econd wife of Henry VIII and mother of Elizabeth I. Died on the scaffold in May 1536. She was accused of being unfaithful to Henry and of plotting against him, but these charges were never proven.

Her importance in history lies in the fact that Henry had to break from the authority of the Pope in order to divorce his first wife, Catherine, and marry Anne.

Many years later, this made it possible for Catholics to claim that Queen Elizabeth was illegitimate (because the Pope had not consented to Henry's marriage) and to support instead the claim of Mary Queen of Scots to the English throne.