A few weeks ago, I wrote about how, at the end of April 1536, Anne Boleyn had asked her chaplain, Matthew Parker, to ensure that Elizabeth was looked after if anything happened to her. Did Anne have an inkling that she was in danger or was she just simply taking precautions and protecting her daughter’s future? It’s hard to know, but it is likely that Anne was aware of just how precarious her position was, as it relied on her giving Henry VIII a son, something she had not managed to do yet.
The choice of Matthew Parker is an interesting one. Yes, he was a man of God and was close to Anne, being her chaplain and also possibly a relative of her sister-in-law, Jane Boleyn (nee Parker), but he was also the member of an influential group of men, men who would be responsible for her daughter’s education and her subsequent rise to power. This makes me feel that Anne knew exactly what she was doing when she picked Parker as Elizabeth’s protector!
Author Robert Parry has written a two part post on this very subject and I have just published Part One over at The Elizabeth Files – see “The Cambridge Connection”. The more I learn about Anne Boleyn, the more I am astounded by her intelligence and foresight. Elizabeth I may not have truly known her mother but her rise to be Queen of England, and one of England’s greatest monarchs, owed much to her mother’s planning back in 1536. Please read Robert’s wonderful article.
