Henry became besotted with Anne Boleyn in 1525. His passion was enhanced by his failure to produce an heir with his first wife, Catherine of Aragon.  By 1527 he applied to the church for annulment. The church refused and the pair did not marry until 1532. Despite their long wait, the marriage was unsound. Henry continued his philandering, and the only pregnancy Anne was able to carry to term was Elizabeth in 1533. By 1536 Henry had selected a new spousal candidate, Jane Seymour, and his ministers trumped up charges against Anne that resulted in her beheading.

Anne is considered to have been England's most influential queen consort. Her relationship with Henry, including her determination to be coroneted as queen, triggered the English Reformation, resulting in England's break with the Roman Catholic Church. Anne played a key role by first eliminating Henry's papal adviser, Cardinal Woolsey, then persuading Henry to listen to such anti-Rome advisers as William Tyndale, Thomas Cranmer and Thomas Cromwell. She charmed a French ambassador into an endorsement from France for her marriage to Henry, in the process fostering an important alliance between France and England.

Dozens of books and films have portrayed Anne Boleyn, reflecting her position as one of the most interesting ladies in English history.