Anne Boleyn was the second wife of King Henry VIII and one of the key figures in the political and religious upheaval that led to the start of the English Reformation. She was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of King Henry VIII. Anne’s appearance and looks have been the subject of much debate and fascination over the centuries. She helped transform the monarchy and paved the way for the Church of England to break away from the Roman Catholic Church. But what did this glamorous and controversial queen really look like? Here is an in-depth look at the physical appearance and style of Anne Boleyn.
Anne Boleyn’s Appearance According to Historical Descriptions
Contemporary descriptions of Anne Boleyn provide the best evidence available of what she really looked like. Here are some key details:
– She was not considered a classic beauty – Anne was described by some as quite plain. The Venetian Ambassador wrote that she was ‘not one of the handsomest women in the world’.
– She had dark coloring – Anne had thick dark brown hair and olive skin. In the Tudor era, fair hair and complexions were fashionable.
– She had a slender figure – Described as skinny but elegant, Anne was very thin by today’s standards with a delicate frame. For her time, this was considered sexually appealing.
– She dressed stylishly – Anne was a trendsetter at the Tudor court. She wore the latest cuts and fabrics from France, introducing French hoods and lavish clothing.
– She had a large adam’s apple/goiter – Some accounts mention a noticeable swelling or protrusion on her throat. There is debate as to whether this was a goiter or just an exaggerated adam’s apple.
– She had dark brown almond-shaped eyes – Anne’s eyes were one of her most striking features. They were described as ‘black and beautiful’ by the poet Lancelot de Carles.
– She had a sixth finger on one hand – Anne was born with a second little finger on her left hand which was considered a sign of witchcraft by her enemies.
– She had yellowish teeth – Dental hygiene was poor in Tudor times. Anne was once criticized for having discolored teeth.
So in summary, Anne Boleyn was an unconventional beauty with elegant style. Her most notable features were her olive complexion, dark exotic eyes, long thick dark hair, and the presence of an extra finger on one hand.
Portraits of Anne Boleyn
There are several portraits that give us clues about Anne Boleyn’s appearance. While the accuracy of portraits from this era can be dubious, they provide useful visual representations. Some key portraits include:
– The Hever Castle Portrait – This panel painting housed at Hever Castle shows Anne in a gold damask dress with jewelry and a feathered French hood. She has a long, elegant neck and a small swollen throat/necklace.
– The National Portrait Gallery Painting – This painting shows Anne in a red damask dress trimmed in ermine. She wears a French hood and has a long pointed chin, dark exotic eyes, and fair skin.
– The Moost Happi Medal – This medal was commissioned by Henry VIII to celebrate their marriage. It shows Anne in a hood with a high forehead, large eyes, long nose, and swollen throat/necklace.
– The Remains Of The Day Sketch – Discovered at Corpus Christi College, this rare sketch depicts Anne on the day of her execution wearing a French hood and English gable hood.
– The Remains Of The Day Engraving – Also found at Corpus Christi, this engraving shows Anne on the scaffold wearing a Tudor cap and dress with pendant sleeves and a low square neckline.
While these portraits were likely flattering, they provide interesting visual representations of Anne’s possible appearance and attire. The prominent elements like the French hoods, dark hair, olive skin, long neck, and adam’s apple are consistent across many of them.
The Most Famous Portrait
Perhaps the most famous portrait that shapes our image of Anne today is the copy of a lost original painting done by the Flemish painter Lucas Horenbout. In this portrait, Anne wears a lavish French gown with long sleeves and a feathered French hood. She has olive skin, arched brows, dark exotic eyes, a long pointed chin, and an elaborate B necklace around her throat. This would become the iconic image of Anne Boleyn that still persists today.
Anne Boleyn’s Fashions and Style
Anne Boleyn was a trendsetter and fashion icon during her years at King Henry VIII’s court. Here are some key elements that defined her style:
French Hoods
Anne introduced the elegant French hood into Tudor fashion. This style featured a rounded bourrelet and veil that thinned out the face. Anne owned over 100 of these French hoods in various colors. She may have used the French hoods to cover neck growths or swelling.
Sleeves with Pendant Pearls
Anne popularized square necklines with low cut bodices to show off pendant pearls around the neck. She also wore French sleeves which were tight at the wrist and slashed to reveal contrasting fabric.
Elaborate ‘B’ Pendants
To celebrate her marriage to the King, Anne wore B jewelry including necklaces, bracelets and sleeves embroidered with intertwined letters H and A or just a solitary B hanging from her neckline as a sign of the Queen-in-waiting.
Vibrant Colors
Anne was one of the first English women to wear vibrant colors like reds, purples and blues along with metallics like gold and silver. Prior to this, darker shades like browns and blues were customary.
Expensive Fabrics
Anne’s wardrobe featured rich fabrics like satin, velvet, damasks, silk and fur trimmings. She favored cloth of gold and silver encrusted with jewels and pearls. Her lavish dress displayed the wealth and status of the Tudor court.
So in summary, Anne Boleyn was always at the height of Tudor fashion – she was forward-thinking, sophisticated, elegant, provocative and bold in her style. She used fashion as a political tool to cement her status and reputation as Queen.
Anne Boleyn’s Personal Care and Beauty Routines
As an educated woman who spent years in European courts, Anne Boleyn introduced new standards of hygiene, beauty and etiquette into the Tudor court upon her arrival in England. Here are some intriguing facts about her personal care routines:
Baths with Oils and Flower Petals
At a time when whole body bathing was rare, Anne took regular baths scented with flower petals and oils to keep her skin soft and supple.
Teeth Cleaning with Honey and Herbs
Anne tried to whiten her teeth and sweeten her breath using a paste made of honey, cinnamon, parsley and anise mixed with burnt alum and soda.
Applying Ceruse Makeup
Ceruse was the lead and vinegar based makeup women applied to whiten their faces, cover blemishes and accentuate blue veins on the neck and cleavage. There is no evidence Anne used dangerous quantities of ceruse.
Using Egg Whites on Her Hair
To add shine and body, Anne likely applied egg whites onto her long dark hair before washing it. Eggs were also used to condition dry ends.
Moisturizing with Olive Oil and Lemon Juice
Olive oil mixed with lemon juice helped moisturize and exfoliate skin. Anne’s ladies may have helped apply these handmade beauty concoctions.
Plucking Hairline for High Forehead
A fashionably high forehead was achieved by plucking hairs to make the hairline recede. Portraits suggest Anne modified her hairline this way.
Overall, Anne helped introduce Renaissance ideas of cleanliness, sophistication and artifice into the English court. She valued fine clothing, jewelry, education and etiquette as queenly attributes.
The Impact of Anne’s Appearance and Style
Anne Boleyn’s physical appearance and style choices had a strong cultural influence in Tudor England. Here are some of the key impacts:
Inspired New Standards of Beauty
Anne glamorized dark features, olive skin, long silky hair and the ‘exotic look’ which changed beauty ideals at court. Pale blonde looks went out of favor.
French/European Fashions Became Popular
Anne inspired aristocratic English women to embrace daring French fashion like the hoods, square necklines, sleeves, fabrics and colors she wore.
Pushback from Religious Critics
More conservative factions disapproved of her ‘foreign’ fashions and use of jewelry and cosmetics which were seen as dangerous and deceitful.
Hair Removed from the Forehead Became Trendy
English women adopted the plucked hairline look to emulate Anne’s high forehead. Her rival Jane Seymour’s low hairline was highly unfashionable.
Interest in Hygiene and Etiquette Increased
Anne’s refined table manners, emphasis on cleanliness and education helped change etiquette standards especially among noble ladies.
Overall, Anne’s controversial reputation and her exotic look made her a figure of emulation and intrigue. She helped introduce Renaissance sophistication into Tudor high society.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Anne Boleyn had an unconventional beauty that fascinated and shocked the English court. She was glamorous yet polarizing. Her dark features, elegant French style and forward-thinking personal care routines made her an intoxicating and foreign figure in Henry VIII’s England. Anne used her beauty, fashion sense and charm as political assets to rise above her status and charm the king. But her intelligence, religious convictions and ambition also changed the course of English history forever. Anne Boleyn’s looks and character continue to inspire debate and capture popular imagination centuries after her death.