Description

Anne Boleyn didn’t arrive at Henry VIII’s court as an inexperienced girl dazzled by a king. She arrived as someone who had already been shaped inside two of the most sophisticated Renaissance courts in Europe.

In this second episode of my Anne Boleyn series, we go back to the years that formed her: first to Mechelen, to the court of Margaret of Austria, regent of the Low Countries and one of the most powerful women in Europe - her court a cultural powerhouse famed for learning, art, music, and the rituals of courtly life. And then to France, where Anne served Queen Claude for nearly seven years, witnessing queenship up close and immersing herself in the Renaissance.

Along the way, we’ll explore:

• why Margaret’s court was called Europe’s “premier finishing school”
• Anne’s own letter from abroad and what it reveals about her formation
• the French court of Francis I and the Renaissance world Anne moved in
• major events Anne may have witnessed, including the Field of Cloth of Gold
• and the courtly love culture Anne absorbed abroad, and how that style of sociability would later be used against her in England

If you want to understand why Anne stood out when she returned home, and why Henry VIII saw her as more than a fling, you have to start here.

Watch Episode 1 here: https://youtu.be/rF5zNyct0Lo

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