It is not known exactly when Anne returned to England from France, although she was recalled in late 1521, but she was at the English court by 4th March 1522.* Records show that it was on that date that Anne took part in the Shrove Tuesday “Château Vert” pageant, playing the role of Perseverance.
The pageant was brought to life in “The Tudors” series and you can see this in the following video. However, there is absolutely no evidence that this was the moment that Henry VIII noticed Anne Boleyn and it is thought that it was actually her sister, Mary, who had caught the King’s eye at this time. Henry VIII’s relationship with Anne does not appear to have started until around Shrovetide 1526.
You can read the chronicler Edward Hall’s account of the Château Vert pageant in my article The Early Life of Anne Boleyn Part Six – The Château Vert Pageant
You can read more about historians’ thoughts about when Henry VIII actually fell in love with Anne Boleyn in my article Henry VIII Falls in Love with Anne Boleyn.
Here is the Château Vert scene from “The Tudors”:
*Eric Ives dates the Shrovetide celebrations as starting on 1st March 1522, hence my original dating of this event to 1st, but I’ve since found that the pageant actually took place on 4th March. Edward Hall has an entry for 3rd March and then his account of the pageant.
