March 1, 1522 is a famous date in Tudor History as it is the day of the Shrovetide Pageant – The Château Vert, where Anne Boleyn played Perseverance.
In Edward Halls’ chronicle, we read that the King, Cardinal Wolsey, and the court had a dinner followed by a pageant. At the end of the hall, there was a castle with towers, and there were musicians backstage with women playing the parts of Beauty, Honor, Perseverance, Kindness, Constance, Bounty, Mercy, and Pity, all qualities that were admired in Tudor England.
They were guarded by other women dressed as Indian women with names like Danger, Disdain, Jealousy, and Scorn. Then the young men, including the King, dressed in gold and blue satin with names like Loyalty, Gentleness, and Liberty came in. There was a battle where the women threw fruits at the men, and eventually, it all ended in a dance because of course, it does.
This scene is often portrayed as the scene where Henry VIII first fell in love with Anne. But at that time he was likely having an affair with her sister. So the story while romantic isn’t actually true.
That’s your Tudor Minute for today. Remember you can dive deeper into life in 16th-century England through the Renaissance English History Podcast at englandcast.com.
Suggested links:
Episode 076: Alison Weir on Anne Boleyn
Autumn 2019 Tudor Summit: James Peacock on Anne Boleyn
Spring 2018 Tudor Summit: Claire Ridgway on the Boleyns
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Heather Teysko is the creator, writer, and producer of The Renaissance English History Podcast, one of the longest running indie history podcasts, going since 2009. She's been writing about history online for over 25 years, since her first site on Colonial American history became number one in history on Yahoo in 1998. She writes books, created the original Tudor Planner (a yearly diary filled with Tudor history) and in 2019 created the world's first Tudorcon (you can "attend" online this year!). She has been passionate about Tudor England since she first read Alison Weir's The Six Wives of Henry VIII 20 years ago, and subsequently moved to London after college to spend her time immersed in Tudor history.