Perseverance: Anne Boleyn in public memory

Abstract

This thesis works to understand how Anne Boleyn’s reputation has been publicly remembered and presented over five hundred years of time, drawing on popular culture and public history methodology. Anne Boleyn creates an interesting topic as there is much debate surrounding even the most basic aspects of her life. This research demonstrates how her characteristics and reputation often clashed throughout her life, until her infamous beheading at the hands of Henry VIII in 1536. Due to the work of authors during the latter half of the sixteenth century, her narrative was rewritten and subsequently was rehabilitated. Three hundred years later, preservationists of the nineteenth century worked to reaffirm her role as a Queen in British memory. The focus then shifts to how media highlighted certain aspects of her life and the unexpected consequences that resulted. Anne Boleyn was once again reexamined by scholars and given a more sympathetic narrative than what was put forth by the media.

By coming to terms and examining Anne Boleyn’s life and how it has been represented this thesis explores questions related to how her legacies can best be represented in public history settings. The use of artifacts and British historic sites are examples of how to deliver a difficult narrative for public display. Anne Boleyn’s life and reputation are allowed to coexist in the same narratives when discussed in museums. The Historic sites of Hever Castle, Hampton Court, and the Tower of London are examples of how this has been successfully done.