In the Footsteps of Anne Boleyn

This 13th-century manor was Anne’s childhood home. Anne spent much of her early life here before being sent to the Netherlands and France for education. You can walk through Anne’s bedroom, see her prayer books (one is believed to have been held by her in the Tower), and take time in the Tudor gardens. The castle’s collection includes Tudor portraits, letters, and artifacts. This can either be a day trip from London, if you want to use London as a base, or you can stay at the bed and breakfast on the grounds.

Hampton Court Palace was the backdrop for some of the most dramatic moments of Anne’s life. It was here that Anne dazzled the court, won the king’s affection, and eventually took the place of Queen Catherine of Aragon. You can walk through the Great Hall, which would have witnessed banquets and pageantry during her time as the queen. The chapel is where Anne worshiped, and it was here that Henry learned of Anne’s alleged infidelities. Be sure to take time to wander the gardens as well.

The Tower of London is where her story ends—and where her legend begins. Anne arrived at the Tower in May 1536, charged with adultery, incest, and treason. She had been Queen, crowned with great pomp just three years earlier. Now, she was a prisoner, held in the same royal apartments built for her coronation. Historians believe she maintained her dignity to the end, delivering a final speech—courageous and composed—on the scaffold. The Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula, within the Tower walls, is her final resting place.

The Tower also holds the White Tower, the Traitors’ Gate, and the Queen’s House, where Anne may have spent her final days. The Tower is a popular attraction, so be sure to reserve tickets early. Go off-season if possible.

Anne Boleyn was never buried at Westminster Abbey, but her daughter was. Elizabeth I, the child Anne bore, grew up to become one of the greatest monarchs in English history. Today, she lies in state at Westminster, in the same chapel as her half-sister, Mary I. To stand at Elizabeth’s tomb is to reflect on Anne’s enduring legacy. Though she died disgraced, her daughter proved that her bloodline was powerful, and her name would not be forgotten. In many ways, Elizabeth’s reign is Anne’s final vindication. Of course, many key figures from English history, from Isaac Newton to Charles Darwin to Winston Churchill, are buried here, so this is a must for any English history buff.

A short train ride from London, Windsor Castle offers another layer of Anne’s story, not through her presence, but through Henry’s. It’s here, in St. George’s Chapel, that Henry VIII is buried, alongside his “true love,” Jane Seymour, the wife who gave him a male heir. There’s a cruelty in the fact that Anne, who gave him Elizabeth, lies in an unmarked grave, while Jane rests beside him in royal splendor. But Windsor reminds us of how deeply Henry’s desires shaped the country, and how Anne’s fate was sealed not by justice, but by politics and gender.