Anne Boleyn’s Final Resting Place
King Henry's queen Anne Boleyn, beheaded on May 19, 1536, lies under a floor memorial in the Chapel Royal of Saint Peter ad Vincula. January 1993 City of London, London, England, UK
It must have been a long day for Anne’s ladies in waiting. Her execution took place at 9 o’clock in the morning. However no provision had been made for her burial and it was not until the middle of the afternoon that she was finally laid to rest. Legend has it that her body was interred in an arrow box that was of course only long enough because her head had been removed.
It seems that the likely burial site was beneath the paving slabs around the altar in the church next to the site of the execution. The Royal Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula was extensively modernised during the reign of Queen Victoria and during that time remains were found that were identified as those of Anne Boleyn. During this time a plaque was included in the floor with the ladies coat of arms on, directly over the reburied remains.
It must seem strange to use that during her daughter’s reign nothing was done to mark Anne’s final resting place, despite Elizabeth wearing a ring that contained inside a portrait of both herself and her mother. Did Elizabeth need to conceal her feelings towards her mother even after she took the throne?
