England waited anxiously for the birth of Anne Boleyn’s child in 1533.

Henry VIII had broken with Rome, overturned his kingdom, and married Anne believing she would finally give him the son and heir he desperately wanted. Astrologers predicted a prince, celebrations were prepared, a letter announcing the birth of a male heir had even been drafted in advance, but behind the splendour of Greenwich Palace lay the terrifying reality of Tudor childbirth.

In this video, I explore Anne Boleyn’s confinement, the ritual of “taking her chamber”, Tudor beliefs and superstitions surrounding labour, the dangers faced by women in childbirth, and the dramatic birth of the future Elizabeth I.

Discover:
- The strange rituals of Tudor childbirth
- Anne Boleyn’s lavish lying-in chamber
- Tudor beliefs about l ...