Anne also maneuvered carefully within the dangerous court factions. She sought to elevate her family and protect reformist allies, sometimes making powerful enemies among conservative nobles and clergy. This willingness to involve herself in high politics again makes Anne seem more like a modern political partner than a traditional medieval queen.
Motherhood and Disappointment
Yet Anne’s story also underscores the limits of female agency in the 16th century. Her power was always ultimately contingent on providing Henry with a male heir. When she gave birth to Elizabeth in September 1533, Henry was disappointed. Though they continued to try for sons, Anne suffered miscarriages, including one in 1536 that may have been a boy.
The tragic irony is that Anne did in fact give England one of its greatest monarchs—Elizabeth I, who embodied many of Anne’s intellectual rigor, diplomatic finesse, and religious moderation. But in Anne’s own lifetime, her failure to produce a son left her dangerously vulnerable shutdown123