Extras
Videos
Audio
British Edition
It’s actually a bit different, as the Brits have very strict libel laws—and also wanted certain very American cultural references changed. Purchase the British edition
Related Articles
Why Not Just Admit It’s Fiction?
The Huffington Post: March 1, 2015
Why You Shouldn’t Believe Everything You’ve Heard About Anne Boleyn
The Huffington Post: July 1, 2014
8 Anne Boleyn Myths Debunked
The Huffington Post: January 1, 2014
The Page 99 Test: Susan Bordo’s “The Creation of Anne Boleyn”
The Page 99 Test: August 29, 2013
What Did Anne Boleyn Really Look Like?
The Huffington Post: May 16, 2013
Susan casts a movie of her book
My Book, The Movie: April 23, 2013
When Fictionalized Facts Matter: From ‘Anne of the Thousand Days’ to Hilary Mantel’s new ‘Bring Up the Bodies’
The Chronicle of Higher Education: May 5, 2012
Susan Interviews Writers and Actors
Natalie and Anne
The Creation of Anne Boleyn Blog: May 19, 2012
Susan’s Interview with Hilary Mantel
The Creation of Anne Boleyn Blog: May 6, 2012
Susan’s Interview with Robin Maxwell, author of The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn and Mademoiselle Boleyn
The Creation of Anne Boleyn Blog: November 2, 2011
Susan’s Interview with Margaret George, author of The Memoirs of Cleopatra and The Autobiography of Henry VIII
The Creation of Anne Boleyn Blog: September 29, 2011
On Genevieve Bujold as Anne Boleyn
The Creation of Anne Boleyn Blog: September 12, 2011
Susan Bordo’s Exclusive Interview with Howard Brenton, Author of “Anne Boleyn”
The Creation of Anne Boleyn Blog: September 11, 2011
More of Susan’s Interview with Michael Hirst, Writer of The Tudors
The Creation of Anne Boleyn Blog: June 27, 2011
“He killed off the best part of himself” – Michael Hirst on Anne Boleyn
The Creation of Anne Boleyn Blog: June 27, 2011
Gallery
Portrait at Hever Castle
This anonymous portrait, hanging at Hever Castle, captures a childlike innocence not usually seen in depictions of Anne.
Anne in an Elizabethan collar
Depictions of Anne have often followed the fashions of the artist’s era, not Anne’s.
David Wilkie Winfred Portrait
In the 19th century, the early days of Henry’s relationship with Anne became a subject of romantic imagery, with Henry a tender suitor and Anne his adored (and blonde) darling.
Anne as tragic heroine
Early 19th century French painters often drew on unjustly condemned historical figures, such as Anne and Jane Grey, to comment on the politics of their own times.
Lubitsch’s 1920 Anna Boleyn
Lubitsch’s 1920 Anna Boleyn, with Emil Jannings as a predatory Henry and Henny Porten as a sweet, suffering Anne.
The Other Boleyn Girl
Philippa Gregory played fast and loose with history in her best-selling novel, and the movie based on it went even further.
The Private Life of Henry VIII
Alexander Korda’s 1933 The Private Life of Henry VIII dispenses with Anne (the gorgeous Merle Oberon) very early in the film to focus on the exploits of Charles Laughton’s gluttonous, lecherous Henry. The chicken eating scene has become emblematic of this view of Henry, which eventually was challenged by Robert Shaw, Richard Burton, and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers.
The Six Wives of Henry VIII
Dorothy Tutin brought gravity and maturity to her portrayal of Anne, in the Masterpiece Theatre television series The Six Wives of Henry VIII.
The Tudors
“The Tudors” sexed her up in the first season, but Natalie Dormer fought to make Anne more than just a seductress in the second season of the show.
The Other Boleyn Girl
Anne as Mean Girl: Natalie Portman in The Other Boleyn Girl.
Susan Bordo
I often wore a copy of Anne’s B necklace when I gave public talks. Nice touch that it stands for “Bordo,” too.
Wolf Hall
Hillary Mantel’s Wolf Hall was lauded for its convention-busting portrait of Cromwell, but the novel (and the play and television series based on it) had little sympathy to Anne, portrayed as feral and scheming.
Hever Castle
Cassie and I visit Hever Castle, Anne’s childhood home.
Anne’s portrait in the National Portrait Gallery
This portrait (artist unknown) is thought to be one of the few surviving copies of an original painting. Although Anne is often thought of as having black hair, 16th century depictions, like this one, generally show Anne with auburn hair.
Genevieve Bujold
To this day, Genevieve Bujold’s fiery, proud Anne remains the quintessential portrayal for many viewers. “Anne is mine,” she told me in a telephone interview; Boleyn fans agree.
Susan and Natalie
Natalie Dormer and I talked about history, feminism, and the challenges she faced playing Anne. (I was lucky that she was not yet the star she was to become, or I might not have been able to spend as much time with her as I did.)
Susan as Henry VIII
Yes, it’s me, costumed as Henry VIII for a Halloween party for my Anne Boleyn class.
