Anne Boleyn: Did she deserve to die?

On 15th May 1536, Anne Boleyn was found guilty of treason and adultery. Treason was the most severe crime anyone could commit because it was a crime committed against the king or queen and in history, it has been a common belief that the ruler is appointed by God, therefore anyone who commits treason is committing a crime against God. Treason was punishable by death. Anne Boleyn was given the choice, she could either be burnt alive or beheaded. She choose beheading as it was cleaner and was quicker than burning. On 19th May 1536, Anne met her end bravely. She was beheaded by an expert swordsman, brought over especially, to avoid having a blunt axe attempt to sever her head. It is said, that the swordsman decapitated her without her knowing, thankfully it was quick and smooth. The witnesses claimed that it was so quick that her lips were still moving in prayer when her head was removed by a graceful swing of a special sword. We know Anne found guilty of adultery and treason, but the question that has been debated by historians is whether she deserved it?

To start off, lets review the likely reasons why Henry VIII feel in love with Anne Boleyn.

• Anne was considered attractive. She wasn't your traditional English rose, she had long dark hair, enchanting black eyes but she was intelligent and very cultured, having grown up in the French court for the majority of her teenage years and some of her childhood.
• She was feisty and not afraid to stand up with what she believed in.
• Compared to his wife at the time- Catherine of Aragon- Anne was young and able to produce children

It is obvious that Henry loved her because there are a few of his love letters that the king sent to Anne when he was first falling in love. In one of the surviving letters, he writes: "I wolde you were in myne armes or I in yours, for I think it long syns I kyst you". This translates to "I would in your arms or I in yours for I think it long since I kissed you". 

Now we have established that Henry VIII loved his unfortunate second wife, we need to establish reasons why Henry decided to get rid of her. Like all women, Anne made mistakes and she had trates in her personality which were fatal during her marriage. Here are some of them:

• Anne did not manage to deliver the healthy sons that her husband craved for. Now this might have been that Henry was a member of a rare blood group, commonly known as the kell antigen. This means that a child conceived by Henry and a woman, could carry that blood group. If a baby did carry the kell blood cells, the mother's body would build up kell antibodies. Though the first pregnancy was not likely to be affected (Anne's only surviving child was her first- Elizabeth), any future kell- positive foetuses were likely to be affected. 
• She was jealous of women that her husband flirted with. The Spanish ambassador at that time- Eustace Chapuys described Anne's 'intense rage' over her husband's flirting with her lady- in- waiting Jane Seymour.
• She was over- ambitious and reckless. Maybe a bit to much... 
• She nagged. Henry wanted to be in control of his own life, not have his wife have control!

We will never know whether Anne deserved die will probably remain a mystery, personally I think she just stepped over the line a bit too much, which angered and enraged her powerful husband. What do you think? Comment down below your views.