The long-awaited second season of Anne Boleyn’s tragic execution ensured by Thomas Cromwell’s fabrications (The History Press), her shadow persists. In episode 2, Anne's ghost is shown through the presence of a book belonging to her.

A poignant scene shows Jane Seymour, newly married to Henry, poring over one of Anne’s personal effects. This seemingly simple act carries profound significance for Jane. It is a way to represent her relationship with Henry’s past and anxieties about her own duty. The book itself stands out as an artifact concerning Henry and Anne’s relationship, making the scene historically questionable in the context of the Tudor era.

Jane Seymour Reads Anne Boleyn’s Book Of Hours In Wolf Hall

The Pages Shown Clearly Point To A Specific Historical Artifact

Although Jane Seymour features very little in season 2, episode 2 of Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, there is a thought-provoking scene featuring her and Thomas Cromwell. Seymour es Cromwell a book, saying, “This was hers. Anne Boleyn’s.” Although she does not state specifically that it is her Book of Hours, which is an example of the show’s naturalistic dialogue, it is evident when Cromwell opens it. The two pages featured in the conversation are Christ as the Man of Sorrows and the Annunciation to Mary by the Archangel Gabriel, with inscriptions from Henry and Anne, respectively.

The page reveals in this Wolf Hall scene show that the book is one of three surviving Books of Hours belonging to Anne Boleyn. Two of these books are currently kept at Hever castle, the Boleyn family estate, and the book shown is kept at the British Library. It is a remarkable insight into the secret exchanges of the couple during their courting stage, with the context of each page revealing their sentiments; Henry portrays himself as lovesick with the kneeling Christ, and Anne emphasizes the desire to give him a son with the context of her chosen illustration.

Books Of Hours Were An Important Part Of Religious Life

As A Devout Catholic, This Item Would Have Fascinated Jane

Hours were personalized prayer books prevalent in 13th-century England until the Reformation. These books outlined short devotional services to the Virgin Mary, performed at eight specific times daily. They included a liturgical calendar, psalms, prayers to saints, and funerary rites. Often custom-made, Hours were tailored to individual preferences. Because it was not always practical to observe hours, the books were a good way for people to do so privately in their bedchambers. They were in high demand as a religious text. The Book of Hours shown in the show was likely commissioned by Henry VIII and is quite lavishly published.

The religious and private nature of these books make it significant that Henry and Anne were defacing the text with love notes and promises to each other. Hours were deeply religious objects, often illuminated with intricate artwork and considered sacred. Defacing them was seen as a desecration, particularly in a society where religious authority was paramount. As King, Henry VIII was also expected to uphold religious traditions and set an example for his subjects. His involvement in such a seemingly trivial act highlights the growing power of personal desires over traditional authority.

Another Of Anne’s Books Of Hours Recently Had Secrets Uncovered

Hidden Treasures Were Discovered In Anne's Hours in 2021

The Book of Hours shown in Wolf Hall is not the only book of Anne’s that has been preserved, nor is it the only one containing an inscription. A very early Book of Hours of Anne’s is kept at Hever, printed in Bruges between 1410-1450 (Hever Castle). Anne Boleyn inscribed a miniature of the Last Judgment with the cryptic phrase "Le temps viendra" (The time will come), followed by her signature "Je Anne Boleyn." She also added an astrolabe, symbolizing the age of time. This is haunting in the context of Boleyn’s earthly judgment and execution, as shown in Wolf Hall.

However, it was not this book, but the other book kept at Hever that caught the attention of historian Kate McCaffrey during her Masters dissertation research. The other Hours was printed in Paris around 1528. Anne Boleyn inscribed a poignant message in the book: " me when you do pray/That hope doth lead from day to day/Anne Boleyn." McCaffrey made an incredible further discovery under UV light:

“Emerging from the highly interconnected network of names is a story of gendered community, solidarity and bravery. A covert circle of predominately female owners worked together to protect Anne’s signed note within the book and thus cherish her memory, despite the widespread attempts to dishonour her in the wake of her downfall.”

— via University of Kent

This means that contrary to morbid rumors that her Book of Hours was taken to the scaffold with her, Anne gave it to a trusted, loyal noblewoman who ed it through a line of noblewoman. It was one of the few objects that survived Anne's character assassination.

Jane Seymour Reading The Book In Wolf Hall Is Puzzling

Henry Tried To Scrape All Marks Of Anne's Existence

Jane Seymour reading Anne’s Book of Hours sticks out like a sore thumb for a key reason – after Anne’s execution, Henry VIII strove to scrape almost every acknowledgment of her existence from Hampton Court Palace. Even speaking of Anne Boleyn was inadvisable. When Henry married Anne, there were many tributes to her commissioned, including entwined Hs and As in the Great Hall to make a statement about her claim to the throne. After Anne’s death, most of these carvings were scraped from the palace’s walls or altered to read H and J after Henry VIII’s marriage to Jane Seymour.

Several portraits of Anne Boleyn were uncovered or painted in the Elizabethan era...

Very few of Anne Boleyn’s possessions survived. Most portraits of Anne Boleyn were also destroyed or hidden. Her daughter Elizabeth I who, along with Mary Tudor was illegitimate for a time, did a lot to restore her mother’s image. Several portraits of Anne Boleyn were uncovered or painted in the Elizabethan era (The Third Eye Traveller). With this in mind, as well as the other Books of Hours being kept away from the court, it’s puzzling that Jane would be reading one. Not only that, but one with marks of the intimate history between Henry and Anne, which he would surely want forgotten.

For a series like Wolf Hall, which is largely commendable for its historical accuracy and one of the best period dramas created, this reads surprisingly contrived. However, it is easy to see what the showrunners intend – as a creative device, the Book of Hours is a great way to bring the shadow of Anne into Jane’s story. The ion between Henry and Anne is clear in the inscriptions and, in many ways, Jane is the antithesis of Anne. It is also a good way to bring in anxieties about producing an heir, a chief concern she shares with Anne.

Source: The History Press, Hever Castle, University of Kent, The Third Eye Traveller