Anne Boleyn – A Witch?

Three women. Three centuries. Real stories with a feminine twist. Welcome to the first episode of our Halloween Storytelling Trilogy, where we revisit the women behind the stories – and question what history has taught us to believe. First up: Anne Boleyn. Second wife of Henry VIII, mother of Elizabeth I and, depending on who is telling the story, temptress, schemer, victim… or witch. But who was the woman behind those labels? Educated in the royal courts of the Netherlands and France, Anne arrived at the English court with intelligence, sophistication and ideas of her own. Her relationship with Henry became central to a royal marriage crisis that helped reshape England's religious future. Yet the influence that helped elevate her also made her dangerous to her enemies. When Henry's favour shifted, Anne's position unravelled. In May 1536, she was convicted of high treason on accusations of adultery, incest and plotting the King's death, and executed at the Tower of London. So how did witchcraft become part of her story? Lulu and Mary explore the rumours surrounding Anne, the hostile accounts that shaped her reputation long after her death, and a familiar question: when a woman has influence, why are we so quick to imagine she must have used sinister means to get it? And when the man in question is Henry VIII, how much freedom does she really have to say no? We also look ahead to England's first Witchcraft Act in 1542, six years after Anne's execution. The chronology matters: the Act made witchcraft a capital offence, but we should be careful about claiming that Anne's death directly caused it. Her story opens a wider conversation about the fears, religious upheaval and struggles over power surrounding accusations of sorcery. Five takeaways from this episode: Anne was more than somebody's second wife. Looking beyond her marriage allows us to consider her education, beliefs, ambition and influence. Being close to power is not the same as being safe. Royal favour could elevate a woman – and its withdrawal could leave her dangerously exposed. A rumour can outlive the woman it targets. Witchcraft stories helped damage Anne's reputation during her lifetime and continue to evolve after her death. The charges and the mythology are different things. Anne's conviction was for high treason. The surviving execution order records Henry choosing beheading over burning; it does not support the idea that treason charges were necessary simply to spare her the flames. We can question the story we have inherited. Who recorded it? Whose interests did it serve? And what changes when we place the woman's experience at its centre? Join us for a conversation about ambition, reputation and the ways women can be silenced – then remembered through the very accusations used against them. Resource mentioned: Hayley Nolan, Anne Boleyn: 500 Years of Lies. Please like and share this episode, and help us bring these women's stories into the conversation.