Less than three years after her coronation, the new Queen, Anne Boleyn
(SS343, 349), for whom Henry had "turned England and Europe upside
down," was accused of unfaithfulness. She was sent a prisoner to the
Tower. A short time after, her head rolled in the dust, the light of
its beauty gone out forever.
The next morning Henry married Jane Seymour, Anne's maid of honor.
Parliament passed an act of approval, declaring that it was all done
"of the King's most excellent goodness." It also declared Henry's two
previous marriages, with Catharine and with Anne Boleyn, void, and
affirmed that their children, the Princesses Mary and Elizabeth, were
not lawfully the King's daughters. A later act of Parliament gave
Henry the extraordinary power of naming his successor to the crown.[1]
A year afterwards Henry's new Queen died, leaving an infant son,
Edward. She was no sooner gone than the King began looking about for
some one to take her place.
[1] By his last will he made Mary and Elizabeth heirs to the crown in
case all male and female issue by himself or his son Edward failed
(S361). Henry's eldest sister, Margaret (see No. 3 in Genealogical
Table on page 207), was passed by entirely. But long after Henry's
death, Parliament set his will aside (1603) and made James I (a
descendent of Margaret) King of England.