On this day in history, 26th August 1533, the pregnant Queen Anne Boleyn took to her chamber, after a special ceremony, to prepare for the birth of her first child.
You can read all the details in my article from last year 26 August 1533 – Anne Boleyn Prepares for the Birth of Her First Child
A woman’s “taking her chamber” is often described as confinement, but this is a misleading term. The birthing chamber was a man-free zone, but a woman would spend time with the friends she had chosen to attend her- in Anne’s case, her ladies. Birth was a social affair and an opportunity for female gatherings, or “gossipings” as they were called.
