About this episode

Natalie Grueninger discusses five letters by William Kingston detailing Anne Boleyn's imprisonment and emotional state in May 1536 with Dr Owen Emmerson.

Natalie Grueninger is in conversation with Dr Owen Emmerson about five surviving letters written by William Kingston during Anne Boleyn’s imprisonment in May 1536. They examine Kingston’s eyewitness details—Anne’s moods, her conversations with attendants, mentions of Henry Norris, Mark Smeaton and George Boleyn—and the damaged Cotton manuscripts used alongside later transcriptions. The episode traces Anne’s shifting emotions, her religious faith, the role of her attendants as informants, the hurried preparations for execution, and why Thomas Cromwell may have avoided visiting the prisoners. VISIT DR EMMERSON'S OFFICIAL WEBSITE https://drowenemmerson.com/ EXPLORE COTTON MS OTHO C X https://searcharchives.bl.uk/catalog/040-001102888 JOIN 365 DAYS IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND https://www.nataliegrueninger.com/2026/05/17/365-days-in-elizabethan-england/ Learn more about your host: https://www.nataliegrueninger.com Support Talking Tudors on Patreon!

People in this episode

Host: Natalie Grueninger

Guest: Dr Owen Emmerson

Topics covered

• Anne Boleyn
• William Kingston
• imprisonment
• historical letters
• Tudor history
• emotions
• execution preparations

Keywords

• Anne Boleyn
• William Kingston
• Tudor history
• imprisonment
• historical letters
• emotions
• execution

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Cotton manuscripts

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• Episode 342 - The House of Boleyn with Professor Tracy Borman · April 26, 2026 · 34 min

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