Searching for Anne Boleyn: Facial Recognition, Secret Codes, and the Tower Letter
About this episode
This episode explores new research on Anne Boleyn, including facial recognition technology, hidden ciphers in letters, and the authenticity of the Tower Letter.
What if some of the greatest mysteries surrounding Anne Boleyn have been hiding in plain sight? In this episode, Rebecca is joined by researcher Karen L. Davis to explore three fascinating and interconnected areas of her work: the use of facial-recognition technology to investigate Anne Boleyn’s portraiture, a concealed cipher within Henry VIII’s love letters, and new evidence concerning the authenticity of the disputed Tower Letter. Karen explains why the famous Windsor sketch labelled Anna Boleyn Queen may not be as securely identified as generations have assumed—and how scientific comparison of Holbein’s preparatory drawings, Anne’s relatives, and portraits of Elizabeth I could help bring us closer to her true appearance. The conversation also turns to an enigmatic sequence of letters and numbers hidden in one of Henry’s letters to Anne, as well as the biblical and reformist language that may connect Anne’s correspondence, John Skip’s controversial sermon, and the letter reportedly written from the Tower in May 1536. From broken provenance and mistaken portrait labels to Queen Esther, secret messages, and scholarly resistance, this episode asks what might emerge when inherited…
People in this episode
Host: Rebecca Larson
Guest: Karen L. Davis
Topics covered
- Anne Boleyn
- facial recognition
- historical research
- Henry VIII
- ciphers
- Tower Letter
- portraiture
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Windsor sketch, Holbein’s preparatory drawings, Tower Letter, John Skip’s controversial sermon, Queen Esther
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