An Examination of the Early Tudor Model of Queenship through Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, and Jane Grey (original) (raw)

My thesis aims to examine the institution of queenship in early modern Europe through the executions of Anne Boleyn (the second queen consort of Henry VIII), of Catherine Howard (the fifth queen consort of Henry VIII), and of Jane Grey (the queen regnant in the interim between Edward VI's death and Mary I's ascension). An exploration of the reasons behind the three queens' executions reveals a significant shift in the practice and perception of queenship. A comparison of the role before and after the executions includes why and how the three women became queens, what their positions entailed, how they fulfilled their roles, and how they "failed" severely enough to have to be put to death. The answers to these questions will convey the significance of the queens' transgressions, not only against their respective heads of state, but against the entire civil order as well. Their choices directly conflicted with the Tudor agenda of consolidating the state with the sovereign. All three women lived and reigned, for however short their tenures were, at the point in time when a new dynasty was finding its footing within its kingdom and on the international early modern stage. For this new regime to solidify its authority, the Tudor monarchs believed they needed to take the unprecedented measure of eliminating any threat-even if that threat was found within their own ranks. As Henry VIII's reign demonstrates, even queens were not safe during this era. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This thesis would not have been possible without the deft guidance and wisdom of my advisor, Professor Gina Luria Walker. Your faith in me and my work has been invaluable, and lit the way for me throughout this undertaking. My eternal thanks for the unceasing support and perpetually open doors of the members of the Historical Studies department of The New School of Social Research. I will always be grateful to my parents, Noel and Cristina, for keeping my dream of pursuing history alive, even in moments of doubt. To my fiancé, Kevin: this is yours as much as this is mine. You were with me on every step of this journey and I will gladly go on a thousand more journeys with you. Finally, this thesis is dedicated to Anne Boleyn, the star and inspiration for this study. This is hopefully the first of many analytical compositions I hope to write about and for her. Requiescat in pace, regina meis.