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The Most Happy
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| Anne's badge: crowned falcon with Tudor roses |
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nne was crowned on June 1, 1533 at Westminster Abbey. But it was not entirely a day of triumph. On the eve of her coronation, Henry VIII's second wife had ridden in a magnificent procession from the Tower of London to Westminister, while Londoners, who still favored Catherine of Aragon, cried "HA! HA!" in parody of the king and queen's initials.
Though commonly seen as a parvenue who had stolen Catherine of Aragon's rightful place, Queen Anne made every effort to play the traditional role of queen. She gave alms to the poor, provided for widows, and even sewed shirts and smocks for the needy. She was also a patron of the arts and scholars. Erasmus, the theologian and humanist scholar, would dedicate books to her. At court, Anne was a trendsetter -- her French-inspired clothes and headdresses would be eagerly copied.
The public hated Anne not just because they viewed her as an adulteress, but because they thought
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