Letters from the six wives of Henry VIII

Marilee's Englishhistory.net provides several examples of letters written by the six wives of Henry VIII.


SOURCE FOR THIS PICTURE: Englishhistory.net

Excerpt from a letter by Anne Boleyn, written in the late summer of 1526:

" Inexhaustible as is the treasury of your majesty's bounties, I pray you to consider that it cannot be sufficient to your generosity; for, if you recompense so slight a conversation by gifts so great, what will you be able to do for those who are ready to consecrate their entire obedience to your desires? How great soever may be the bounties I have received, the joy that I feel in being loved by a king whom I adore, and to whom I would with pleasure make a sacrifice of my heart, if fortune had rendered it worthy of being offered to him, will ever be infinitely greater.

Ten years later, Anne was beheaded with the King's consent, having been convicted of adultery, witchcraft and treason.

What truly happened is unknown, and her innocence/guilt is still the subject of much speculation.