From the Port of Dover, the party travelled on a ship called the Swallow to France, landing in the French town of Calais, where they were greeted by a royal salute. After a large celebration feast, the ladies including both Anne and Mary Boleyn, danced for both the King of England and France.
This moment has often been described as an important moment within Anne Boleyn’s life. Gaining the acceptance of the King of France for her relationship with King Henry has been suggested as leading to the secret wedding Anne and Henry had. However, this moment may well have been important to Mary Boleyn too. It is quite possible that it was here that Mary first met William Stafford, who would become her second husband. His name appears on the list of 200 people within the king’s retinue, who were also at this event.
On the way back, they stayed at Dover Castle and Stone Castle before arriving at Eltham Palace on 24th November 1532.
About the Author
Being a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society for a few years now, Amanda has written academic papers for universities and special events including the Hampton Court Palace Field of the Cloth of Gold event. She has written articles for many magazines, websites and societies, including: Dan Snow’s History Hit, The Anne Boleyn Files, The Whitechapel Society Journal, The True Crime Dagger Magazine, The Charles Dickens Society, Books Reviews and More website, Rotten Ramsgate website and Tudor Secrets and Myths Facebook page.
Amanda has been a historical researcher for museums, books and television programmes on a range of subjects of time periods while writing historical books, the titles of which include: Martha, the life and times of Martha Tabram, a suggested victim of Jack the Ripper. Jack and Old Jewry: The City of London Policemen who Hunted the Ripper, published by Mango Books the award-winning, Inspector Reid: The Real Ripper Street and The Cutbush Connections: In Blood, In Flowers and in the Ripper case, the life, case and family of Superintendent Charles Henry Cutbush.
She is the author of The Boleyns: From the Tudors to the Windsors, published by Amberley Publishing. She is currently working on a number of historical projects, including another book with Amberley Publishing.
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