Anne Boleyn's Downfall

I had read earlier in the thread, that it wasn't deformed, but that to Tudor eyes it may have seemed so, and this might have troubled Henry who might have sincerely believed that it was deformed. I think it may have played a part, but there were other factors more important.

I doubt very much wether Henry saw this child, it would have been wrapped up and discretely removed from sight almost immediately

Yes, Kimberly, and I have to wonder - perhaps someone has mentioned this already, but I missed it - wouldn't the midwives called in to attend Queen Anne have been experienced in dealing with miscarriages of this type? Wouldn't they have regarded any so-called deformity of the fetus as in fact natural to this length of gestation? Why would they have raised the alarm over this particular pregnancy? It must have seemed totally normal to them, except that it ended in a miscarriage.

I have to admit I like Retha Warnicke's book a lot, but more for its emphasis on the Boleyn family's "affinities" to other powerful families than for the witchcraft stuff. I actually thought the author would have been far better off in scholarly terms if she'd stuck to the impact of family politics on Anne and left out the titillating witchcraft, deformed fetus business all together. But maybe that's what keeps the book in print?

I haven't read Retha Warnicke's book,guess thats's another one for my list. The court midwives would have dealt with miscarriages on a very regular basis, due to the lack of "proper" ante-natal care. They would inspect and recognise foetal deformities without doubt.

I have never read that book, although it is often such sensationlism that keeps such books in print, although it is usally better if they stick to the facts. Anyway, I agree with what everybody else says that most likely Henry never saw this, and it seemed normal to the midwives at the time. After all, they had lots of experience. If not, perhaps he heard reports of it, but whatever, I doubt he saw it. I ought to read that book, it sounds kind of ''out there''.