Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII.

In Chapter XII, we learn that the grounds of Ankerwyke House, the prior location of an old priory, is where Henry VIII would secretly meet with Anne Boleyn. The text notes meetings that were accidently interrupted by the people of Buckinghamshire, and that everyone would rush away from their courting, only to find them meeting elsewhere. Henry VIII was, of course, married to Katherine of Aragon at the time.

It must have been much like this when that foolish boy Henry VIII. was courting his little Anne. People in Buckinghamshire would have come upon them unexpectedly when they were mooning round Windsor and Wraysbury, and have exclaimed, “Oh! you here!” and Henry would have blushed and said, “Yes; he’d just come over to see a man;” and Anne would have said, “Oh, I’m so glad to see you! Isn’t it funny? I’ve just met Mr. Henry VIII. in the lane, and he’s going the same way I am.”

Then those people would have gone away and said to themselves: “Oh! we’d better get out of here while this billing and cooing is on. We’ll go down to Kent.”

And they would go to Kent, and the first thing they would see in Kent, when they got there, would be Henry and Anne fooling round Hever Castle.

“Oh, drat this!” they would have said. “Here, let’s go away. I can’t stand any more of it. Let’s go to St. Albans—nice quiet place, St. Albans.”