'If Any Person Will Meddle of My Cause': The Judicial Murder of Anne Boleyn

The first book to look at Anne Boleyn’s life from a Continental perspective. Anne’s role models for queenship were in the Low Countries and France, an important contribution to her tragic fall. ‘Remarkable: a significant, scholarly, and engaging reassessment. Anne Boleyn’s rise and puzzling fall are placed – by a master historian and detective – in the context of ecclesiastical, continental, and legal histories and conflicts.’ ‘In a highly innovative approach, Heather Darsie sets Anne Boleyn and her fall into the religious and European political context of her age. Situating Anne firmly within some of the more radical religious circles of her day, Darsie presents a compelling case for why Anne was simply too dangerous to be left alive. A fresh, interesting and convincing account… you will never look at the fall of Anne Boleyn in the same way again.’ ''Heather R. Darsie reviews the political missteps and implications of Boleyn''s queenship, delving into the threat she posed to Henry, and why legal changes made during the early years of the English Reformation allowed the English king to judicially murder his inconvenient queen.'' ''As someone who reads a lot about Anne Boleyn, I am always looking for a new approach to her life. This is exactly what I wanted. By the end, I was speechless, and it brought new life to Anne’s fall and ultimate death. If you are a Tudor nerd and want a new angle to Anne Boleyn’s story, I highly recommend you read “‘If Any Person Will Meddle of My Cause’: The Judicial Murder of Anne Boleyn” by Heather R. Darsie.'' Heather R. Darsie reviews the political missteps and implications of Anne Boleyn’s queenship. She dives deeper into the threat Anne posed to Henry, and why legal changes made during the early years of the English Reformation allowed Henry VIII to judicially murder his inconvenient queen. Anne’s choice of attire, reported last words, mode of execution, and burial all point to a significant religious element which has not been explored before. Anne wore colours traditionally associated with martyrdom, announced that she did not come to preach, was executed by beheading instead of burning, and had a very crude burial in an unmarked grave. These elements point to Henry - and Anne - viewing her death as being motivated by Anne’s religious faux pas. Anne tried to portray herself as a martyr, and Henry did everything he could to prevent Anne from reaching that status. The author shows that Anne supported French Reformists, including those involved in the alarming French Affair of the Placards in late 1534, asking Henry to petition for the release of at least one of the heretics, and then bringing him to England. This is a different Anne.

• | Author: Heather R. Darsie
• | Publisher: Amberley Publishing
• | Publication Date: Dec 15, 2025
• | Number of Pages:
• | Language:
• | Binding: Hardback
• | ISBN-13: 9781398116023
• | ISBN-10: 1398116025