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Secondary sourceBookwritten 16th century, published 1875

Wriothesley's Chronicle

Charles Wriothesley · written 16th century, published 1875

A Tudor-era chronicle by herald Charles Wriothesley describing events of Anne Boleyn's coronation and execution.

Wriothesley, who attended Anne's coronation, gives an eyewitness-based account of her rise and her execution.

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Front cover of a dark reddish-brown cloth-bound book with a blind-stamped border and a circular panel in the center. A small gold monogram ornament sits in the middle of the circle. A white label in the upper left corner shows the call number 942 C14.
Charles Wriothesley, Wriothesley's Chronicle, published 1875 (written 16th century). Camden Society.

About this source

What it is

This is a chronicle of English history written by Charles Wriothesley, an officer of arms who worked at the College of Arms and personally took part in ceremonies of the Tudor court. The chronicle covers events from the reign of Henry VII through to Elizabeth I's early reign, and was later edited and published by the Camden Society in 1875.

Why it matters

Wriothesley attended Anne Boleyn's creation as Marquess of Pembroke and her coronation, giving his account a direct, eyewitness quality for those events. His description of her execution adds to the historical record of how contemporaries viewed and remembered her downfall, offering insight into Tudor court life and the fall of a queen.

Look closer

  • Why might someone whose job was ceremony and record-keeping be a useful witness to history?
  • How might Wriothesley's position at court affect what he chose to include or leave out?
  • What does it mean that this account was only published centuries later, in 1875?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Ann Boleyn on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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