This fictional what if thriller is the first in a series by author Raven A. Nuckols that examines the life and times of Queen Anne Boleyn, her heirs and explores what might have happened had she not been executed in May 1536. Anne was the second wife of King Henry VIII of England, serving from 1533-1536 until she was beheaded on false charges of treason, adultery, and incest with her brother, as she was accused by Thomas Cromwell, the Lord Privy Seal. Prior to her tragic downfall, Anne was the main catalyst for England's break with the Roman Catholic Church during the Reformation. Henry's intense passion for her, fed by her refusals, ignited a fire that tore the country apart. This book evaluates the history of how different England might have been had factors leading up to her execution not have happened. Would Anne have continued her passion for religious reforms? Would she eventually have made enemies of Cromwell? What would have become of her friends and enemies? Would she have given Henry the longed-for male heir? What would have become of Elizabeth? All of these questions and more are answered!
Had the Queen Lived
An Alternative History of Anne BoleynBy Raven A. NuckolsAuthorHouse
Copyright © 2011 Raven A. Nuckols
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4634-4580-5Contents
Table of Illustrations.....................ixAuthor's Note..............................xiEpigraph...................................xiiiIntroduction...............................xvChapter 1..................................1Chapter 2..................................33Chapter 3..................................59Chapter 4..................................74Chapter 5..................................92Chapter 6..................................159Chapter 7..................................174Chapter 8..................................195Chapter 9..................................230Chapter 10.................................255Chapter 11.................................273Chapter 12.................................293Epilogue...................................299References.................................301About the Author...........................303
Chapter One
Prologue: 1525-1536 England in the 1520's was undergoing a significant religious reformation towards Protestantism. Up until the 16th century, the country had been faithful to Catholicism, and the faithful answered to the patriarch of the church, the Pope. The Pope was God's messenger on Earth, a lifetime appointee to the throne of St. Peter, elected by the Catholic Church conclave, a group of high ranking Cardinals representing each region of the world. At that time, with Catholicism the dominant form of Christianity and the masses of Europe so heavily influenced, even directed, by their Catholic clergy, the Pope held enormous sway over the Kings and Emperors of Christian Europe.
It was widely believed in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance that Kings received their mandate to rule directly from God, and that gave the Pope—as God's emissary on Earth—tremendous influence over the secular rulers of Europe. Popes had the power to call for war, as in the Crusades, and vast European armies were often at Rome's beck and call. Within countries they commanded vast bureaucracies through networks of churches, monasteries, abbeys and so on, providing services to the people, collecting revenues from both the clergy and the laity, and often these systems were far more organized than the civil authorities. These bureaucracies were jealously protected by Rome, with ecclesiastical courts demanding authority over clergy charged with crimes, and freedom from interference (including taxation) from the state. Kings often resented this rival power's interference in their kingdom's affairs, but none had attempted to break free from Rome's control so directly as would Henry VIII of England.
King Henry VIII had come to power in 1509 and swiftly sought to make an impact. To serve any other faith but Catholicism was socially and politically dangerous. Nevertheless, for centuries discontent with the Roman Church had been quietly brewing and a new generation of reformers lay just beneath the surface of outward obedience to the existing order. To disclose publicly one's true feelings—if they differed from the dogma of the Church—was to risk denouncement as a heretic, imprisonment, and even death. The government was prone to using torture and execution to dispose of its enemies, whether a threat were real or merely perceived. As the reformist movement went from a simmer to a boil, religious exchanges among countrymen became ever more fervent.
Under the feudal system that had persisted until the early Renaissance, the still strengthening civil states allowed the authority of the church to remain almost unrivaled. Popes knew well how to manage such egomaniacal personalities as Kings and, when it suited them, the Church also manipulated Kings into doing its bidding, thus maintaining Rome's stronghold.
Under the pre-Reformation system, the Pope and his convocation of Bishops were responsible for determining holy doctrine, advising countries on how to spread Christ's true word and for serving as the intermediaries through which the Kings of Europe could seek God's favor. Kings paid for these services heavily, not only in fees, but also in diplomatic favors like supporting the Holy Wars declared by Rome. For instance, if a country was starting to stray from the faith, the Pope would ask another country to cut off the offending country's their economic supply chain to force it back into the fold. If that failed to work, he would call for military action against the offending country. By so easily manipulating all of Europe, it could be argued that the Vatican was the preeminent European power in the Middle Ages, with influence over both life and death on a mass scale. The Pope would also at times call for Holy Wars, in Christ's name, to ensure the successful spread of Catholicism and add territory, resources, and widen the base for financial support to the Vatican.
Religion offered up answers to life's difficult questions, explaining the higher power of God, rules for behavior such as the duties owed by the common people to the state, and how by following such edicts the poor could hope to win salvation for their immortal souls in the afterlife. The church controlled the people by making them fear the eternal consequences of disobedience. In the Middle Ages, sermons that interpreted the meaning of Biblical text were often preached in Latin to teach that disobeying God's true word (as passed through the clergy, of course) would lead to a soul's eternal damnation. This was a brilliant public relations campaign, using the dual tactics of stoking both fear and hope, threats of damnation or the promise of salvation, to beholden the Church's followers to the existing order.
The church also relied on its ability to describe what it called the immense power of Christ to reward the faithful; both by promising an eternity in heaven in the afterlife, and even in saying the most faithful (i.e. obedient and repentant) might see their Earthly burdens lessened by a forgiving God. When circumstances in one's world went out of control, one could turn to prayer, confession, fasting, and supporting the church. Priests and clergy reassured laymen that God would answer all prayers and that, while it may take just a little time, God would come through to support his children, so long as they believed in Him and His Church. They provided an outlet of hope, support, and a listening ear when desperate commoners needed it most. Those who could afford it—such as the monarchy and most of the nobility—maintained a private chaplain on retainer at all times, for just such spiritual emergencies.
Rome's ability to channel both the positive message of Christ and exploit the fear of Satan allowed it to maintain control of a massive bureaucracy that European kings both resented and envied, making the Reformation such a pivotal turning point in history. Never before had Rome been so boldly and blatantly challenged. For centuries, people had genuinely believed from birth that both their lives and eternal fates were in God's hands alone, and that they owed God, through His Holy Church, their devotion and their money, to secure favor and ensure eventual salvation. The church's massive operating organization included maintaining lavish buildings, retaining a large staff of clergy and servants, and of course requiring significant financial support for daily upkeep. Rome had several means of raising these funds, including the selling of indulgences,...
