No, Camilla Is Not The “Anne Boleyn” Of Today. People Just Hate Her.
One thing makes Anne Boleyn different. Can you guess?
I swear, Ann Boleyn must be rolling over in her grave.
People are comparing her to modern day royals. Again.
First, it was in the movie Spencer, where Anne Boleyn was haunting Princess Diana because the two are “so similar” — apparently.
Both Diana and Anne had strained marriages. Both became highly influential public and political figures. Both were the daughter of a lowly earl and married into royalty.
Plus, there was the sister connection. King Henry VIII slept with Anne Boleyn’s older sister before he decided he wanted Anne. Charles dated Diana’s older sister first. Which is kind of ick.
Now it’s Camilla’s turn to be compared to Anne Boleyn and it’s kind of the Queen’s fault…
For years, people were content to just hate Camilla.
And they do. Man, do they hate her. Nasty cheater. Home wrecker. Sneaking around with Charles. Ruined Diana’s marriage. That’s what they say.
Apparently, Camilla only has a 34% public approval rating. Yikes.
We sure to love to blame the other woman.
But hey, at least she had the decency not to use the title “Princess of Wales.” She could have. It would have been her right. But she didn’t. That was Diana’s title. So people were content to hate her silently. For years.
Then the queen opened her big fat mouth at her Diamond Jubilee and said she hopes “when the time comes,” Camilla will be called Queen.
Woo hoo. The hate party is on again.
Now history writers are calling Camilla the “Anne Boleyn of our era.”
“It is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort” — Queen Elizabeth
They’re not entirely wrong, there are a lot of similarities between Camilla and Anne Boleyn
- They were both the “other woman.” Anne Boleyn was the “other woman” blamed for luring the King from Catherine, the beloved Queen. Camilla was the “other woman” blamed for luring Charles away from the beloved Diana.
- Both were called ugly… Catherine of Aragon was tiny and delicate with strawberry blond hair. Diana was shy and lovely. How horrible to lose such truly lovely women, and for what? Nasty ugly homewreckers. Sigh.
- Both had “other men” in their past. Anne Boleyn was pre-contacted to someone else and needed the marriage petition dispensed in order to marry Henry. Camilla had been married and divorced.
- Both were blamed for how the ex was treated. When King Henry VIII married Anne Boleyn, Catherine was banished from the castle. Diana was crying on national television. But no one blamed the men. Nope. They blamed the homewrecker. Of course.
- Both were mocked for private communications… King Henry VIII sent lurid letters to Anne about kissing her dukkys (breasts) and aching to be with her. Charles did the same. Google “tampongate” if you want to be grossed out. Sorry to put that in your head. lol. When that stuff got leaked, the “homewrecker” was mocked and blamed. Nasty ho. (sigh)
- Both ex-wives died shortly after. Catherine of Aragon died 3 years later. Princess Diana died 2 years after the divorce announcement. Both Anne and Camilla were hated even more. Their fault. Of course.
- But here’s the biggie — In both cases, the “ex” kept her title. Catherine of Aragon refused to relinquish the title of Queen. Diana retained the title Princess of Wales. People assumed Camilla would never be called Queen.
All of that “stuff” has nothing to do with Camilla or Anne Boleyn. They are not similarities between the women at all.
Go ahead. Scroll up. Read “the similarities” again.
Know what they all have in common? They’re all public opinion. Both Camilla and Anne Boleyn got skewered in the court of public opinion. That’s all.
Why Camilla Is Not The “Anne Boleyn” Of Today
If you set aside public hate for the nasty homewrecker, Camilla Parker Bowles and Anne Boleyn couldn’t be more different.
Camilla and Charles were in love before Diana came along…
Camilla and Charles loved each other. She just wasn’t considered suitable to marry the future King. So they did what royals have always done. Marry the “right” person and cheat.
But being “with” Charles was Camilla’s choice.
Anne Boleyn was stalked until she had no options left…
She did not love Henry VIII and she did not want to marry him. She was in love with someone else. They’d filed a petition for permission to marry. The petition was denied because she wasn’t of sufficient station for him.
When Henry VIII took interest in Anne, she quit her job as lady-in-waiting to the Queen and fled to Hever Castle, her father’s home. Henry stalked her. Staked himself out at a place close by and sent a deluge of letters declaring his undying love and lust for her.
She refused to respond. He wrote back asking her why she remains silent. Because she was not interested, idiot. She loved someone else.
He made it publicly known he would have Anne Boleyn as his next wife. At that point, her ability to marry anyone else disappeared. No man was going to even try, knowing the King had his heart set on her.
So she married him.
Three years later, she was dead. Because she failed to deliver him a live son. Because she delivered him one live daughter and one stillborn son. And so she needed to be ended so he could move on. So much for undying love.
Camilla Parker Bowles has nothing in common with Anne Boleyn except getting skewered in the court of public opinion.
Camilla’s story is not tragic. Anne Boleyn’s story is.
“The executioner is, I believe, very expert; and my neck is very slender” — Anne Boleyn
