Presented by Dr Suzannah Lipscomb and Joe Crowley
Some say love is a losing game - and in the reign of Henry VIII, the stakes were higher than ever as Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard found to their peril. Examine how two of the promiscuous monarch'swives lost their lives in the Tower following accusations of amorous affairs. Were they victims of a cruel conspiracy?
The third part of this series looks at three famous scandals which rocked not only England and took place within the Tower of London.
17th May 1536: Mark Smeaton and Anne Boleyn
Mark Smeaton confessed to having sexual relations with Queen Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII. Henry had confessed his love for Anne, divorced his first wife and broke with Rome to marry Anne, but was she guilty of adultery?
But was it plausible that Anne Boleyn, a Queen in high profile had an affair with a mere musician? Smeaton was created a Groom of the Privy chamber and had a great deal of access to the King and in turn perhaps the Queen. Yet he still was of meagre background and had no noble blood and thus was perhaps looked down upon. He was therefore an easy target.
Although Henry had broken from Rome and done so much to marry Anne their marriage was tumultuous. In 1536 Henry had a major jousting accident and Anne Boleyn miscarried a three and a half month old son. In April Thomas Cromwell reported rumours about a relationship between Anne and Mark Smeaton. Henry VIII was enraged and told Cromwell that is the rumours were false he would have Cromwell executed instead. Obviously this was just one reason which drove Cromwell to find Anne Boleyn guilty at all costs.
Shortly after Mark Smeaton was arrested and through the use of torture he confessed to adultery with the Queen on three separate occasions. Besides Mark Smeaton’s confession there is no other evidence that would suggest Anne Boleyn committed adultery.
Author and historian George Bernard was interviewed and he suggests that a poem about Anne Boleyn’s life is evidence enough to show that Anne did infact have sexual relations with Mark Smeaton and her brother George Boleyn. However historian and author Suzannah Lipscomb disagrees with this. Either way Anne Boleyn was put on trial and found guilty of treason and accused of adultery and incest with five men and sentenced to death.
Mark Smeaton was accused of sexual relations with Anne Boleyn and sentenced to death. On the 17th of May 1536 Mark Smeaton was beheaded upon a scaffold outside the Tower of London on Tower Hill. Two days later Anne Boleyn was beheaded by a French swordsman within the Tower of London.
25th of September 1615: Lady Arbella Stuart and William Seymour
Lady Arbella Stuart’s story is a real life Romeo and Juliet story! In 1610 the 35 year old Lady Arbella married her lover, 22 year old William Seymour. King James I was furious at this marriage and arrested William Seymour sending him to the Tower while Lady Arbella was put under house arrest. They were in serious trouble because Lady Arbella was a potential rival to the English throne! William Seymour was also a descendant of the Tudor line and thus a marriage between them could produce children who would also be rivals for the throne!
From letters that have survived from Lady Arbella it appears that she was truly in love with her husband and determined to have him back in her arms. Disgused as a man she snuck out of her house and attempted to get to Blackwall, a port near London.
William Seymour was kept in Sir Thomas’ Tower with his servants. He was also allowed to walk around the Tower at leisure. William’s barber dressed up in a beard and with a bandage upon his leg. He entered the tower and asked to see William’s barber. He was let into William’s room and there took off the disguise and William put it on. The pair then exited the Tower as though nothing had happened. He then took a boat up the Thames but tragically was delayed and did not arrive in time to meet up with his awaiting wife.
For her part Lady Arbella was captured on the channel just outside of Calais and was taken back to England and imprisoned to the Tower of London. William managed to escape to Flanders and never saw his wife again. After her death he was allowed to return to England where he remarried and lived on for a further 50 years.
Lady Arbella passed away within the Tower walls on the 25th of September 1615 at only 40 years of age.
12th February 1542: Katherine Howard and Thomas Culpeper
Katherine Howard was the fifth wife of King Henry VIII. She was condemned to death without trial for having affairs with Thomas Culpeper and
Katherine grew up with her step grandmother at Norfolk House which was similar to a boarding house where young women grew up together in the girls dormitory. It was here that she had wooed by Francis Derham and most likely had sexual intercourse with him. From here Katherine Howard managed to get a position at court as a Lady in waiting. She then caught King Henry’s eye and became his fifth wife.
Henry VIII lavished attention, money and pretty materials, jewels etc upon Katherine and he was completely smitten with her. But things were not as they appeared for behind closed doors Katherine may have been having an affair. It was Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury who wrote Henry VIII a letter telling the King of the rumours about his wife and Henry VIII enraged ordered such rumours to be investigated.
Katherine Howard was accused of adultery with Thomas Culpeper and having a previous sexual relationship with Francis Derham. Furious Henry VIII wanted to see Katherine dead. Instead of putting her on trial a bill of Attainder was used to condemn Katherine and sentence her to death – she never even had a chance to defend herself.
On the 13th of February Katherine Howard was beheaded upon Tower Green and buried within The Chapel Royal St Peter ad Vincula.
This three part series looked at nine fascinating people whose lives were intricately tied with the powerful Tower of London. I thoroughly enjoyed this series and I learnt a great deal about people in history that I had not heard of before. Dr Suzannah Lipscomb and Joe Crowley did an absolutely wonderful job of presenting the information about each person and did so in such a way that showed all sides of the story.
Personally I really enjoyed being able to see within the walls of the famous Tower of London as having visited there in 2009 I think it is an extraordinary place full of rich history. I also thoroughly enjoyed being able to hear interviews from famous authors and historians as well as getting to see amazing books and manuscripts from the Tudor period.
This is a documentary that I would strongly suggest people watch as it not only looks at the detailed history of the Tower of London but it also examines the lives of nine fascinating people whose lives are forever bound to the Tower of London.
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