From Henry to Anne ~ Happy Valentine’s Day

Mail Online is reporting today about a new love letter from Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn written five years before they married.  It was held in the Vatican for the last 50 years, but it is now on display at the British Library in London (Medieval Bookworm, if you get a chance, please go and report back!).

from-henry-to-anne

Here is an excerpt of the letter from the article:

The letter, written in French five years before Anne became Queen, shows Henry in an entirely different light.

The King gushes: “The demonstrations of your affection are such, and the beautiful words of your letter are so cordially phrased, that they really oblige me to honour, love and serve you for ever, imploring you to agree to continue in this same firm and constant purpose, assuring you that for my part I will outdo you, if this be possible, rather than reciprocate, in loyalty of heart and my desire to please you; and you, without any further ties in your heart, can further this.”

The letter is signed “H seeks A.B, No Other Rex”.

So, Happy Valentine’s Day from the 16th century.  You just gotta love Henry…

Thanks to TheBookImp for the heads-up on Twitter.  This has made my day!

Comments

9 Responses to “From Henry to Anne ~ Happy Valentine’s Day”

  1. Jacquie R
    1

    Goodness me, he was a romantic wasn’t he! I knew I was reading the mail for a reason today. Glad it brightened your day.

    Jacquie R’s last blog post..Friday Finds: 13th February 2009

    Thanks again, Jacquie! I’m adding you to my Google Reader. Had I known your blog URL, I would have linked to you. Happy Valentine’s Day!

    Reply to this comment.
  2. Sandy
    2

    This is a perfect post for Valentines! What an AMAZING find…it baffles me that letters such as this have made it intact for all this time. Makes me want to fly to London to see it!

    Sandy’s last blog post..The Fifth Photo

    Me and you both, Sandy. I would love to just be in the same room with something that Henry wrote. I also love that he made mistakes in it and crossed things out. It gives an even more human touch. Here’s to our future journeys to London!

    Reply to this comment.
  3. Amy @ My Friend Amy
    3

    WOW! I love these little glimpses into history even though Henry was a big jerk. ;)

    Amy @ My Friend Amy’s last blog post..Faith ‘n Fiction Saturday: The Love of God

    Reply to this comment.
  4. Daphne
    4

    He definately sounds like a lovesick teenager. It’s so sad that he seemed to change into a grouchy old man before his time.

    Daphne’s last blog post..Dreaming the Bull by Manda Scott

    Reply to this comment.
  5. caite
    5

    oh yeah…all love and flowers now but not so much when he had her head cut off later.

    Reply to this comment.
  6. Alyce
    6

    That’s cool! Thanks for sharing. Hopefully someday I’ll get to visit London again! :)

    Happy Valentine’s day!

    Alyce’s last blog post..Happy V-Day!

    Reply to this comment.
  7. mari
    7

    So cool. Thanks for sharing that! I will be in London in July. Wonder if it will still be on display?

    mari’s last blog post..Patrick Carman- Webcast Tonight!

    From what Meghan said, it will be there through September, so you’re in luck! Please report back when you see it and what you think. I’m so jealous!

    Reply to this comment.
  8. Meghan
    8

    I’m going in August! According to the BBC the exhibit will be up until the end of September, so I will definitely be checking it out and reporting back. I particularly love how he circled her name with a heart! By the time I get there I should be well and good at reading 16th century handwriting, so I’m very exciting to decipher it with my own eyes.

    Happy Valentine’s Day!

    Meghan’s last blog post..Valentine’s Review: Romancing Mister Bridgerton, Julia Quinn

    I can’t wait to live vicariously through you! That will most certainly be a great experience!

    Reply to this comment.
  9. Matt
    9

    Letter is way more personal, let alone a love letter. He’s so romantic and nudging.

    Matt’s last blog post..????? | Valentine’s

    Little did she know… He’s a prime example of how people can turn.

    Reply to this comment.

Got something to say?

CommentLuv Enabled

XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>

  • Contact Literate Housewife

    Please feel free to contact Literate Housewife by sending an email to jennifer at literatehousewife (dot) com. I would love to hear from you!
  • Book Blogger Con

    Have you heard about the 1st Annual Book Blogger Convention that will be held in NYC during the BEA? You should check it out. I know it will be a fantastic experience. Unfortunately I won't be able to attend due to family obligations, but I'll be trolling blogs for up to the minute news. Book Blogger Convention
  • WE Magazine’s A Woman Blogger to Watch

  • Upcoming Reviews…

  • Literate Challenges

    What's in a Name? 3

    Random Reading Challenge

  • In My Mailbox…

  • Archives